Rare Coin Investor

Reuters) – Oil prices hit a 26-month high over $92 a barrel on Friday, closing the year up 15 percent on expectations that the economic recovery will drive demand growth next year and send prices into triple digits.

Strong growth from Asia, especially China, and a rebound in demand from recovering economies elsewhere fueled a four-month rally that knocked crude over the $70-$80 range it held for much of the year.

U.S. crude oil futures surged to a 2010 high on Friday, settling up $1.54 a barrel at $91.38 a barrel, after touching $92.06, the highest level since October 7, 2008. The settlement marked the largest end-year price since 2007.

London Brent gained $1.66 to settle at $94.75 a barrel, its highest end-December settlement since 2007 and up nearly 22 percent on the year.

Global output jumped 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd), according to a Reuters poll, the biggest increase since 2004, and another healthy 1.5 million bpd gain is forecast for next year.

While many experts say oil could break $100 a barrel in the new year, they don’t expect a surge to levels near $150 seen in 2008, when crude first broke into triple digits.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries would step in to cool off markets if they headed into territory that could endanger the global economic recovery, analysts

said.

“At some point, I would expect OPEC to increase production, whether through an extra cargo here or there to cash in on high prices or whether by a more concerted effort to calm people down,” said Tim Evans, analyst for Citi Futures Perspective.

Recent gains in the dollar could also help cap oil’s momentum by increasing the cost of dollar-denominated currencies for holders of other currencies.

U.S. crude averaged $79.61 a barrel for the year, second only to 2008’s record $99.75. Crude shot to a high of $147 a barrel in July of that year, before the global recession hit demand and sent prices below $33.

Cold weather in the United States and Europe and OPEC’s decision to keep production levels steady earlier this month have added to bullish sentiment this month. Analysts are watching to see how much of the recent rally has been caused by seasonal weather demand and how much has been driven by more structural consumption

growth.

Speculators betting the economic recovery will boost demand have poured into oil markets, with net long positions held by money managers in U.S. oil futures hitting fresh records in December.

U.S. crude rallied back from early losses on Friday in light holiday trade of about 275,000 contracts — about half the level seen over the past 30 days — bouncing off lows near $89 a barrel.

“We’re seeing exaggerated price swings because of low volume of trade but there is technical support around $89 a barrel and the rally will continue to march into next year,” said Gene McGillian, analyst for Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut.

(Additional reporting by Jeffrey Kerr in New York, Randi Fabi in Singapore and Dmitry Zhdannikov in London; Writing by Matthew Robinson; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

“When it comes to safe haven investing, people immediately think about physical assets such as gold, silver, oil, land, real estate. There is a reason for this: Physical things have intrinsic value. The value of a paper fiat currency, or a stock, can fall to zero. But the value of any physical asset can never fall to zero. The intrinsic values of physical assets are the reasons why they preserve wealth during times of financial and economic crises.”*

While like any other investment there is risk, the nature of rare coins as an antique systematically provides investors with a sense of long term stability, a stability you can’t expect with traditional investments like stocks or bonds.

Investing in rare coins now, no matter what the current market conditions, at least provides the comfort of knowing that rare coins will ALWAYS be rare and valuable, and always be sought after by those who can afford them.

The tangibility of wealth, knowing you can preserve it in uncertain economic times proves, every other decade or so, the most profitable safe haven investment.

Governments and banks fail. Rare coins will always be a rare and lucrative parking for capital in an atmosphere of uncertainty.

This is one thing about our price guide that you should understand; I looked at some of these prices and a coin was like $15,000 and I look back in the historical and its $15,000 for five years, well… you know obviously that coin was worth more than $15,000 in 2008 but worth more than it was in 2005, but sometimes the coin doesn’t sell, it’s the only one, then it comes to auction and brings $48,000.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — As economic fears drive gold prices to new highs, the creator of a gold-dispensing ATM is attracting attention around the globe.

Germany-based GOLD to go, which is currently churning out 50 gold machines a month to meet a recent jump in demand, launched its first ATM in Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace Hotel earlier this month and opened its second in Germany last week.

The golden ATM’s next destinations are the Bergamo Airport in Milan, Italy, all major airports in Malaysia, one of Russia’s biggest banks and an undetermined location in Turkey.

By making gold investing as easy as buying a candy bar from a vending machine, GOLD to go hopes to attract average buyers to the gold market.

“We are going to make gold public with these machines,” said Thomas Geissler, CEO of Ex Oriente Lux AG, which owns GOLD to go. “The prices are so easy to control that we’re going to de-mystify gold and make it easier for anyone to buy it.”

GOLD to go’s ATM looks like a vending machine and dispenses gold coins and bars weighing up to one ounce at prices updated every 10 minutes based on the real-time spot price of gold.

ATM-owners can choose from a variety of other gold items, such as gold Canadian maple leaf coins, South African Krugerrands, and even some custom designs. For example, the special edition gold medallion it engraved with the Palace Hotel’s logo was created for the United Arab Emirate debut.

Earlier this month, gold prices hit an all time high of nearly $1,250 per ounce, and the precious metal has continued to climb as euro zone countries struggle with debt and investors worry that the region’s problems could spread globally.

Until this uncertainty in the market eases, the demand for gold will only grow, said Carlos Sanchez, a precious metals analyst at CPM Group.

“[The ATM] is just a reflection of the demand from consumers and investors for exposure to gold,” he said. “As long as prices continue to trend upward and investors remain concerned over economic and political conditions, I think we’ll keep seeing strong demand for safe-haven assets like gold.”

Next stop, Italy: Patrizio Locatelli, owner of SE 6, a small company in Italy that pays customers for gold, flew to GOLD to go’s factory in Germany to check out the prototype when it was first unveiled.

Locatelli was having a hard time keeping up with the costs of rent and hiring employees, so when he came across the GOLD to go ATM online, he saw it as a golden ticket to an efficient way to expand his business.

“When you see exchange rates going up and down every day with the euro under so much pressure and stocks decreasing, this gold machine seemed like a very sound idea,” he said. “In times like these you must think of somewhere else to put your money, and physical gold still has great appeal for everyone.”