Fractional Gold Coins
Fractional gold coins are those that contain less than one Troy ounce of gold - usually around one-half ounce of gold or less. For purposes of this article, I will concentrate on those coins containing between approximately one-half ounce and one-tenth of an ounce of gold.
The gold coins I have listed below are NOT a complete
list of fractional gold coins - there are several others. However,
the ones listed are the more popular and better recognized coins which is important. It
doesn't do you much good to invest in little known/little
recognized gold coins that have no demand. Dealers are aware that
"one-off" gold coins are hard to sell and are reluctant to buy
them or give you a fair price for them. So (gold) buyer beware.
![[Most Recent Quotes from www.kitco.com]](http://www.kitconet.com/charts/metals/gold/t24_au_en_usoz_2.gif "[Most Recent Quotes from www.kitco.com]")
To
purchase more affordable gold coins
- with spot gold at well over $1000 per ounce (seen at right),
it is less expensive for you to purchase fractional bullion
coins (see my comment on fractional gold coin premiums below).For purchasing gold coins as gifts - if you have thought of giving your grandchildren or children a special gift or keepsake to remember you by, some of these coins would make a wonderful and growing-in-value gift.
To help you identify coins you may have - if you have one or more gold coins that have been in the family or handed down to you, this information may help you identify their gold content and value relative to the current spot gold price.
Keep in mind that the premium for these gold coins (based on the spot gold price) can be significant so it pays to shop around. As a rule, "the smaller the coin, the larger the premium" so buy the larger gold coins if you can.
Let's get started...
Pure Gold Fractional Coins
These fractional gold bullion coins are pure gold: Australian Gold Nugget, Austrian Philharmonic, Canadian Gold Maple Leaf, Chinese Gold Panda and Mexican Libertad "Angel". All come in half-ounce, quarter-ounce and tenth-ounce sizes and have the same gold content, gold purity, Troy weight and number of grams. Keeping in mind a Troy ounce contains 31.1034768 grams, those numbers are...
Half-ounce
.5000 gold content, 9999
purity, .5000 Troy ounces, 15.5517 grams
Quarter-ounce .2500 gold
content, .9999 purity, .2500 Troy ounces, 7.7758 grams
Tenth-ounce
.1000 gold content, .9999 purity, .1000 Troy ounces,
3.1103 grams
They make
beautiful gifts. Just keep in mind that gold is a soft metal
and these coins must be protected/handled with care as they
can be scratched, nicked or show signs of wear quickly.
Fractional Gold Coins (Not Pure Gold)
The following fractional gold bullion coins are an alloy of pure gold and one or more other metals (such as copper): Gold American Eagles, British Britannias and South African Krugerrands. They all share the same fine gold content and purity, gross coin weight in Troy ounces, net gold weight in Troy ounces and gold weight in grams (metric) which are...Half-ounce .5000 gold content, .9167 purity, .5454 Gross Wt., .5000 Net Wt., 15.5517 grams
Quarter-ounce .2500 gold content, .9167 purity, .2727 Gross Wt., .2500 Net Wt., 7.7758 grams
Tenth-ounce .1000 gold content, .9167 purity, .1090 Gross Wt., .1000 Net Wt., 3.1103 grams
Mexican gold pesos are another popular series of gold bullion coins...
Twenty Pesos .4823 gold content, .9000 purity, .5358 Gross Wt., .4823 Net Wt., 15.0012 grams
Ten Pesos .2411 gold content, .9000 purity, .2678 Gross Wt., .2411 Net Wt., 7.4990 grams
Five Pesos .1206 gold content, .9000 purity, .1340 Gross Wt., .1206 Net Wt., 3.7510 grams
Semi-Numismatic Gold Fractional Coins
Unlike gold bullion coins which are mainly valued for their gold content, semi-numismatic (and numismatic) coins are valued more for their rarity and condition. True numismatics are very expensive and not covered here. Semi-numismatic coins are less expensive and may be more within your means. Typical grades are EF/XF, AU and uncirculated MS-60s, 61s and 62s.
After each coin, I have listed the face value, fine gold content, gold purity of the coin, gross coin weight in Troy ounces, net gold weight in Troy ounces and gold weight in grams (metric).
U. S. Liberty Head (1850-1907) & U. S. Indian Head (1907-1933) Gold Coins
Eagle ($10) .4838 gold content, .9000 purity, .5375 Gross Wt., .4838 Net Wt., 15.0478 grams
Half-Eagle ($5) .2419 gold content, .9000 purity, .2687 Gross Wt., .2419 Net Wt., 7.5239 grams
Quarter Eagle($2.50) .1209 gold content, .9000 purity, .1343 Gross Wt., .1209 Net Wt., 3.7604 grams
Other Popular Fractional Gold Coins
Listed below are other gold coins that are or have been popular in the past. I have listed them because: 1) you may pay a lower premium than any of those mentioned above; 2) you may have some in your possession and don't know exactly how much gold they contain. If you sell any of these coins to a dealer, knowing the gold content is key to calculating how fair a price you are offered based on the current spot gold price.Gold Coins with Fine Gold Content of .0933 Troy Ounces
10 Francs/4 Florins (Austria), Ten Francs (France), Ten Drachma (Greece), Ten Lira (Italy), Ten Francs (Switzerland)
Gold Coins with Fine Gold Content of .1867 Troy
Ounces
20 Francs/8 Florins (Austria), Twenty Franc "Rooster" (France), Twenty Drachma (Greece), Twenty Lira (Italy), Twenty Franc Vreneli (Switzerland), Twenty Franc Albert (Belgium)
Gold Coins with Fine Gold Content of .1958 Troy Ounces
20 Corona (Austria), 20 Corona (Hungary)Gold Coins with Fine Gold Content of .2354 Troy Ounces
Two Rand (South Africa), Libra (Peru), Sovereign (Great Britain), 5 Pesos (Columbia)The last group of coins have their own individual fine gold content and are listed in descending order (by gold content in Troy ounces) along with issuing country(s)...
100 Pesos (Chile, .5886), Four-Ducat (Austria, .4427), Chervonet/10 Rubles (Russia, .2489), 20 Marks (Germany, .2304), 10 Guilders (Netherlands, .1947), 5 Rubles (Russia, .1244), 1/2 Sovereign (Great Britain, .1177), One Rand (South Africa, .1177), 10 Marks (Germany, .1152), One-Ducat (Austria, Hungary, Netherlands, .1106), 10 Corona (Austria, Hungary, .0979), 5 Guilders (Netherlands, .0974)
Disclaimer: I have made every reasonable effort to produce an informative and helpful article on Fractional Gold Coins based on my research and experiences. However, I make no representation or warranties of any kind with regard to its completeness, accuracy or suitability for any specific situation or purpose. See our Terms & Conditions for more info.