Homepage / Buying Guides: Gold

Last Updated on 05/14/2025

Gold Bullion Buying Guide
with a list of Reputable
Gold Bullion Dealers

Gold: a "Precious" Metal

Owning physical gold can become more than an investment for some, like Gollum (a.k.a. Sméagol) in the Lord of the Rings; his "Precious" became an obsession.

Man's obsession with gold has sparked wars, destroyed empires, and forced many into slavery, but the real villain in these scenarios is the deadly sin of greed, not gold.

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au, which is derived from the Latin word Aurum, and it has an atomic number of 79.

Gold is a soft, yellow, corrosion-resistant element; gold is the most malleable and ductile metal on earth; it is the second-most reflective and conductive metal [second to silver] and generally occurs in veins and alluvial deposits. 

Gold is considered precious because it possesses unique qualities and will never lose all its value. When you own gold, it helps preserve your wealth because, unlike other forms of money today, including Bitcoin, its value is not reliant on any external factors for its existence.

Bitcoin needs electricity to exist, and paper fiat money needs a government to back it, but gold is beholden to nothing but itself; it is "Precious."

In the following paragraphs, this guide provides a comprehensive explanation of the advantages of owning gold, and it identifies reputable gold bullion dealers and brokerages that offer competitive and reasonable prices for gold bullion.

Gold is Money

Gold has been used as money for over 5,000 years. The United States Constitution recognizes gold as money and it was used as such until the Gold Standard ended in 1971.  Legendary banker J.P. Morgan is known for stating, "Gold is money. Everything else is credit."

Doug Casey, the author of the best-selling book "Right on the Money" and owner of the website International Man, stated in an interview one of the clearest explanations for why "Gold is the Best Form of Money."

"Gold, as we’ve discussed many times, happens to be the best form of money the market has ever produced: It’s convenient, consistent, durable, divisible, has intrinsic value, and can’t be created out of thin air."  - Doug Casey on the morality of money - Mining.com

Gold Keeps its Purchasing Power

The chart above shows the purchasing power of the U.S. dollar over the last fourteen decades. (click chart to enlarge)

Wouldn't it be great if we could still buy a bottle of Coca-Cola for five cents?

We don't because inflation has eroded the value of the U.S. Dollar so much that the purchasing power of today's $1.00 has less value than a nickel had before 1940. 

The chart reveals many reasons for the decrease in the U.S. Dollar's purchasing power, highlighting when the government removed the Gold Standard and changed accounting standards to help it spend money and conceal debt from the American public.

The chart below, for example, was taken from the Federal Reserve in 2019, but it is no longer available; it reveals how Gold has kept its purchasing power while the U.S. Dollar has not.

The gray vertical lines in the chart below represent times of recession in the United States, the red line represents the purchasing power of the U.S. Dollar using the "Consumer Price Index," and the blue line represents the Price of Gold in U.S. Dollars.            (click chart to enlarge)

To further illustrate what the Federal Reserve no longer provides is to see how gold has moved since 2020.

The chart from Bullion Vault (below) indicates that since 2020, high inflation (as shown in the chart to the right) and market uncertainty caused by wars, government spending, and debt have led to an increase in the price of gold, preserving the purchasing power of those who own it.  (Inflation Chart Source: Trading Economics)

Interactive Bullion Vault Chart: H = High / L = Low / C = Close

Gold's Role with the Financial Markets

Gold's role in financial markets is analyzed through its correlation with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, as demonstrated by the Dow to Gold ratio, which measures stock market stability compared to gold, a stable safe-haven asset.

The ratio effectively indicates when to stop pursuing an overbought market, whether it is the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) or Gold.

The Dow-to-Gold ratio is a financial metric calculated by dividing the Dow Jones Industrial Average by the price of one ounce of Gold; depending on how high or low the ratio is, determines which market to buy or sell.

Gold's price and the Dow Jones Industrial Average move in opposite directions; gold is an asset with little risk, while stocks are a high-risk asset.

A high Dow-to-Gold ratio indicates the stock market is overbought and in a bubble. In contrast, a falling ratio indicates significant pessimism is waning in the stock market and that gold's price is in a bubble.

