Gold beats stocks as second-favorite investment in CNBC poll

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With gold up more than 20% in 2016, the precious metal is regaining luster among rank-and-file investors, according to the latest CNBC All America Economic Survey.

Gold finished No. 2 in the financial news networks quarterly poll, garnering 21% of the votes for best investment, lagging only real estate (32%) but ahead of stocks (19%).

The poll also found that 32% of investors think that now is a good time to invest in financial markets, while 40% say its a bad time to do so. Twenty-eight percent arent sure.

Trump voters lean toward gold: The poll also delved into the investment preferences of voters in the upcoming U.S. presidential elections. Thirty-two percent of Republican contender Donald Trumps supporters prefer real estate, versus 33% of Democratic hopeful Hillary Clintons backers.

When it comes to gold, Trump voters tend to be gold bugs, CNBC reporter Steve Liesman noted. Thirty-one percent of Trump voters prefer gold, versus 12% of Clintons supporters.

CNBC anchor Simon Hobbs reacted strongly to the results. Is it normal for people to rank gold above stocks? he asked Liesman. Thats a major turn in psychology there.

The typical Trump voter is more pessimistic and more angry and that shows up in their preference for gold right there, Liesman speculated.

Forward P/E ratios are high, Fed admits: In the category of stocks, 13% of Trump backers say equities are the best investment, while 23% of Clinton voters prefer them.

But where are these three investment classes headed? And which is truly the best for these times? Gold has a lot going for it right now. With $10 trillion (and counting) in sovereign government bonds now yielding less than zero, gold arguably for the first time in recent memory has a positive carry. And with the Federal Reserve now cutting back the pace of its interest-rate increases for the foreseeable future, the U.S. environment for the yellow metal also is optimistic.

What about stocks? According to the Feds own Monetary Policy Report (June 21, 2016) to Congress, equities are leaning toward pricey.

Valuation pressures have generally stayed at a moderate level since January, though they rose for a few asset classes, it said. Forward price-to-earnings ratios for equities have increased to a level well above their median of the past three decades. Although equity valuations do not appear to be rich relative to Treasury yields, equity prices are vulnerable to rises in term premiums to more normal levels, especially if a reversion was not motivated by positive news about economic growth.

Is the housing bubble also back?: And high-profile investors like Carl Icahn also see the stock market as rich and propped up by the Fed. I look at this market and you just say look at some of these values and you just have to wonder, he recently told CNBC. The Federal Reserve is holding up this economy. I just dont think you can have [near] zero interest rates for much longer without having these bubbles explode on you, so you need fiscal stimulus.

What about real estate? With skyrocketing prices for homes in places such as Seattle and Manhattan leading the way, analysts are starting to say the B word again.

When Americans start looking at housing as something to speculate on, thats actually the biggest indicator I think in this modern-day housing world of a bubble, said Shari Olefson of The Carnegie Group.

Ironically, though, even as housing prices are rising, the U.S. homeownership rate has dipped to about 63.5%, near a 48-year low. With high-quality jobs scarce and student-loan debt exploding as home values climb, the U.S. has become a nation of renters, with wealthy investors and corporations scooping up housing to become landlords.

If theres one thing we should have learned from the housing bust, its that rising home prices arent an unalloyed good, Bloomberg columnist Justin Fox noted. Rapid priceincreases in the early 2000sdirectlyled to the subsequent crash. Sale prices lost all connection with both rents and incomes; after a certain point they were going up mainly just because they were going up, and buyers feared missing out. That couldnt go on forever.

Hot air in commercial real estate: And its not just housing prices that are inflated. What is less known to investors is the massive amount of forced hot air that has been blown into the commercial real estate market, financial manager Michael Pento recently argued. For example, commercial real estate prices have increased by double digits for the past six years, according to The National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries. Also, according to the Real Estate research firm Green Street Advisors, commercial property prices now exceed the 2007 prior peak by 24% overall. And in cities such as Manhattan, preferred office buildings and apartment complexes are 60% higher than what existed during the previous housing bubble. Of course, such lofty values have driven National Retail cap rates down to the subbasement of history, at just 6.5%. But this Fed-induced famine has caused yield-starved investors to embrace low income streams in the hopes if they ignore this current bubble it wont pop in the same manner as it did eight years ago.

