Cleaning silver coins is an important issue for investors. The coins lose value due to oxidation and the typical milk stains. Yet the coins are quite easy to clean. If silver coins are cleaned with baking soda and aluminum foil, the baking soda triggers a chemical reaction. The oxidation layer is transferred from the silver to the aluminum foil. To clean place aluminum foil in a large, shallow dish. Then add hot water, 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of salt to the bowl. Once the salt and baking soda are well dissolved, place the silver coins in the water bath. It is important that the coins touch the aluminum foil. The silver coins are left in the water bath for 1-2 minutes and should then be polished and dried. The silver coins should not be left in the solution for more than 2 minutes to avoid surface damage to the precious metal. Other similar methods can be used to clean the coins.

The fineness is the proportion of pure precious metal in gold and silver coins or in gold and silver bars. The fineness is represented in 1/1000 parts or promille. An alternative is to indicate the fineness in carats. In international trade, so-called "good-delivery bars" are traded. These weigh 12.44 kg and have a fineness of 995/1000. In the production of jewelry, material with a fineness between 585 /1000 and 999/1000 is used. The former are 14 carats and the latter are 24 carats. On many pieces of jewelry you will find a hallmark. This provides information about the fineness content. With the desire to sell jewelry often comes the question of how many carats the jewelry has. In order to be able to determine the carat, and thus the value of the jewelry, we have different possibilities to help you at Goldvorsorge. Simply come to one of our branches, at any time even without an appointment, and we will calculate the value of your jewelry for you, based on the current price of the raw material.

There are a few differences between bullion coins and collector coins. For the most part, bullion coins are purchased to exchange paper money for real security in the form of gold and silver. In this way, investors want to protect their assets. Collector coins, on the other hand, often have a higher price than their material is worth, here a special appearance, low quantities and the degree of preservation of the coin deciding for the coins popularity. However, there is also overlap between the two variants, such as the Lunar series. These coins acquire collector value through the limited number of pieces and the annually changing motive. However, they are also suitable as an investment, as their purity is 999.9/1000.

Originally, gold coins and silver coins were used exclusively as a means of payment or exchange. As early as 650 BC, the first coins, called Croesus, were minted in the empire of the Lydians. Although many of today's gold coins and silver coins are also officially considered as means of payment, this use has long ceased to be the focus. Today, precious metals are bought by many as an investment. In the case of investment coins, also called bullion coins, the respective coin is not worth what its nominal value says. Instead, the material value is measured by the daily commodity price. Because of this, the owner of the precious metals can experience gains when the market price rises. What investors appreciate about investment gold is that even in a crisis or inflation, the value of the precious metal will never be lost. Among the most famous bullion coins are the Vienna Philharmonics, the Krugerrand, the Maple Leaf and the Britannia.

In addition to bullion coins, there are collector coins. These are usually coins that have been minted in a limited edition or have special features. These can be, for example, different commemorative coins or coins that have been minted with changing motives. Collectibles are usually not good as an investment, because the purchase price is usually much higher than the selling price. However, there are exceptions. Historic coins were often produced as curant coins in the past. Curant coin means that the value of the coin is covered.

Gold and silver have now served as a means of payment for over 4000 years. In all that time, they have only increased in value and importance.
Today, gold bars and silver bars serve as a lucrative investment and, above all, as a crisis-proof store of value. The weight in grams, the fineness and the manufacturer are stamped on the bars. The prices are always based on the current precious metal price. However, lower prices are paid for bars without an LBMA certificate. The reason for this is that they are not as well known and not as tradable on the international market.

The production of bars is a lengthy and costly process.
For smaller bars, the blanks are stamped out of a sheet of gold. Subsequently, the top side and possibly the bottom side are stamped. After that, the finished ingots are checked and welded in. For larger ingots - usually 250 g and above - the required quantity of fine gold granules is first weighed. This is then melted at 1,100 °C and poured into the appropriate casting mold. The mold is heated in the process so that the liquid gold forms an even surface as it cools.

After cooling, the ingots are removed from the mold. They are further cooled in a water bath and finally check-weighed. If the weight is too high, some gold is scraped off until the weight is exactly right. If the bars weigh too little, they are sorted out and recycled. Once the weight has been checked, the logo, purity, weight and serial number are stamped into the bars. A new quality control ensures that the bars are now ready for sale.

Bars up to 100g are usually shrink-wrapped in blister packaging. This serves to protect against all signs of wear such as scratches, dirt or even fingerprints. Thus, the bars remain in perfect condition long after production. Depending on the manufacturer, larger bars are also sold shrink-wrapped.

There are many manufacturers worldwide that produce precious metal bars. The list of LBMA-certified bar manufacturers alone, i.e. those producers whose bars are officially approved for trading on the London Bullion Market, includes 71 names. However, in the global trade, only a few producers have managed to establish themselves in the international market and be recognized everywhere. The best known bars are from Argor Heraeus and Perth Mint. Both manufacturers are carried in their assortment by all major precious metal dealers, such as Goldvorsorge and Silbervorsorge.

A kinebar is a gold bar with a kinegram depicted on the back as a security feature. A kinegram is an element that represents a two-dimensional movement. The spectacle is triggered by a tilting effect. The name is derived from the term "kinematics", as the image changes depending on the angle of viewing, i.e. it "moves". This effect is particularly impressive because the image usually shimmers in different colors.
The main feature of a kinegram is that it serves as a protection against counterfeiting of banknotes, passports, visas and gold bars. The technology used for the production of kinegrams is patented and is therefore used only by the Swiss mint Argor Heraeus. The application of the kinegram slightly increases the price of the product in question. In contrast, however, it saves the cost of various tests to have the bar checked for authenticity.

