Perennial vs. Annual Designs for Gold and Silver Bullion

Does Design Matter When It Comes to Gold and Silver Bullion? 

The answer varies depending on who you ask. Overall, there’s no real loser when it comes to a healthy investment in gold and silver bullion. So, let’s take a look at the potential pros and cons of perennial and annual designs.

Perennial Designs on Gold and Silver Bullion

The big examples in this category are the American Gold Eagle and the American Silver Eagle. The designs for these coins generally remain constant and, well, precious metal investors tend to love the word constant. A constant or perennial design can suggest subtle tones of familiarity and stability. 

This means when it comes to gold and silver bullion designs, the perennial coin makes for a feel-good investment. For many, it means that the coin is a performer, one that inspires confidence as it comes to your bullion investment. 

As per our examples of the American Gold Eagle and American Silver Eagle coins, it is true that these coins did undergo a redesign in 2021. It was done in honor of the 35th anniversary of their public debut in the bullion market. Does this give the new coins an advantage moving forward over the old? Well, that leads us to the next category…

Annual Designs on Gold and Silver Bullion

When there is an annual change in the design of gold and silver bullion, it can be an exciting moment for many collectors. But, here’s where we note a bit of a difference between collectors and investors. The coin could technically have an increase in value, but not necessarily from an investment standpoint. The suggestion here is that collectors might place more value on a newly-designed coin despite the fact that its street value hasn’t actually changed. 

Per our previous example of the American Gold Eagle and American Silver Eagle coins, the new designs definitely caught the attention of collectors, more so than investors. We might also point out that this design change suggests that, from a collector’s standpoint, the 2020 American Gold and Silver Eagles are on a collector’s radar because this was the last year the old design was minted. 

Another perk with this design change is that these coins were minted with new anti-counterfeit measures. It’s not always about the design although, let it be noted, the design on these particular coins is protected by law. The Mint can only change the design of the American Gold and Silver Coins after 25 years of implementing the new design. This means it’s just a matter of time before the bullion retains its sense of familiarity with true investors.

So, which is the better choice? When it comes to perennial and annual designs on gold and silver bullion, it all boils down to a matter of taste and not necessarily value. Sometimes it’s in with the new and sometimes it’s all about embracing the old.

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