With real estate and stocks looking frothy amid slowing global growth and a dozen other economic land mines around the world, while gold has made a steady, measured climb back into bull-market territory, a strong case can be made that the yellow metal is the best investment for the uncertain times ahead.

Fed chief Yellen: We do have the legal basis to pursue negative rates

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Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman during the lead-up to the subprime housing implosion and subsequent financial crisis, infamously never saw any of it coming.

For example, to recall just a couple of his bloopers, in February 2006 he predicted that house prices will probably continue to rise, while in May 2007 he declared, We do not expect significant spillovers from the subprime market to the rest of the economy or to the financial system.

Fast-forward to Tuesday, June 21, 2016, and current Chairwoman Janet Yellen took the hot seat before a Senate banking panel to assert that she doesn-t see a recession coming in the U.S., even if the United Kingdom votes to exit the European Union in its June 23 Brexit referendum. I think the odds of a recession are low. It is certainly not what I am expecting, she said.

Recession is already here, expert says: However, she had to admit in her prepared testimony that considerable uncertainty about the economic outlook remains. And numerous analysts think the risks are to the downside.

The U.S. most likely entered into a recession at the end of last quarter, Michael Pento of Pento Portfolio Strategies recently argued. That’s right; when adjusting nominal GDP growth for core consumer price inflation for the average of the past two quarters, the recession is already here.

Of course, Yellen is the same Fed chief who was forecasting four interest rate increases for this year after hiking the federal funds rate just 25 basis points in December for the first tightening in almost a decade.

Is this Yellen’s Bernanke moment?: Yellen also dismissed the dangers of the Feds ongoing low-rate policy in inflating asset bubbles. I would not at this time say that the threats from low rates to financial stability are elevated. I do not think they are elevated at this time. But of course it is something that we need to watch because it can have that impact, she said.

Instead of the hawkish notes she was sounding just months ago, Yellen continued to stress the message of ongoing easy-money policies. Proceeding cautiously in raising the federal funds rate will allow us to keep the monetary support to economic growth in place while we assess whether growth is returning to a moderate pace, whether the labor market will strengthen further, and whether inflation will continue to make progress toward our 2% objective, she said.

Significant shortcomings in negative rates: But the most interesting assertion Yellen made Tuesday was that the Fed, in her opinion, has the legal authority to impose negative interest rates if economic conditions warrant them.

I believe we do have the legal basis to pursue negative rates, but I want to emphasize it is not something that we are considering, she said. This is not a matter that we are actively looking at, considering when we’ve looked at that in the past we have identified significant shortcomings of that type of approach. We don’t think we are going to have to provide accommodation and if we do, that’s not something that’s on our list.

Given the Feds abysmal track record at forecasting U.S. growth rates and even its own rate-hiking path, the message here is to be very afraid. Why? Because after numerous about-faces and failed follow-throughs, most recently personified by St. Louis branch President James Bullard’s full-tilt dovish conversion, the Fed has now lost all credibility.

If Yellen is asserting that the Fed doesn’t anticipate more accommodation and that negatives rates are not its weapon of choice, then investors should have learned by now that, in all likelihood, sooner rather than later, well be looking at a more accommodative central bank that will have no choice but to follow its central-bank peers in rolling out negative rates. The time to prepare your portfolios is now.

Silver Kangaroo coin sales jump, Wall Street Journal reports

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The reserve currencies of the world are in trouble, Silver Wheaton CEO Randy Smallwood recently observed. When we see things like Brexit and German bonds trading below zero percent, when theres uncertainty in the world, people want to put their money in a safe place.

And for many investors both large and small, gold and silver bullion coins are that safe place. The worlds most in-demand bullion coin continues to be the U.S. Mints American Eagle. And so far in 2016, the silver American Eagle coin is on pace to set an all-time sales record. With 24.795 million ounces sold as of mid-June, the 2015 record total of 47 million coins is well within reach.

And its not just the U.S. Mint thats seeing massive amounts of bullion flying out the door. The Royal Canadian Mint reported that its first-quarter sales of its silver Maple Leaf bullion coin reached 10.6 million ounces, easily topping the record of 9.5 million sold in the third quarter of 2015. Q3 2015.

