I Touched Gold Today!

Up in Rochester, MN during the Gold Rush flea market type thing. There were a few coin dealers around, but I found one whose selection I rather liked.

Awesome. You've reminded me of what it felt like to hold a one ounce gold bullion coin for the first time. Thank you!

When I had just finished school at the end of 2008 I was invited to go on a mining industry holiday/tour of various mine sites in south eastern Australia.

At one of the sites we were permitted in the gold room and were able to pick up some of the gold bars. They made two sizes of gold blocks. The larger one was described as being worth about $1.2 million Australian dollars. In 2008 gold was around $1000 per oz so I think it mustve been about 1200 ounces.

I am going to try and hunt fown the photos of me holding it but may take a bit of hunting. Thats my gold story anyway.

"So, um, if it makes this more discussion oriented, please share your first experiences with precious metals."

My first experience was when I was in High School during the
years 1965 to 1969. Another student had a twenty dollar gold piece and wanted to sell it.
I paid him $35, the standard price at the time.

Not too long afterward, as the price of gold was starting
to rise, I sold it for $70. My first profit.

When my Great Aunt Tootsie died in the 1980s, it was my responsibility to deal with the coins which she had collected over the years. What caught me by complete surprise were approximately 20 gold pieces. Both $2 1/2 and 5$ denominations including examples of both Liberty and Indians. An 1851 $1 piece, which I HAD heard about over the years, rounded out this little group.

In 1987, my Mom's cousin died. As mom, sis and I were going through her house collecting all of the important papers we stumbled upon four, 10 dollar gold pieces. I said, "Oh, this must be the gold coins that Aunt Helen mentioned."

WRONG!
Further investigation revealed a bag of gold coins, maybe 90 in all. Nothing special: just fives, tens and twenties never turned in during the gold recall order of 1933.

As my Mom's cousin was too young to have amassed these, it has always been my conclusion that she had inherited them from another, much older person.

I had to inventory, evaluated and eventually chart out a course of action to properly manage these pieces.

In this process, I have had the rare opportunity to study these designs and their conditions. I indulged in the guilty pleasure of holding raw gold coins in my hands, much as the folks who lived years ago, while marveling as to the weight that these must have created in the pockets and purses of the folks well-off enough to have them.

So, SaintRidley, if it was lame for you to start this discussion, I am equally as lame writing this response.

But, between you and me, !

Hawk,if holding gold coins does it for you ,wait till you get the chance to pan gold(you know you will!)and you see that first few flakes appear.WHAT A RUSH,even though it is not worth much. I have about 8 tiny flakes that I panned out in northern California in 1982,and it is still one of my REAL treasures.

Dug this up from the old computer today. The first gold I touched:

My first gold was the 2006-W burnished $5 AGE, after collecting for years. Then the next year I saved up for $2.50 gold Lib, then the $5.00 incuse Indian, a $10 Indian, and finally I bought the 2009 UHR, all this after buying and possessing silver and copper only. The one thing about gold: you can't just have one coin, it's addictive, so every year I make it a point to buy at least 1/4th oz. gold. Last year it was the unc. $5.00 Army commem., this year I'll probably buy the SSB $5.00. Hope you get to do more with gold than just holding momentarily, it's a great feeling to actually have some!