LOOKING TO INVEST IN PRECIOUS METALS?

We can accommodate almost any need.  Whether you want to get started with a few ounces of silver, or looking for a million dollars in gold bullion, Rocklin Coin Shop has you covered.

If you’ve never invested in physical precious metals before, our first recommendation is to talk to a member of our staff.  There is a wide variety of investment products available in precious metals, but the best choice of product(s) depends on your personal goals and strategies.  Are you merely trying to build savings discipline by having tangible assets less liquid than cash, or are you preparing for a critical economic meltdown?  Obviously, these two situations are at the extreme ends of the strategy spectrum, but knowing what you’re planning is essential to recommending what products to invest in.

Appointments are not necessary to visit the shop.  Just drop by when it’s most convenient for you if you want to talk in person.

Too busy to pay us a visit in person?  No problem.  Shoot us an e-mail to info@rocklincoinshop.net and one of us will be happy to answer any questions that you have and walk you through the process.  Almost any purchase can be handled remotely via wire transfers, PayPal, Venmo, etc.  Product can be shipped directly to you or picked up at our location during normal business hours.  It’s all up to you.

A few things to know before you buy:

In California, purchases of coins and precious metals $1,500 or greater are NOT subject to sales tax. Purchases under $1,500 must be assessed sales tax at the rate of 7.25%.

Cash purchases are limited to $10,000 per adult customer per day.  There are no limitations for electronic transfers (wire, ACH, etc.,) or Bank Official Checks/Cashier’s Check.  We do not accept personal checks under almost any circumstance.

We can order anything that we do not have in stock.  Orders must be paid for at the time the order is made.  Our suppliers do not lock in price without payment, and due to the volatility of the precious metals market, precious metals dealers all require payment up front.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. Why do you require payment up front if I have to order something you don’t have in stock?

Our customers order anywhere between a few hundred dollars to a few hundred thousand dollars in precious metals. Spot prices of precious metals fluctuate hourly during trading hours. The risk is fairly straightforward: customer orders $10,000 in gold from dealer.  The next day, gold prices drop by $100 per ounce, and the customer no longer wants to pay the higher rate on the gold.  Like any other investment, you cannot simply choose to “return” a product.  You must sell the product at the prevailing market rate.

Q. Do you accept credit or debit cards for payment?

A. While the vast majority of our transactions are done in cash or cash equivalents (Cashier’s Checks or electronic transfers), we will accept credit and debit cards for any purchase. Be aware, however, that when we quote prices on precious metals products, we are quoting the cash/cash equivalent prices. Credit and debit card purchases on precious metals are priced 3% higher than cash prices.

Q. Junk Silver/Constitutional Silver confuses me. Please explain it.

A. No problem. 90% US Silver Coins (also known by their common industry terms as “Junk Silver” or “Constitutional Silver”) requires a little more math to figure out. Here’s a simple breakdown.  When we discuss Junk Silver, it’s typically discussed in terms of “Face Value” and then multipliers of Face Value.  What does Face Value mean?  Simple: a 90% Quarter has a face value of $0.25.  Four 90% quarters have a Face Value of $1.00.  Half Dollars have a face value of $0.50 and dimes…you guessed it…$0.10.

Junk Silver was standardized, so no matter what, if you have $1.00 in face value (2 half dollars, 4 quarters, 10 dimes, or ANY combination that adds up to $1.00) you have the silver equivalent of 0.72 troy ounces of silver.  The first question that pops into a lot of minds is, “if junk silver is 90% pure, shouldn’t it have 0.9 troy ounces of silver for each $1.00 face value?”  For some reason, it’s just where the mind goes.  But face value has nothing to do with weight.  The weight of $1.00 face value of Junk Silver is 0.8 troy ounces (0.8 x 0.9 = 0.72).  Once you memorize $1.00 = 0.72 ozt (troy ounces), you can figure out any number that you need.

One half dollar is $0.50 x 0.72 = 0.36, so every 90% half dollar contains 0.36 troy ounces of silver.  A quarter has 0.18 ozt, and a dime has 0.072 ozt.

However, when you purchase junk silver, you’ll almost certainly be quoted a price as a multiplier of Face Value.  For example, as of the writing of this, Junk Silver is selling at 20 times Face Value.  Meaning that for every $1.00 (or 0.72 ozt) of Junk Silver that you purchase, you will be paying $20.00.  Now for the fun part…how much are you paying per ounce?  Just do the math in reverse: 20.5/0.72 = $27.77 per ozt.  Silver spot currently is $24.90 per ozt, which means that a premium of $2.87 over spot.

Realizing that all this info may have created more questions than answers, we’re always available to discuss it further.

Q. I hear that American Gold Eagles and South African Gold Krugerrands are only 90% pure. What’s up with that?

A. While true that American Gold Eagles and South African Gold Krugerrands (two of the most common gold investment coins in the world today) are only 90% pure (unlike Canadian Gold Maples, Gold Bars, Chinese Gold Pandas, and many others that are 99.9%+ pure). However, both Gold Eagles and Krugerrands still have 1 full troy ounce of pure gold content plus an additional 10% copper added to make the coin more durable. All this means is that Gold Eagles and Krugerrands weigh more than 1 ozt.

Q. I talked to a big gold dealer that I saw on TV, and they told me that I should buy gold that was “guaranteed numismatic” because then my gold cannot be confiscated. What do they mean?

A. This is a common ploy with many of the large dealers that advertise on television. When we talk about “confiscation” in the coin industry, we’re referring to Executive Order 6102, issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on April 5, 1933, which required citizens to deliver all of their gold coin and gold certificates (with some exceptions) back to the banks. To help ensure compliance, those who refused to participate were subject to a either a $10,000 fine (nearly $200,000 today!) or 10 years in prison.

One of the most notable exceptions to what is now known as “The Confiscation” was coins that were numismatic in nature…in other words, collectible gold coins.  The idea here, is that when otherwise common gold coins from the 1930’s and prior are graded by an industry-accepted grading company (most commonly PCGS, NGC, or ANACS), they become, by definition, “guaranteed numismatic” coins, and thus will fall outside of the scope of government control, should another confiscation occur.

As such, some companies will pitch graded US Gold coins at an excess premium to play off consumers’ fears…often fears that they create.  While none of us at Rocklin Coin Shop will say that a gold coin which is “guaranteed numismatic” is necessarily a bad choice in investment, it has to come at the right price.  Before buying these coins from anyone, ask about the Greysheet price of the coins so you can compare, or talk to a trusted coin dealer to see if they think the prices are fair.  We’ve worked with a LOT of customers who inherited similar purchases from their elders, only to find that their loved ones paid exorbitant premiums for coins that are otherwise quite common.

Beyond that, we do not believe that fears of another confiscation are warranted.  And, if it does happen, there’s nothing to say that new laws won’t be rewritten that would remove numismatic coins from the safety net.