Australias Perth Mint also is grapping with huge demand, with sales of its silver coins doubling over the past year. And The Wall Street Journal just reported that its new kangaroo-themed silver bullion coin has been a blockbuster success, enjoying strong demand even from investors as far away as the United States.

We thought wed sell 5 million in the first year, then maybe 7.5 million in the second as the coin became more well known but the best-laid plans dont always go the way you expect, CEO Richard Hayes told the newspaper. Weve had to ramp up far more quickly, and the 5 million we planned to sell in the first year, we will more than double that.

To accommodate the renewed clamor for precious metals, the mint is expending its production capacity from 12 million coins per year to 22 million.

With the Federal Reserve announcing at its June meeting that it would leave interest rates unchanged and would slow the pace of its anticipated future rate hikes, look for bullion sales to remain elevated for the foreseeable future.

And when weighing whether to buy U.S. Mint-produced bullion or coins from foreign mints, consider this: In addition to commanding higher premiums than many other equivalent bullion coins, the $1 silver American Eagle as well as the $50 gold American Eagle enjoy the advantage of legal-tender status in the U.S.

That means that in a major crisis, these coins which of course are worth more than their respective face values because of their metallic content can serve as easily exchangeable currency. Coins from foreign mints, as beautiful as they are, dont have that advantage.

Citi also now predicting $1,350 if Brexit prevails Thursday

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Gold continues to cool its heels after the tragic killing of a British Parliament member last Thursday, with the latest polls on a potential United Kingdom Brexit showing that momentum seemingly has swung back to the Remain camp.

We did have momentum until this terrible tragedy, said Nigel Farage, leader of the UKIP party and one of the leading advocates for a Brexit. It has had an impact on the whole campaign for everybody, he said of MP Jo Coxs killing. When you are taking on the establishment, you need to have momentum.

With the Leave camps push slowing at the moment, stocks surged Monday and gold dipped, trading near $1,285 in the afternoon.

Shock waves threaten global growth: However, this is a race down to the wire, and no one knows the outcome. But the ramifications could be huge, with The Washington Post warning this week that Britains departure from the European Union could send shock waves across the global economy and threaten more than a trilliondollars in investment and trade with the United States.

Along with a possible deep blow to the global economy, the Brexits potential to unravel the cohesiveness of the European Union has led another major investment bank to issue a bullish pronouncement for gold prices.

Citi Research says the yellow metal could surmount the $1,350 level if the Leave camp prevails. We believe a Brexit result could see gold prices eventually hit levels above $1,350/ounce even if a proportion of the risk is already baked in to current prices and even if the USD (U.S. dollar) likely rallies on any knee-jerk reaction, its analysts wrote. In our view, gold would rally on potential asset market drawdowns, a spike in vols, further yield compression and greater risk of the Fed being on hold for longer.

Buy the dips, analysts say: Conversely, with hedge funds placing near-record bets on golds continuing upside, investors should expect a pullback in bullion prices if the UK votes to remain, but nothing approximating a crash, Citi added.

Even if the Brexit does not occur, the low-interest-rate environment going forward still favors the metal, which has shown strong support at the $1,200 level. I still think now one has to buy on dips, MKS trader Afshin Nabavi told Reuters.

Gold is more likely to trade lower ahead of the Brexit vote given its strong rally over the last few weeks, added Altavest co-founder Michael Armbruster in comments to MarketWatch. Gold bugs looking to get long may get an opportunity to buy near these levels. The big picture for gold is still quite bullish as real interest rates remain negative nearly everywhere, including here in the United States. We look for gold to make another push higher after the Brexit vote.

Risks are not trivial and are rising: After all, take away the Brexit issues, and fears of a slowing global economy remain. The ratio of the gold price to the slumping copper price has driven home those concerns. And Gluskin Sheff chief economist David Rosenberg is warning that risks are rising thanks to the 3D: debt, deflation, and demographics.

I may not see a recession around the corner, he wrote in detailing his firms reduction of equities exposure, but I am not exactly whistling past the graveyard either. The risks are not trivial and are on the rise, but even if a downturn is averted, we are likely to remain in a stuck-in-the-mud global economy, with no leadership, diminishing returns from monetary stimulus and still little in the way of a fiscal response.

