Precious Metal & Rare Coin Market News
New Orleans Precious Metal Retailers See Greater Interest in Gold and Silver Amid Price Surges
By Tommy Santora Contributing Writer For a generation raised on DuckTales, Uncle Scrooge diving into his vault of gold coins was a nostalgic cartoon image. Today, with gold and silver prices surging, precious metals are drawing renewed investor interest, and New Orleans retailers are seeing demand rise. “Gold and silver prices have risen exponentially over recent years. When there is uncertainty across the globe – inflation, unstable economy, geopolitical tensions – that leads to investors ... >> Read More
Gold shines bright as war, rising oil and inflation erode wealth
Have Fed Officials Given Up on the Inflation Fight? On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve voted 11-1 to hold its key interest rate steady at 3.5-3.75%, as a new energy shock from the Iran War threatens to worsen the central bank’s five-year-long battle with inflation. The Fed came into the meeting faced with new economic and market challenges following the U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran that began on February 28. Rising global oil prices from the ... >> Read More
The New Petrodollar Play: Why Oil-Rich Nations Are Turning to Gold
How much more are you paying for gas since the start of the war against Iran? It could be fifty cents a gallon or more. Have you ever wondered what oil-producing nations do with their massive revenues? It turns out that, for decades, based on an agreement with the U.S., oil-producing countries would buy U.S. Treasuries. Here’s why that is changing and how it is increasing long-term demand for physical gold. Quietly, and behind the ... >> Read More
Mexican Libertad Coin: Understanding the Unique Bullion Series with No Face Value
Mexican Libertads distinguish themselves by omitting something nearly universal in modern bullion: a face value. Their identity rests instead on metal purity, distinctive design, and mintage levels that swing sharply from year to year, creating meaningful scarcity across the series. First issued in 1982 and struck in .999 fine silver, Libertads pair the iconic Winged Victory with evolving interpretations of Mexico’s national coat of arms. This article explores how the Libertad coin carved its niche ... >> Read More
5 Reasons the Iran War Could Ignite the Next Leg of the Gold Rally
When missiles are firing, and soldiers are in harm’s way, investors look for stability. The war in Iran quickly raised important questions about what comes next for oil, inflation, the stock market, and the economy. Amid all the uncertainty, one thing remains as certain as ever: gold’s ability to preserve and grow wealth. Gold, long regarded as the ultimate safe haven in times of uncertainty, has hit multiple record highs and climbed over 23% so ... >> Read More
1975 No-S Roosevelt Dime (Proof): The Modern Rarity That Changed the Conversation
In numismatics, we tend to associate true rarities with the 19th century. But every so often, a modern issue forces collectors to rethink that assumption. The 1975 No-S Roosevelt Dime (Proof) is one of those coins. At first glance, it’s just an ordinary dime from the 1970s. But look closer, and understand what you’re looking at, and it becomes one of the most elusive modern rarities in U.S. coinage. Only two examples are known. One ... >> Read More
U.S. Manufacturing Sector Shows New Signs of Life, Gold Trades at $5,000
Activity at factories and mines in the United States cranked up in January. U.S. industrial production rose 0.7% last month, the biggest jump in nearly a year, the Federal Reserve reported. Gold traded around $5,000, and silver traded around $78 as precious metals continue to tread water in a quiet, sideways, orderly market trading. Digging deeper into the economic news, U.S. factories produced more computers, electronic products, machinery, and cars in January. Bigger picture, the ... >> Read More
Existing Home Sales Plunge 8.4%, Gold Trades In Range
While some parts of the country are seeing an early spring thaw, the U.S. housing market is still on ice. U.S. existing home sales tumbled 8.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.91 million in January, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) announced Thursday. The news was far worse than expected and marked the biggest monthly decline in nearly four years. High home prices, falling consumer confidence and a shrinking housing inventory are all ... >> Read More
Paul Hollis Appointed Director of the United States Mint
On January 30, 2026, Paul Bryan Hollis was officially sworn in as the 41st Director of the United States Mint, following Senate confirmation in December. L. Craig Baudot, Executive Vice President of Sales, flew to Washington, D.C., to personally give the Blanchard families heartfelt congratulations to Paul on this significant appointment. This places a longtime numismatist and precious metals professional at the head of the nation’s coin-producing institution during a particularly meaningful period, as the ... >> Read More
Three-Cent Silver Coins: The Trime’s Legacy from 1851 to 1873
At just 0.80 grams, the three-cent silver piece was the lightest and thinnest coin ever struck for circulation by the United States Mint. Created in 1851 to address everyday commerce challenges - most notably the need to purchase three-cent postage stamps without making change - this unusual denomination circulated for more than two decades before its discontinuation. During that time, the three-cent silver passed through multiple design changes, creating distinct collecting categories that range from ... >> Read More




