Best 1 oz Gold Coins to Buy
Buying 1 oz gold coins is a big investment. As gold prices continue to climb, purchasing a full 1 oz gold coin at spot price means spending thousands of dollars on one investment. But sometimes, stackers want to build their collection quickly using some of the best 1 oz gold coins to buy.
We’ve got your back! Hero Bullion has been working hard to expand our inventory to include some of the most popular 1 oz gold coins on the market. As always, our goal is to keep investors as informed as possible about the gold coin industry before they spend entire paychecks on beautiful gold bullion.
Today, we’re taking a look at 5 of the best 1 oz gold coins to buy. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a solid understanding of some of the biggest hitters in the gold coin market. Let’s get started!
Best Gold Coin Brands
What are the best gold coin brands to buy? To answer this question, we’ll need a bit more information. After all, investors put their money on gold for different reasons. Some collectors buy gold coins as an investment, hoping that their coins will increase in value over time. Other investors are called ‘stackers,’ and they try to buy coins for as cheap as possible.
Whether you’re investing for retirement or just trying to build a gold stack in case of an emergency, gold coins are an excellent choice. Let’s take a look at the top gold coins for investing and stacking.
Top Gold Coins for Investment
For investing, what are the best 1 oz gold coins to buy? We tend to recommend that investors stick with limited mintage releases of classic gold coins. Coins like the Gold Britannia and American Gold Eagle are popular choices. Both of these coins are available in 1 oz weights and fractional denominations.
Investors should try to buy coins with high demand from collectors. Over time, the price of gold might increase to a point that makes you want to sell. When this happens, you’ll need to find buyers. Popular gold coins are some of the best 1 oz gold coins to buy because they offer a constant influx of demand from investors around the world.
Which Gold Coins are Good for Stacking?
Stackers aren’t quite as worried about investor demand and condition as gold investors. Because of this, the best 1 oz gold coins to buy for stacking might look a bit different than the best gold coins for investors.
If you’re concerned with quantity rather than pure quality, the South African Gold Krugerrand is an exceptional choice. These coins are often sold at relatively low premiums, and Hero Bullion even sells ‘cull’ Gold Krugerrands that allow you to get more gold for your money.
Best 1 oz Gold Coins to Buy
Now that we have our brief introductions out of the way, it’s time to get into the main point of today’s blog post: the best 1 oz gold coins to buy. For this list, we’ve picked five of the most popular gold coins in the world, as well as one bonus pick.
Each of the coins below offers a long history of popularity among investors around the world. We’ll try to give you all the information you need to really understand what makes these 1 oz gold coins so special.
If you still have questions, try clicking on the highlighted link under each coin’s image. This will bring you to the product page for your coins, which will give you even more information about its design and background.
British Gold Britannia Coin
The Gold Britannia is the most popular coin from Britain’s national mint, the Royal British Mint. It features a stunning gold purity of .9999 fineness and was first introduced in 1987. On the reverse, you’ll be treated to a detailed depiction of Lady Britannia, who has been the female personification of the British Isles for over one-thousand years.
Lady Britannia stands on a rocky cliff overlooking a wavelike background. She wears a flowing gown and war helmet while carrying both a trident and the shield of Britain. On this side of the coin, you’ll also note some of the most impressive Britannia security features that the British Mint has ever released.
Like all British coinage, new releases of the Gold Britannia will feature a change to the classic obverse image. Queen Elizabeth has appeared on the obverse since its 1987 release. With her death, new coins in the series will now feature King Charles III.
The Gold Britannia is impossible to exclude from our list of the best 1 oz gold coins to buy; its history of excellence makes it an undeniable must-have for gold investors.
South African Gold Krugerrand
Second on our list of the best 1 oz gold coins to buy is the South African Gold Krugerrand. This is, in many ways, the original gold coin that started the modern era of gold bullion coinage.
It was released in 1967 and, within a few years, became the most popular gold coin in the entire world. The coin offers a fascinating history; it was the subject of embargos from several world governments in the 1980s due to South Africa’s racist apartheid political system.
Now, the coin isn’t quite the unstoppable, dominant force it used to be. But if you polled a thousand gold coin stackers, almost all of them would call it one of the best 1 oz gold coins to buy.
On the obverse of this .9167 fine gold coin, note Paul Kruger, a controversial but pivotal figure in South Africa’s fight for independence. The reverse features a detailed image of South Africa’s national animal, which is the Springbok Antelope. There’s a reason why this coin finds its way into almost every gold coin collection, and we’re happy to give it some love in this guide!
American Gold Eagle
If you like buying coins from the United States, the American Gold Eagle is a must-buy. As one of the best 1 oz gold coins to buy in North America, this coin continually smashes U.S. Mint production records. Adding to its popularity is the 2021 introduction of a brand new design, the first update to the American Gold Eagle since its release in 1987. Let’s take a look!