The bottom line is that the Fed has waved the surrender flag at its meeting last week, and thus higher rates arent coming anytime soon. Indeed, expectations for the next rate hike have been pushed to 2017, 2018, may be even ?? noted Komal Sri-Kumar of Sri-Kumar Global Strategies.

Stay tuned for more clues about the Feds next move as Yellen speaks before a Senate panel this week, but in the meantime, prudent portfolio diversification remains key in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

Feds top hawk morphs into flip-flopping dove to golds benefit

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The controversy over the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom has kept some of the spotlight off the Federal Reserves latest meeting, but the ramifications of its no-action vote on interest rates, as well as its ultra-dovish post-meeting statement, are starting to sink in.

In addition to cutting its short-term U.S. GDP forecast, the Fed also lowered the pace of its expected interest-rate hikes for the coming years.

And one speck in particular on the Feds so-called dot plot chart, in which the central bankers rate-hike projections are outlined, caught the eye of Wall Street.

Banker favors just 1 hike through 2018: While every other member projected at least one rate hike this year and gradual hikes over the next two years, these particular dots showed that a participant expected just one rate hike in 2016 and none in 2017 or 2018, Business Insider reported. Then, in the longer-run section that projects interest rates further out than three years, one dot simply disappeared.

That dot belongs to St. Louis Fed President James Bullard, who suddenly seems to be distinguishing himself as the biggest flip-flopper among an institution full of data dependent flip-floppers.

Just a few months ago the Feds top members were spewing a hawkish hard-line stance on interest rates, declaring the economy on the mend because of job and GDP growth. Chief among those hawks was Bullard, who warned in March that the Fed needed to raise rates pronto or risk causing devastating consequences in financial markets.

When asset bubble start, they keep going until they blow up out of control with devastating consequences, he said back then.

Signs of capitulation at the Fed: Now, though, the Fed is singing a markedly different tune, and Bullard is its new dovish poster boy. The upshot: Bullard now believes that one rate hike is enough for at least the next two-and-a-half years, Zero Hedge noted. At just a quarter-point, that would put the fed funds rate at only 63 basis points through 2018, if Bullards druthers prevail.

I think the first rate hike cycle is over, CNBCs Steve Liesman said in analyzing the Fed latest diagnosis. What has happened to the rate hike cycle is pretty profound. Its as close to the Fed getting to capitulation as Ive ever seen, about the efficacy of Fed policy, about the outlook for the economy.

Indeed, the Feds contradictory moves this week have prompted blistering rebukes from some major banks, including Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Citi.

Helicopter money in Feds toolbox: Other analysts observed that Fed chief Janet Yellen seems to be coming closer to former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers view that the global economy has entered a low-growth period of secular stagnation. With its rate-tweaking tool kit now nearly exhausted, the central bank could be lurching closer to unconventional policy tools such as negative interest rates and so-called helicopter money, in which the Fed creates money out of thin air for the government to disburse to citizens.

Yellen herself endorsed the latter idea at her press conference on Wednesday, saying, It is something that one might legitimately consider.

What is the Fed seeing in the U.S. economy that might legitimize the use of these potentially dangerous tools? Just look at a few recent headlines from some high-profile news organizations and blogs:

  1. More Americans see economy worsening than at any time since 2013 (Bloomberg, June 16).
  2. Obama administration to revise GDP growth down 2% (Breitbart, June 16).
  3. The world economy looks a bit like its the 1930s (Bloomberg, June 16)
  4. 15 facts about the imploding U.S. economy that the mainstream media doesnt want you to see (The Economic Collapse blog, June 15)
  5. The jobs picture is getting even worse, Philly Fed says (CNBC, June 16)

The picture isnt pretty, and with the Fed likely to keep interest rates lower for much longer than anyone was expecting, gold remains a lifeboat for either 1) the deflation that the Feds monetary tools are now powerless to deflect (and might in fact be inducing), or 2) the inflation that economic laws tell us that such tools almost inevitably spark.

Gold targeting $1,350 or higher if Brexit prevails, analysts say

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The tragic killing of a British Parliament member Thursday pulled the rug out from under golds march to two-year highs above $1,310 as mourning over the senseless act cooled campaigning ahead of the contentious June 23 Brexit referendum.

