World Business

Uncertain times give gold a boost

By Jason Scott (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-06-05 10:16

A man holds a one-ounce American Gold Eagle $50 coin displayed with other gold coins at coin dealer's in Westerville, Ohio. Gary Gardiner / Bloomberg

Buyers from the continent accounted for 69 percent of gold-coin purchases last month compared with 51 percent a year ago, said Ron Currie, sales and marketing director. Individual German investors also bought silver, seeking to protect their wealth with "poor man's gold", Currie said from Western Australia.

Greece's fiscal crisis roiled financial markets worldwide, driving the euro lower. Gold reached a record in May as sovereign-debt risks escalated. The mint is working at full capacity with 20 percent more staff than a year ago, Currie said.

"As soon as it was announced the European Commission was bailing out Greece, the German population decided they'd better hedge their euros by buying precious metals," Currie said. "We had stock before this blip in the market, then it all went."

Spot gold traded at $1,205.94 an ounce at 9:54 am in Singapore on Friday compared with last month's record of $1,249.40 and $1,096.95 at the end of last year. The precious metal has gained for nine straight years. Silver, which peaked this year at $19.8275 an ounce on May 13, traded on Friday at $17.9425.

"Anyone throughout Europe who understands how the euro is being debased is seeking the safety of gold," said James Turk, founder of GoldMoney.com, an online gold-buying and storage service that has passed $1 billion of customer assets. The metal may advance further next week, a Bloomberg survey showed.

European leaders have proposed an almost $1 trillion loan package to contain the region's fiscal crisis, including funds from the International Monetary Fund. The euro has declined against all 16 major counterparts in the past three months, dropping the most against the dollar, with a 12 percent fall.

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"The gold market in Europe, and particularly in Germany, has just taken off," Currie said from the 111-year-old mint, which was founded on the back of a gold rush in the state that accounts for 62 percent of the nation's mineral production.

"People in Germany are buying silver, which leads me to believe it's the moms and pops stocking up on 'poor man's gold'," said Currie. "They could be storing it in their homes or burying it in their gardens."

The mint, controlled by the Western Australian government, has 300 staff and doubled capacity in the past 18 months, Currie said, declining to give a total output figure for coins and bars, or the value of the bullion stored on behalf of buyers. Investors can opt to buy and store gold at the mint, or buy coins to hold themselves.

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