However, their special collectible qualities can potentially render rare coins far more valuable in the marketplace than the value of any gold or silver that they may just happen to contain. There is no single answer to this question that will satisfy every investor, but fortunately, the right answer can be easily determined for any individual. When making an investment in precious metals, an investor should carefully consider his or her investment objective, the amount of money he or she plans to invest, and the need for liquidity. Yet a third investor may want to make small, regular investments and will therefore choose to accumulate one-ounce gold coins. However, it is this abundance of alternatives that allows investors to tailor their portfolios to meet their particular needs.
Gold is the most widely traded of the precious metals.
Because of its popularity as monetary metal, there are more forms of coins available in gold than any other type of precious metal. As an industrial commodity, gold is used extensively in the manufacture of jewelry, and in electronics, dentistry and many other commercial and scientific applications. On average four tons of raw ore are required to produce one ounce of pure gold. Typically,silver is mined as a by-product of copper mining. On average, approximately ten tons of raw ore are required to produce one ounce of pure platinum.