Due to the special appearance of the gold bars, the Kinebar is also often bought as a gift. The sight of such extraordinary bars delights young and old and is perfect as a gift for various occasions such as christenings, birthdays or weddings. If you are still looking for a special gift, you will find it at gold provision. In our online store you will find the beautiful Kinebar from the domestic mint "Austrian Mint" . On the gold bar horse and rider are depicted. Packaged in the typical red blister of the mint, you thus acquire an absolute eye-catcher.

Gold alloys, as often used in gold jewelry, are mainly made with copper and silver. The term "carat" is used to indicate the percentage by weight of pure gold out of the total weight. To indicate the purity of gold, carats are measured in 24 parts. Thus, one carat of gold is equal to 1/24 parts, which corresponds to a purity of 4.167%. Elimination of all impurities from the material is technically impossible, so 24/24 parts is not given as 100% purity, but as 99.9%.
In addition to the term "carat", the purity can also be expressed in 1/1000 parts (per mil). With this notation, 24 carats is represented as 999.9/1000.
People found ways to weigh their precious metals and jewelry centuries ago. Before a unit measure of carats was established, precious stones as well as precious metals were weighed using carob seeds. The seeds are horn-shaped and were called "Ceratornia Siliqua". Also the Greeks already weighed their precious stones and precious metals in "kerat", where "kerátion" can be translated as "little horn".
An average carob seed weighs about 0.2g. This is the amount that has been the established measurement for 1 carat since 1875. This measurement is used to weigh the carats of gemstones.

The most common purity grades for gold are:
999 gold - 24 karat - 999/1000: This purity is mainly found in investment gold as the so-called fine gold is very soft and gets scratches easily. Typical for 999 gold is the very rich and strong golden yellow color. By alloying with other metals such as silver and copper, the color of the gold changes.
916 gold - 22 carat - 916/1000: This alloy is often used for jewelry in India or the Middle East, because the color of the metal still shines beautifully golden. In our country, this alloy is not normally used for jewelry making, as the material is still much too soft. However, it is very suitable as investment gold. The jug rim as an example is produced with a 916 alloy.
875 gold - 21 carat - 875/1000: 875 gold is mainly used to produce high quality jewelry. Especially in Arabic countries this jewelry is very popular.
750 gold - 18 carat - 750/1000: Metal alloys with 18 carat gold content are classic for high quality jewelry. Adding metals such as silver, copper or platinum makes the jewelry harder, more stable and scratch-resistant. In addition, depending on the mixing ratio of fine gold and by-metals, a different color results. For example, white gold, yellow gold, rose gold or red gold are created.
585 gold - 14 carat - 585/1000:585 gold is the most widely used gold in the world for making jewelry. The value "585" or "14kt" is very often found as hallmark on the jewelry. Most often they are found in inconspicuous places such as an inside of a ring or a clasp on a necklace.
333 gold - 8 carat - 333/1000: 333 gold is the alloy with the least amount of fine gold to produce jewelry. It is mainly used in earrings, necklaces, bracelets or rings. Since the material can discolor more quickly due to the low gold content, the jewelry is often additionally gold-plated.

Diversification means variety and diversity! Precious metals have always served as a means of money and a store of value, as the first gold and silver coins were minted in ancient times. Until the First World War, the gold standard applied to currencies. Later, the gold peg was still continued via the U.S. dollar until the system finally broke down in the early 1970s.
Gold continues to be a safe haven in times of crisis and serves as inflation protection for investors. Precious metals also develop in value largely independently of other financial investments. Even among precious metals, there is no strong correlation. They are therefore well suited for diversifying a portfolio.
One should also diversify among the precious metals themselves. In the event of a crisis, silver is an excellent means of payment when it comes to exchanging smaller quantities and values. The deposit of silver is about sixteen times higher than gold. On the basis of the raw material deposit, the price for an ounce of silver should therefore be about one sixteenth of an ounce of gold. That means 16 kilos of silver should be equivalent to 1 kilo of gold - but that is not the case. Gold currently costs significantly more than silver. Silver is therefore strongly undervalued and still has enormous upside potential.
Platinum and palladium are benefiting from the steadily increasing demand in industry. They play a crucial role in booming sectors such as the solar industry, the manufacture of electric cars, and aerospace technology. These metals therefore have great potential - but are also highly dependent on the respective economic situation. This often leads to strong price fluctuations for platinum and palladium.
A broadly diversified precious metals portfolio is therefore the best solution. Precious metals offer security and stable value - especially in times of crisis. They offer the security of tangible assets and have proven their worth as a store of wealth for thousands of years. A portfolio of different precious metals guarantees the best possible value growth as well as the greatest security in all economic situations.

Numismatics is also called coinage. Numismatics deals with money and its history, as well as collecting coins and banknotes. This includes treasures from all eras - from antiquity through the Middle Ages to the present day.
Historical coins are no longer considered legal tender today. However, due to their age, rarity and historical significance, they are highly sought-after collector's items. Some of these rare coins are enormously sought after and are traded on the market at unimaginable prices.