Gold bullion is produced by mints located worldwide, by either a sovereign mint or privately owned. Gold bullion produced by these mints typically comes in coins, bars, and rounds, with a wide selection of sizes ranging from grams to ounces to kilograms available. For collectors and investors, it is important to know the difference between sovereign mints and private mints.
Sovereign mints, also known as government or national mints, manufacture bullion produced for legal tender in that country. A face value is typically associated with bullion and an official legal tender status. Widely collected bullion, such as the American Eagles and American Gold Buffalo coins, and these sovereign mints produce the Canadian Maple Leaf series. Examples of these well-known sovereign mints include the United States Mint, Royal Canadian Mint, The Perth Mint, the Austrian Mint, and more.
Private mints, as the name suggests, are privately owned and do not produce bullion for legal tender. Private mints make their own designs, branding, purity, and metal content. No legal requirements or restrictions are placed on private mints to produce any specific amount of Precious Metals. While private mints do not produce legal tender bullion, they create countless popular and unique products each year that are great additions to many collections. Examples of these private mints include Engelhard, PAMP Suisse, Johnson Matthey, and more.