Like the Gold Krugerrand, the American Gold Eagle opts for a higher durability with its .9167 gold purity. On the obverse, you’ll find Lady Liberty, the female personification of liberty and freedom in the United States. She wears a flowing gown and walks away from the United States Capitol in front of a rising sun.
On the reverse, 2021 saw the first major update to the coin’s design in over thirty years. Original coins minted before 2021 featured an American bald eagle in flight.
Modern coins instead highlight a still portrait of the eagle’s face, with all of its feathers rendered in unprecedented detail. Whether you buy a Type 1 or Type 2 American Gold Eagle, there’s no denying that the coin has earned its place as one of the best 1 oz gold coins to buy.
Canadian Gold Maple
For the next coin on our list of the best 1 oz gold coins to buy, we turn to our neighbors to the North. Minted by the Royal Canadian Mint, the Canadian Gold Maple is another classic for bullion collectors, investors, and committed stackers alike.
The coin’s obverse pays homage to Canada’s roots as a settlement of Great Britain. Until recently, this side of the coin featured Queen Elizabeth. Following her death, new coins in the series will instead depict King Charles III, the current monarch of Britain.
On the reverse, you can celebrate another core part of Canada’s rich history and culture: the maple leaf. Here, the maple leaf is shown in exceptional detail, with each vein of the country’s national symbol rendered perfectly against the coin’s impressive .9999 gold.
This is certainly one of the best 1 oz gold coins to buy from the Royal Canadian Mint, but its proud tradition of excellence among stackers makes it one of the top gold coins on the planet.
Australian Gold Kangaroo
Coming from the land down under is our final pick for the best 1 oz gold coins to buy: the Australian Gold Kangaroo. Originally, this coin was called the Australian Gold Nugget, due to the golden nugget design on its reverse. After a few years, however, the Perth Mint decided to rebrand the coin to feature a different, even more recognizable Australian symbol.
That’s right – the Australian Gold Kangaroo’s reverse features a beautiful depiction of the Australian Kangaroo. It’s important to note that the design of the Australian Gold Kangaroo does change every year. For some investors, this adds a new layer to the coin’s collectability.
On the obverse, you’ll note yet another homage to Great Britain. Because the Perth Mint was once a subsidiary of the Royal British Mint, their coins feature an obverse portrait of Britain’s current monarch. For coins minted before 2023, this will be Queen Elizabeth II. New coins will instead highlight the current King of England, Charles III.
Bonus: Austrian Gold Philharmonic
We wanted to end this list with just five of the best 1 oz gold coins to buy, but we couldn’t help but show some love to the Austrian Gold Philharmonic. The coin remains a favorite for collectors everywhere, and it isn’t hard to see why. On the obverse, this .9999 fine gold coin depicts the Musikverein Pipe Organ, the large instrument used to put on some of the world’s most incredible orchestras in Vienna.
The reverse of this coin is unique as well. Instead of an animal or person, it features eight orchestra instruments. Collectors love this coin because of its design. Vienna is known by many as the music capital of the world. This piece of bullion history pays tribute to Austria’s culture of musical excellence, and it just felt wrong to write about the best 1 oz gold coins to buy without mentioning the Austrian Gold Philharmonic.
How to Buy Gold Coins Cheap
Finding gold coins at competitive prices is no easy task. Hero Bullion offers low premiums on several of the best 1 oz gold coins to buy, and we’re happy to serve you. But even if you don’t buy from us, you should know how to find gold coins for cheap. Let’s take a closer look at a couple tips to help you build your stack without busting that budget.
Finding Competitive Prices
Finding a dealer who can sell you gold coins at competitive prices is tricky. Try shopping around at a few different distributors before settling on one to do business with. It takes time to find a truly good deal, so consider checking out each dealers ‘best deals’ page to find out which of your favorite gold coins might be on special.
Minimizing Premium Costs
To cut premium costs on the best 1 oz gold coins to buy, you’ll need to understand just a little bit about how gold coin costs are determined. Each gold coin is sold for its melt price, plus a small fee on top. This is called a premium. The higher a premium you pay for a gold coin, the less actual gold you’re taking home for your money.
As a stacker, your goal is to buy gold coins without getting robbed by outrageous premium fees. Hero Bullion offers competitive pricing and low premiums on some of the most popular gold coins on the market, so be sure to check out our stock before buying your next gold coin!
Final Thoughts: Best 1 oz Gold Coins to Buy
That about does it for our list of the best 1 oz gold coins to buy. There are hundreds of gold coins on the market, and several of the world’s most popular mints offer quality gold bullion coins to help you build your gold stack.
Do you still have questions about which coins are the best 1 oz gold coins to buy? Feel free to contact our dedicated customer service team – we’re always happy to be your Bullion Hero!
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About The Author
Michael Roets
Michael Roets is a writer and journalist for Hero Bullion. His work explores precious metals news, guides, and commentary.