Fundamentals

Short answer: Start here if you want the ideas that everything else builds on: the spot price, purity, weight units, cost basis and how gold and silver relate to each other.

37 guides in this topic.

• How to Calculate the Gold Price Per Gram

  Gold is quoted per troy ounce, but many buyers think in grams. Here is the one-line conversion, with a worked example and what the result does and does not tell you.

  Oct 5, 2026 · 3 min read

• How to Calculate Your Average Cost Per Gram

  Several purchases at different prices make your real cost hard to see. Here is the right way to combine them, with a worked example and the mistake to avoid.

  Oct 5, 2026 · 4 min read

• What Is the Spot Price and Who Sets It?

  Everyone quotes the spot price, but where does it come from? Here is what spot means, how it moves and why the price you pay is always a little higher.

  Oct 5, 2026 · 4 min read

• How Much Pure Gold Is in a Gold Coin?

  A coin can weigh more than the gold it contains. Here is how to find the pure gold content, and why it is the number that decides the melt value.

  Oct 5, 2026 · 4 min read

• Gold vs Silver: Which Is Easier to Liquidate in an Emergency?

  If you ever needed to convert part of your holdings to cash quickly, gold and silver don't behave the same way. Here's the practical difference.

  Oct 4, 2026 · 4 min read

• What Happens to Unsold Mint Inventory? Understanding Secondary Releases

  Mints don't always sell everything they produce in a given run. Here's what actually happens to that leftover inventory, and what a 'secondary release' means.

  Sep 30, 2026 · 4 min read

• Gold Purity Standards Around the World: .900 to .99999 Explained

  Not every gold coin or bar is the same purity. Here's what .900, .9167, .999, .9999, and .99999 fine actually mean, and why the difference matters when you compare prices.

  Sep 29, 2026 · 6 min read

• LBMA Good Delivery Explained: What It Means for Your Gold

  LBMA Good Delivery is the global standard that determines which refiners' bars trade freely on wholesale markets. Here's what the accreditation actually requires and why it matters to you.

  Sep 26, 2026 · 5 min read

• Fine Silver vs Sterling Silver: What's the Difference?

  The two terms get confused constantly, but they describe genuinely different purity standards with different uses. Here's how to tell them apart.

  Sep 22, 2026 · 4 min read

• Bullion Premium vs. Numismatic Premium: What You're Actually Paying For

  Every coin costs more than its raw metal value — but two very different kinds of premium make up that difference. Here's how to tell them apart before you buy.

  Sep 17, 2026 · 5 min read

• How Precious Metals Dealers Actually Make Money

  Understanding a dealer's business model helps explain their pricing, their buy/sell spread, and why they're not acting against you by charging a premium. Here's how it works.

  Sep 12, 2026 · 4 min read

• What Is a Commemorative Coin, and Is It the Same as Bullion?

  Commemorative coins are often struck in precious metal, but they're not automatically the same thing as a bullion investment coin. Here's the real distinction.

  Sep 10, 2026 · 4 min read

• Subsidiary Mint vs National Mint: What's the Difference?

  Not every mint producing a country's coins is a direct government agency. Here's how subsidiary and branch mints differ from fully national ones.

  Sep 8, 2026 · 4 min read

• How Coin Weight Tolerances Work (And Why a Coin Might Be Slightly Off-Spec)

  No minting process is perfectly exact. Here's why a genuine coin might weigh a fraction of a gram off its official spec, and when that's normal versus a red flag.

  Sep 2, 2026 · 4 min read

• Bullion vs Stocks: A Practical Diversification Comparison

  Physical gold and silver behave differently from equities in ways that matter for a diversified portfolio. Here's an honest, practical comparison — not a case for replacing one with the other.

  Aug 27, 2026 · 5 min read

• How Coin Mintage Numbers Actually Affect Value (And When They Don't)

  A low mintage figure doesn't automatically mean a coin is valuable — here's how mintage actually interacts with demand to drive real-world pricing.

  Aug 24, 2026 · 5 min read

• What Does 'Investment Grade' Actually Mean for Bullion?

  The term gets used loosely in marketing, but it has a real, specific meaning when applied to precious metals. Here's what actually qualifies.

  Aug 17, 2026 · 4 min read

• How to Calculate Melt Value vs Market Price

  Melt value is the metal content alone, priced at spot. Market price includes everything else — premium, scarcity, condition. Here's how to calculate both and understand the gap.

  Jul 30, 2026 · 4 min read

• Junk Silver Explained: What It Is and Why Collectors Buy It

  Junk silver isn't actually junk — it's pre-1965 U.S. silver coinage bought purely for its silver content. Here's what it is, why collectors like it, and how to buy it safely.