Gold was trading near $1,294 by Friday afternoon, down from the $1,315 level touched Thursday in the wake of the Federal Reserve meeting and before the fatal shooting of MP Jo Cox. Still, the yellow metal was on course for its third weekly gain, and although Brexit fears have eased, the potential for turmoil remains high.

The Bank of England warned that uncertainty about the Brexit referendum is the largest immediate risk facing global financial markets, with adverse spill-overs to the global economy possible.

And although the IMF delayed a report on a Brexits economic ramifications out of respect for Coxs death, its director, Christine Lagarde, has warned that the risks are firmly to the downside. The fund has previously predicted that a Brexit could cause a stock-market crash, a steep drop in housing prices, and a potential recession.

Gold demand high in every corner: Despite golds pullback, bullish signs of life in the market persist. Open interest, a tally of outstanding contracts in Comex futures, rose to the highest in almost a month, Bloomberg reported. Meanwhile, holdings in gold-linked ETFs have risen for 13 straight days, and silver ETF holdings hit record highs.

European gold dealers are seeing huge demand, and even far from Great Britain, the U.S. Mints bullion sales were robust: On Thursday, 17,500 ounces of gold coins were sold one of the highest jumps of 2016 while 236,000 silver American Eagles were purchased, bringing year-to-date sales above 24.5 million, well on the way to a new sales record.

Brexit could send gold as high as $1,600: A Bloomberg survey of industry players predicted that if the Brexit is approved Thursday, gold could hit $1,350 within a week of the vote. Some bulls think the metal could go even higher, with Zee Gold DMCC chief Jeffrey Rhodes predicting $1,500 to $1,600. Conversely, the metal could dip if the UK chooses to remain, potentially anywhere from $1,250 to the $1,100 range, some analysts say.

But not so fast, other experts say. The Feds new low-rate stance is just one of the building blocks fueling gold beyond the Brexit vote. I dont think an In vote will lead to a collapse in the price of gold, David Govett of Marex Spectron Group told Bloomberg. Theres more to this rally than that.

Gold was rallying before Brexit became a significant possibility, and should continue to do so, added BMO Capital executive Tai Wong.

HSBC sees strong support at $1,220: HSBCs James Steel thinks gold can reach $1,400 if the Brexit is approved, but he sees the downside limited to $1,220 if the UK remains.

If a Brexit is rejected, gold would likely be well supported by a number of outside factors, Steel wrote. These include the ratcheting down in the number of anticipated Federal Reserve rate hikes since the beginning of the year, the uneven pace of global economic expansion, uncertainty associated with the U.S. election cycle, and other geopolitical risks not related to the UK vote. These factors may well act to buoy gold regardless of the results of the UK referendum.

Technicals suggest $1,450 ahead: And technical analyst Zev Spiro of Orips Research has been arguing that gold eventually is heading to $1,450 simply by looking at its technical chart patterns.

In March a positive signal occurred in gold as prices moved above the upper-channel line of a two-year-long descending channel, he said on the Futures Now show. The breakout signals higher prices with the minimum expected price objective in the $1,450 area. Now prices could actually trend beyond the minimum objective to test heavy overhead resistance in the $1,525-50 area. Overall outlook is positive, and prices are expected to trend to at least $1,450 within two to three months once we get going.

Gold hits highest level in the UK since 2013 on Brexit fears

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The Federal Reserve, which kept interest rates unchanged at the end of its two-day policy meeting Wednesday, has played second fiddle this week to increasing Brexit fears, which sent gold priced in the British pound to highs unseen since 2013.

With Great Britains largest newspaper, The Sun, coming out in support of a Brexit, or split from the European Union, odds that UK citizens will vote Leave at the June 23 referendum are now at an all-time high.

Large clients lining up: Thus, gold priced in the British pound rocketed higher this week, soaring 8.5% as of June 14 and touching 911.05 pounds, the priciest level since August 2013. Great Britains largest online dealer is reporting some of its biggest sales ever.

We have a number of large clients waiting to place orders, BullionByPost founder Rob Halliday-Stein told Londons Telegraph. Everyone is waiting for the referendum outcome. Gold rises on volatility and we’ve never had a day as volatile as a Brexit day in the gold price market.

Another $1,400 gold forecast: And another investment firm has now joined the ANZ Banking Group in predicting $1,400 gold in the event of a Brexit. James Butterfill of ETF Securities sees as much as an 8.5% price rise if the UK votes to exit.