There are many strategies that investors have used to profit from the Dow-to-Gold ratio. This article, "Trading the Dow-Gold Ratio," is about one strategy that would have worked out well if you had a time machine, but it is still a good strategy for the future.

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Gold is Financial Insurance

During market bubbles, investors often become overconfident and adopt an "All-In" mentality, investing all their money in a single market that consistently moves higher.  The fear of missing an opportunity to make an easy profit causes them to make foolish decisions. 

The "all in" mentality leads to market bubbles; below are some examples of historic market bubbles that destroyed the purchasing power of many investors.

• The Dutch Tulip Mania of 1634-1637
• John Law and the Mississippi Bubble of 1718-1720
• Silver Bubble of 1980 - leading to Silver Thursday
  
• Japanese Asset Price Bubble of 1985 - 1991
• Dot.com Bubble - 1999 - 2000
• Housing Bubble - 2006 - 2009
• Everything Bubble - 2015 - 20??
  

Everyone has heard the phrase, "Don't put all your eggs in one Basket," or, in other words, Diversify. 

In every bubble market, the person who had diversified investments of high and low-risk assets was the one who didn't lose everything.

Gold is the model of a low-risk asset; it keeps its purchasing power; unlike shares or any other financial investment, gold has no counterparty, meaning it cannot go bankrupt or default; it's precious.

Note: In the 1920s, a car's average selling price was $1,500.00 - see the new car chart on this guide's price inflation page: here.

Types of Physical Gold Bullion

There are many different forms of physical bullion that one can choose from, they include:

• Bullion Coins (American Gold Eagles, Canadian Maple Leaf, Gold Sovereigns, etc.)
• Pre-1933 US Mint Gold
• Gold Rounds (made by numerous Private Mints) 
  
• Gold Bullion Bars (PAMP, Johnson Matthey, Engelhard, Heraeus, etc.)
• Gold Bullion Jewelry, and Goldback Notes
  

The reputable dealers below offer these and other forms of gold bullion.

Storage

The Free Bullion Investment Guide provides storage buying guides for those who want to own gold but aren't sure what form of storage is best for them.

If you are interested in owning and storing gold at home, see our Home Safe Buying Guide, or if you want to own, store, and trade gold, see our Vault Storage Brokerages Buying Guide.

For those unsure about storing assets, including precious metals, our Vault Storage of Assets (and Bullion) Buying Guide provides comprehensive information on asset storage, including the two mentioned methods.

Below, you'll find a list of reputable dealers that offer gold bullion in many different forms and direct links to their storage services if they provide it.

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List of Reputable
Gold Bullion Dealers & Brokers

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Free Shipping on Orders $199+

4.8 star Customer Reviews

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As one of the largest bullion dealers in the United States, BGASC has a variety of gold bullion coins and bars.

Buy Gold And Silver Coins.com's goal is to be the kind of dealer they've always wanted to trade with to ship fast, be fair & reasonable, and operate honestly and efficiently.

They are an official PCGS Dealer, a member of the Certified Coin Exchange (CCE), an NGC Collector's Society Member, and a Bulk Purchaser of United States Mint non-bullion coins.

Every package they ship is sent fully insured for its time in transit. Customers all across the country have quickly come to recognize BGASC as one of the fastest and most trusted online precious metals suppliers in the U.S.

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Free Shipping on Orders $199+

BBB - Customer Reviews

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Money Metals Exchange is a national precious metals investment company founded in 2010 in direct response to the abusive methods of national advertisers of collectible, and numismatic coins.

Now you can safeguard your assets from financial turmoil and the devaluing dollar – without paying costly middleman mark-ups or fending off high-pressure, bait-and-switch sales tactics.

Savvy, self-reliant investors are embracing the Money Metals Exchange as their trustworthy resource for physical precious metals bullion.

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Free Shipping on Orders $199+

4.8 star Customer Reviews

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SD Bullion is a top dealer of gold, silver and platinum bullion.

In 2011, two doctors started a highly popular Gold & Silver News website with one dream: To educate the masses on the value of hard assets and preparation.

