Best Investment Right Now? Gold!

The Stock Market is not a safe place to invest at this time. It is a high risk, high return investment. Many people have lost most of their savings and earnings in the market as in the last few years, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has fallen from a high of 13,000 points to 6,500 points recently. The DOW has lost half of its value in just a few years. The NASDAQ and the S&P is no different.

For those looking for no risk, small return investments, the best place to invest in is either Mutual Bonds or Treasury Bills. These investments are safe investments because the Bonds and Bills are backed up by the US Government. You will have to wait a long time (probably ten - fifteen years) before you see a small return on your investment.

But the best place to invest your money right now is GOLD! If you look at the price of gold in the past few years, it keeps on going up. In the past 5 years, gold has given back a whopping 250% return. Just recently (in 2004) the price of gold was $400 an ounce and this year it has reached $1000 an ounce. Another point is that if you look at other recent economic crises such as the Great Depression and the oil crises, most investors would invest in either gold or silver as they have more faith in precious metals than paper money.

The best investments are gold antique coins. For example, Russian Imperial Coins quadrupled in price in the last two years. Russian Imperial gold coins offer a part of the numismatic legacy of Czarist Russia. They are among the last gold coins minted under the monarchy of Czar Nicholas II and the Russian Empire prior to the rise of Communism. In the minless frenzy following the downfall of the Czar, countless irreplaceable art treasures were destroyed and lost forever. Many people can not tell apart authentic coins from replicas. There are many companies who specialize in grading authentic gold coins. Some of these companies are: NGC (Numismatic Guarantee Corporation), ANACS (American Numismatic Association Grading Service), and PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service). The Grading Companies guarantee the coins authenticity, and depending on the condition of the coins, they grade them differently. For instance, if it is in perfect condition, called mint state, they grade it MS, starting from 60 to 70. If the coin is in worse condition, they grade it XF (Extra Fine) or AU (Almost Uncirculated). If you buy a graded coin, you know you bought an original and not a copy. Apart from Russian Imperial Coins, there are other rare coins like the $20 Double Eagle from the United States or the Krugerrand from South Africa. The older these coins are, the more they are worth. In my opinion, graded gold coins are the best investment in this troubling time because the value will not diminish.