Brexit would be very beneficial for shorting sterling and we will probably see a big pick up in gold. In that scenario we think gold could hit $1,400, he said.

Butterfill also cited Donald Trumps unpredictable presence in the U.S. presidential elections as well as the Feds interest-rate policy as longer-term drivers for gold beyond the Brexit vote. These are three quite significant risk events, so thats why we are seeing popularity with gold, Butterfill said.

Brexit likened to Lehman collapse: Gold isnt the only place investors are heading for safety. In another sign of rising fear, the CBOE Market Volatility Index, or VIX, jumped the most in six months. Likewise, German 10-year bunds dipped below zero for the first time ever. It tells us that the markets don’t believe that the ECB is going to be able to reflate the European economy, Pimco global strategic advisor Richard Clarida told CNBC.

Regarding Brexit, Morgan Stanley just joined a host of firms outlining various negative aspects of a fracture in the EU, predicting a 15% plunge in stocks. And Hung Tan of the Institute of International Finance warned that a Brexit carries long-term risks akin to the Lehman Bros. collapse. It is not Lehman in the short term in terms of markets being in a panic or chaotic mood, because the central banks will try to pacify that, he said. But it is more significant than Lehman in its longer-term impact on global growth.

ECB could bail out banks: But Peter Boockvar of The Lindsey Group sees immediate painful aftershocks, telling CNBC Tuesday that a global recession will ensue. I dont think any of us really know how this plays out, he said.

And thats one reason why the European Central Bank has suggested that it will do whatever it takes to maintain adequate market liquidity, or backstop financial markets in the event of a Brexit.

Such an announcement from the ECB would come on June 24 if an early-morning result showed that British voters had chosen to leave the EU, Reuters reported. The aim is to underpin investor confidence across Europe and contain further market jitters.

Mushroom effect of a Brexit: And of course, its not just financial markets that are at risk with a Brexit approval; so is the future of the EU itself.

The issue is if the UK leaves, it will be the first country to leave, and that would seem to lower the barrier of exit for other countries, said Marc Chandler, chief currency strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman. Many people are afraid if the UK leaves, it will trigger a UK political and economic crisis. The government is campaigning to stay. It’s like a vote of no confidence in the government if they vote to leave. People are worried if the UK were to leave, it would trigger an EMU (European monetary union) crisis.

That sounds like a recipe for disaster a recipe that calls for sufficient gold to ride out the volatility ahead as the United Kingdom nears its history-making vote.

Collectors waiting with bated breath for 2016 gold Standing Liberty centennial coins release

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Following the April debut of the 2016-W gold Mercury Dime Centennial coin, the U.S. Mint will be releasing the next item in this celebratory series later this year: the gold Standing Liberty Centennial quarter-ounce coin.

Although the official release date has not been announced, this homage to Hermon A. MacNeils Standing Liberty Quarter design already is generating excitement. As part of its tribute to these legendary coin designs, all of which first appeared in 1916, the Mint also will be distributing a gold reproduction of Adolph A. Weinmans Walking Liberty Half Dollar in a half-ounce version. Stay tuned to Blanchard and Companys Web site for information on both of these new coins availability.

Dont forget to collect the originals: In the meantime, dont overlook the original classic coins on which these 2016 tributes are based. Blanchard and Company currently (as of June 14, 2016) has in stock a 1930 Standing Liberty Quarter with the high grade of MS67, bestowed by NGC, as well as a green CAC sticker of quality assurance. With a Philadelphia mintage of about 5.6 million, this silver quarter was produced in the final year of the series, which would be replaced in 1932 by the Washington Quarter, designed by sculptor John Flanagan for the presidents 200th birthday.

A few changes to MacNeils original design occurred over the years in fact, the prototypes even includes two dolphins at Libertys feet, to represent the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, but they failed to make the final cut.

Nudity nixed in design update: Moreover, the original design showed Libertys right breast uncovered, and more than 12 million were issued before chainmail was added in 1917, either because of complaints about the nudity or as a sign of the times of World War I.

Lady Liberty herself was reportedly modeled after actress Dora Doris Doscher, although a model named Irene MacDowell also claimed the role an assertion that is not widely believed today.