  Jul 28, 2026 · 5 min read

• How Bullion Taxation Works: Capital Gains on Physical Metals

  Physical gold and silver are often taxed differently than stocks or other investments. Here's a general overview of how capital gains on bullion typically work — and why you should still talk to a tax professional.

  Jul 20, 2026 · 5 min read

• How to Track Precious Metals Purchases Across Multiple Currencies

  Buying gold and silver while traveling, or from international dealers, creates a real cost-basis headache. Here's how to track multi-currency purchases without losing accuracy.

  Jul 15, 2026 · 5 min read

• What Is Hallmarking, and How Is It Different From Assay?

  The two terms get used almost interchangeably, but they mean different things — one is a mark stamped on a piece, the other is the testing process behind it.

  Jul 12, 2026 · 4 min read

• Silver Stacking 101: A Beginner's Guide to Building a Silver Position

  Silver's low entry cost makes it the most accessible way to start collecting precious metals. Here's how experienced stackers actually approach building a silver position from scratch.

  Jul 11, 2026 · 7 min read

• Troy Ounce vs. Gram vs. Tola: The Complete Precious Metals Weight Conversion Guide

  Precious metals are quoted in troy ounces, grams, and tolas depending on the market. Use this reference to convert accurately and avoid the single most common bullion math mistake.

  Jul 7, 2026 · 5 min read

• What Happens to Gold and Silver Prices During a Recession?

  Gold's reputation as a 'safe haven' isn't the whole story — here's how gold and silver have actually tended to behave during economic downturns, and why the two metals don't always move together.

  Jul 6, 2026 · 5 min read

• How Much Gold and Silver Should You Own? A Portfolio Allocation Guide

  There's no single right answer, but there are well-reasoned ranges. Learn how collectors and financial advisors think about precious metals allocation as a percentage of net worth.

  Jul 3, 2026 · 7 min read

• Bullion Round vs Bullion Coin: What's the Difference?

  They look similar and often cost about the same per ounce — but a round and a coin are legally and practically different products. Here's what actually separates them.

  Jul 2, 2026 · 4 min read

• Gold IRA vs Physical Gold at Home: What's the Difference?

  A Gold IRA and buying physical gold yourself solve different problems. Here's how they actually compare on access, storage, fees, and control.

  Jun 30, 2026 · 5 min read

• How to Calculate Your Gold Cost Basis (And Why It Matters)

  Cost basis is the foundation of any serious precious metals portfolio. Learn how to calculate it correctly, avoid common mistakes, and track it automatically.

  Jun 28, 2026 · 7 min read

• Why Two Coins With the Same Purity Can Have Very Different Premiums

  A .9999 fine Gold Maple Leaf and a .9999 fine generic bar contain identical gold — but they don't sell for the same price. Here's what actually drives the difference.

  Jun 28, 2026 · 5 min read

• How Currency Exchange Rates Affect What You Actually Pay for Bullion

  Spot price is quoted in US dollars, but you might be paying in a different currency entirely. Here's how exchange rates factor into your real cost.

  Jun 26, 2026 · 4 min read

• How Shipping, Insurance, and Fees Change Your Real Cost Basis

  The sticker price isn't your real cost basis. Shipping, insurance, and dealer fees all belong in that number — here's how to account for them correctly.

  Jun 20, 2026 · 4 min read

• A Glossary of Common Bullion and Coin Collecting Terms

  Fineness, mintage, proof, assay, key date, Good Delivery — if you're new to precious metals collecting, here's a plain-English reference for the terms you'll run into constantly.

  Jun 16, 2026 · 7 min read

• The Gold/Silver Ratio Explained: How to Use It to Time Your Stack

  The gold/silver ratio is one of the most useful signals in precious metals investing. Learn what it means, how to read it, and how serious collectors use it.

  Jun 14, 2026 · 6 min read

• Gold Coin Face Value vs Bullion Value: Why a $50 Coin Isn't Worth $50

  Most gold and silver coins carry a legal face value that has nothing to do with what they're actually worth. Here's why that number exists and what it actually means.

  Jun 12, 2026 · 4 min read

• Platinum or Palladium: Which Metal Should You Diversify Into?

  Both are rarer than gold and silver, both have government-issued bullion coins, and both move on a different market than the precious metals most collectors already own. Here's how they actually compare.

  Jun 8, 2026 · 5 min read

• What Happens When a Bullion Refiner Shuts Down?

  Johnson Matthey, Engelhard, Republic Metals, Ohio Precious Metals — several major refiners have stopped producing bars. Here's what that actually means for bars already in circulation.

  Jun 6, 2026 · 5 min read

Also see the glossary and the free tools.