The rapid success of that website gave way to the launch of SDBullion.com in March of 2012.

Since then, SD Bullion has executed more than $4 Billion in sales and hit Inc. Magazine's list of 5000 Fastest Growing Companies four times.

We did all this while staying true to our original mission of offering the absolute lowest prices on gold bullion and silver bullion in the industry, guaranteed.

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The Royal Canadian offers gold numismatic coins featuring stunning scenes of Canada's wildlife, historical events, and the iconic maple leaf.

The Royal Canadian Mint stands for excellence in bullion production worldwide.

They are one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high-quality coinage and related services on an international scale.

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Free Shipping on Orders $199+

5.0 star Customer Reviews

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SilverGoldBull provides you with competitive, up-to-minute pricing, and we make sure your precious metals are delivered to your door discreetly and fully insured.

SilverGoldBull has the best customer rating (5.0 stars) in the industry; their in-house customer service representatives will work to assure your satisfaction in a timely, friendly, and professional manner.

They are based in Canada and offer a wide variety of gold bullion for you to choose from; their commitment to you is to provide excellent service throughout your bullion-buying experience.

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The Royal Mint (UK) Delivery Rates

4.8 star - Customer Reviews

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Made from 999.9 fine gold, the Royal Mint's premium collection of gold bullion coins and bars includes a variety of ranges, such as the iconic Sovereign and the heraldic Queen’s Beasts.

Explore the Royal Mint's range of masterfully designed premium gold coins and bars today.

The Royal Mint has been Britain's official and chief mint for over 1,000 years; it became a single institution in 886AD, during the reign of Alfred the Great. Today, the Royal Mint is the world's leading exporting mint.

The mint makes UK bullion coins, bullion bars, numismatic proof coins, circulated coins, medals, and commemorative coins for over 60 countries.

The Royal Mint has set out its vision as follows:

• "To be recognized as the world's best mint"

The Royal Mint refines and manufactures the United Kingdom's gold and silver bullion coins, including the Gold Sovereign and the Gold, Silver, and Platinum Britannia & Queen's Beasts Series of Bullion Coins.

Vault Storage
Gold Bullion Brokerages

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4.7 star Customer Reviews

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The video below goes into further detail about Bullion Vault's services. 

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Minimum investment of $10,000, then $5,000 from the second order.

Vault Storage Bullion Dealer, Free U.S. Shipping on All Gold/Silver Orders

GoldBroker.com - Customer Reviews

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Founded in 2011, GoldBroker.com is an online investment platform that facilitates holding and storing precious metals in your name, outside the banking system, and with direct access to the vaults.

GoldBroker.com offers a simple and safe way to buy physical gold.

Discover our gold bars and coins from recognized refiners certified by the international gold market (LBMA).

The gold bullion products have never left the professional logistics chain since their manufacture. This traceability guarantees precious metals’ authenticity and purity.

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4.8 star Customer Review

$100 Minimum to Open an Account

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OneGold gives you direct ownership of vaulted gold, silver, and platinum at an ultra-low cost. A free account will provide you with a platform that is easy to use and offers 24/7 access.

Quick Facts about OneGold

• U.S. based company
• Incorporated in 2018
• Trading 24/7 ~ 365 days a year
• Cash Withdraw after account is verified.
• Redemption in Physical Precious Metals is available.
• 3 Million oz (+) under Mgmt
• 4.8 star Customer Reviews
  

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4.8 star Customer Reviews

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Vaulted is a service provided by McAlvany Financial Group, the longest-running gold investment company in the United States.

Vaulted states states that buying gold and silver has never been more simple, affordable, or transparent using their service.

• Purchase Pure Gold and Silver and have it stored in the world's most secure vaults

          or

• Take Delivery of Your Kilo Bar or smaller coins and bars, whatever you prefer

Buy and secure gold and silver with the tap of a finger Vaulted is a mobile platform for investing in physical precious metals.  Store what you've purchased in international vault storage facilities or have it delivered.

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Free Shipping on Orders $199+ | 5.0 star Customer Reviews

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Gold Buying Guide

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Free Bullion Investment Guide