The placement of the 13 stars on the coins reverse also varies according to year. The 1916-17 versions feature stars on either side of the eagle, while subsequent issues locate three stars underneath the eagle.

A few other variants occur, with the raised date on Libertys pedestal being recessed by 1925 because of the wear and tear on earlier versions, while the 1918/7-S overdate remains the rarest of these quarters.

Building a full set is very doable: As one of our most beautiful coin designs, the Standing Liberty quarter is very popular with collectors today, NGC notes. The series is collected in its entirety by date and mint or as part of a 20th Century type set. Unlike many other series, it is still possible to complete a full set in uncirculated condition a valuable treasure that very few people will have the pleasure of owning.

Blanchard and Company also has in stock (as of June 14, 2016) a 1941-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar certified at MS66 by NGC another classic Weinman image that formed the basis of todays silver American Eagle bullion coin design.

You can have the pleasure of owning an original Standing Liberty Quarter or Walking Liberty Half Dollar by calling Blanchard and Company for any that are currently in stock. For a look at all of the current collectible silver coins available, click on this link. And please check in with Blanchards investment professionals for the release date of the gold Standing Liberty Centennial collectible!

Gold strengthens on Fed inaction as experts debate negative rates in U.S.

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The Federal Reserve did what was expected Wednesday and left its key interest rate unchanged, weighed down by growing uncertainties over the United Kingdoms June 23 Brexit referendum.

Spot gold, having already priced in the Feds inaction, bounced modestly toward $1,300 by afternoon trading, while the gold futures price touched that key psychological level as Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen conducted her post-meeting press conference. Silver was trading near $17.50 in the afternoon.

Emphasizing a gradual and data-dependent pace for future rate hikes, Yellen told the media that “we need to assure ourselves that the underlying momentum in the economy has not diminished.

Central banks losing control: The key takeaway from the Feds statement is that it now only expects to implement a single rate hike this year. Thats a major falloff from earlier projections that saw the central bank hiking as many as four times. Not to mention the fact that back in April, most Fed policymakers were anticipating a move in June.

With rates practically everywhere around the world near zero or even in negative territory even as global growth falters, faith in the Fed and its peers is diminishing. Central banks are losing control and they don’t know what to do … just like the Republican establishment and Donald Trump, said DoubleLine Capital bond guru Jeff Gundlach in a presentation Tuesday. Gundlach sees gold prices heading to $1,400 in the near future.

German bund yield goes negative: Another canary in the coalmine for the global economy occurred Tuesday when the 10-year German bund fell below zero for the first time ever a sign that investors are desperate for safe havens.

Basically, safe havens are back in fashion,” PVM Oil Associates analyst Tamas Varga told Reuters. “The thought process is that if the UK leaves the EU, then the EU might slip back into recession.”

With the Feds purported plan to raise interest rates on hold for yet another month, investors are starting to ask: Can negative rates come to the U.S.?

It likely would take a major crisis for the Fed officially to impose negative rates, but weve seen negative real rates on numerous occasions and theyve been rocket fuel for gold prices.

Real rates can definitely go negative: The World Gold Council confirmed golds outperformance during low and negative rates in a March 2016 study, as has U.S. Global Investors CEO Frank Holmes, who noted that when bullion peaked at $1,900 in 2011, real interest rates were nearly -4%. Gold has historically performed best when real rates turned negative, Holmes wrote in April. To get the real rate, you subtract the current consumer price index (CPI) reading, or inflation, from the government bond yield. When yields are low or negative, as they are now it encourages smart investors to seek other stores of value, including gold.

Some investing pros appearing on CNBC on Tuesday argued that U.S. bonds could be headed for negative territory. Our bonds, by the way, have been negative a long time in a real sense, but not nominal, Max Wolff of Manhattan Venture Partners told the network. I dont see them going nominal negative, although I think theyre going to stay real negative for a while in terms of inflation-adjusted.

Upside is greater in gold: But Dennis Davitt of Harvest Volatility Management sees room for even greater negativity. I think you could see negative rates in the U.S. If Germany and other countries in the world go even further negative, it turns into a number-line game. So where zero lies on the number line, who knows?

With the negative-rate trend gaining steam, golds luster can only increase. Considering the fact that a lot of sovereign debt is negative-yielding now, and investor may say, Why dont I consider gold, for instance? It doesnt yield me anything, but neither does this sovereign debt, and perhaps the upside is greater there, Citibank Singapores Zal Devitre told CNBC.

Gold to $1,400, Barrons experts say: 6 potential catalysts

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George Soros return to active investing, particularly his bearish bets against the market and bullish stance toward gold, has gotten a lot of press this month.

And he’s not the only wealthy financial guru bracing for the worst with gold. Two Barrons Roundtable members DoubleLine Capital bond guru Jeff Gundlach and Zulauf Asset Management head Felix Zulauf both see at least another $100 gain for the metal.

Gold could rally to $1,400, Gundlach said in Barrons midyear update, while Zulauf concurred, adding, I am bearish on equities and constructive on high-quality bonds. Also, I expect gold to rally this year to $1,400.

Very dangerous time, billionaire says: And Elliott Management chief Paul Singer just gave an interview in which he detailed his pessimistic outlook on the economy and the necessity of gold amid today’s imbalances.

The cure for the crisis for the debt crisis, the financial crisis has been deemed by the developed world governments to be more debt, Singer told Institutional Investor in May. There has not been a deleveraging. And after seven and a half years and counting of this mix of policies, at the moment were either in a stage of stagnation or rollover, possibly in the early stages of a global recession. So I think its a very dangerous time in the financial markets.

Noting that if the Federal Reserve raises interest rates without fiscal and governmental reforms, an instant recession would result, Singer likes financial insurance in his portfolio.

Gold is under-owned, Singer confirms: Were very bullish on gold, which is the anti-paper money, of course, and is under-owned by investors around the world, he said. And we are very skeptical about markets. We hedge every equity position. Were not in the mood to be surprised surprised in the sense of losing large amounts of money ever, but in particular now with this extraordinary and unprecedented situation where the stability of financial markets is so dependent on confidence in policymakers and central bankers.

Soros has dabbled in gold throughout the years, and Singer and Zulauf have been consistently bullish in recent years. But as economic uncertainties grow, even former gold skeptics are turning to the metal for safety. Were getting a bit bullish, Charles Newsome of Investec Wealth told CNBC. Having been pretty nervous about it for the last two and a half years or so, we’ve seen a turnaround in the gold price, a bit more strength in it. We’ve looked at gold again. It has always been an insurance asset for us. But with so many fears around, starting with Brexit and on and on, competitive devaluations by major central governments of their currencies, and exchange control from the Chinese gives us the feeling that gold might be a good place to put a small part of your portfolio.

6 events that could pay off for gold: Mohamed El-Erian hasnt been a gold cheerleader, either, but in a recent Bloomberg column, the Allianz SE chief economic adviser (and former PIMCO bigwig) outlines 6 events that could make Soros a winner.

  1. Brexit: A vote in favor of the U.K. leaving the European Union in the June 23 referendum could have a disruptive impact on markets, El-Erian writes.
  2. Chinas debt bubble: A major slip by China as it tries to implement financial policies aimed at balancing liquidity support for the economy with the orderly management of a credit boom, soaring internal corporate indebtedness and excesses in the equity markets.
  3. U.S. presidential election, specifically Donald Trump: Indications that the isolationist tone of the U.S. presidential primaries is more than just rhetoric and posturing, but signals a decisive change in decades of U.S. leadership for economic and financial globalization.
  4. Currency volatility and manipulation: Large exchange rate moves that, by reflecting wider divergences in the worlds multi-speed economic and policy conditions, spread volatility to financial markets as a whole.
  5. European banking woes: A renewed scare about the European banks that have lagged in raising capital and strengthening internal operating approaches and have yet to put behind them the legacy of a period of excessive risk-taking.
  6. Reckless investing fueled by low interest rates: Greater risk aversion among market participants who acting on their confidence that central banks are prepared to continuously step in to ensure stability now have taken on significant mismatches of maturities, assets to liabilities, benchmarks or currencies in their search for higher returns. And this is occurring in markets that have tended to experience periodic bouts of relative ill-iquidity.

With gold at six-week highs and seemingly on the move back toward $1,300 as of Tuesday thanks to rising Brexit fears, investors should continue to brace for black swans as well as the potential risk events outlined above.