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BullionStar Blogs

BullionStar is renowned for presenting original research and expertise
covering the most important trends in the precious metals markets.

Aussie Politicians Throw Easy Questions About RBA Gold
Australia’s Gold at the Bank of England
Who Really Owns Italy’s Gold?
The Great Japanese Gold Trade of 1859

The Great Japanese Gold Trade of 1859

  • date
  • author JP Koning
  • comments 3 Comments

When Japan opened for trade in 1858, Western merchants were thrilled to learn that the Japanese valued gold at a third its international price. This would create an arbitrage for enterprising merchants.

While the arbitrage didn't last long, here's how it occurred in a historical context, and here's how the traders tripled their money. Continue Reading arrow

BoE Tears Up its Gold Custody Contract With Venezuela
How California Stuck With Gold When the U.S. Adopted Fiat

How California Stuck With Gold When the U.S. Adopted Fiat

  • date
  • author JP Koning
  • comments 4 Comments

When the Union switched over to an inconvertible paper money standard during the American Civil War, California managed to stick to its gold standard. This episode give some insights into why contemporary monetary switches, including a potential displacement of the dollar by bitcoin, are so difficult to achieve. Continue Reading arrow

Separating Truth From Fiction in China’s Golden Poker Game
Is Russia's Central Bank Buying Gold on the Int'l Market?
Venezuela’s Gold in Limbo at the Bank of England

Venezuela’s Gold in Limbo at the Bank of England

  • date
  • author Ronan Manly
  • comments 19 Comments

As one of the world’s largest custodians of central bank gold, the Bank of England is attracting unwanted attention in a bizarre saga involving 14 tonnes of Venezuela’s gold.

A whole cast of colorful characters has recently emerged on both sides, those wanting the gold to be returned and those wanting the gold to be confiscated. Continue Reading arrow

An Early Attempt at Standardizing Money With Gold Coins

An Early Attempt at Standardizing Money With Gold Coins

  • date
  • author JP Koning
  • comments 4 Comments

Last month the world settled on a new definition of the kilogram. Our success at harmonizing weights stands in contrast with our failure to establish a universal unit for measuring monetary value. This post explores the difficulty of this project by investigating a late-1860s effort to establish an international system for comparing value. Continue Reading arrow

French Central Bank & JP Morgan to Boost Gold Lending
November 2018 Gold Market Charts
Why the U.S. Mint Once Issued Gold Discs to Saudi Arabia

Why the U.S. Mint Once Issued Gold Discs to Saudi Arabia

  • date
  • author JP Koning
  • comments 12 Comments

Shortly after World War II, the U.S. produced almost 200,000 gold discs for Saudi Arabia. Coin collectors usually link the discs to ARAMCO, the Saudi-American company responsible for producing much of Saudi Arabia's oil. This post revisits the monetary arrangements of the era to determine why the discs were actually issued. Continue Reading arrow

LBMA Trading Volume Confirms London Paper Gold Casino
BoE Refuses to Return 14 Tonnes of Gold to Venezuela
Does Central Bank Gold Buying Impact Demand & Price?
Gold’s Official Price is $42, and Maybe That’s a Good Thing
Hungary Announces 10-Fold Jump in Gold Reserves
Skepticism Reigns About Chinese Central Bank Gold Reserves
Sanctions Busting, European Style

Sanctions Busting, European Style

  • date
  • author JP Koning
  • comments 13 Comments

Germany, France, and the UK intend to create a new Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to enable cross-border payments with Iran, which is currently being sanctioned by the U.S. The SPV will be able to carve out some space for the rest of the world to engage in Iranian trade, but we shouldn't overestimate its ability to override U.S. economic power. Continue Reading arrow

LBMA Data Reveal the Absurdity of the London ‘Gold’ Market
Paulson’s Shareholders Gold Council Finally Launches
Chinese Gold Panda Coins Now Trading On Shanghai's SGE
Why the SEC Keeps Rejecting Bitcoin ETF Listings
As EM Currencies Collapse, Gold is Being Mobilized
Annual Mine Supply of Gold: Does it Matter?
LBMA at the Movies: Golden Turkeys
Spotlight on the HUI & XAU Gold Stock Indexes
Turkey’s Attempt to Mop Up Mattress Gold
China's Gold Market: Still in the Driving Seat
How Much Gold is in the FIFA World Cup Trophy?
Gold’s Price Performance: Beyond the U.S. Dollar
The Shareholders Gold Council Ignores the Gold Price
Cashless Society, Negative Rates, and Hyperinflation – Pt. 2
Singapore, Brunei, and the $10,000 Banknote

Singapore, Brunei, and the $10,000 Banknote

  • date
  • author JP Koning
  • comments 5 Comments

This post talks about Singapore and Brunei's $10,000 note, the most valuable banknote denomination in the world. It delves into the historical monetary relationship between the two nations. Continue Reading arrow

Are the Swiss Waking Up About Fractional-Reserve Banking?
Investing in Platinum - the Noble Metal
Gold and the Monetary Blockade on Iran

Gold and the Monetary Blockade on Iran

  • date
  • author JP Koning
  • comments 2 Comments

Gold was used as an intermediary commodity for evading sanctions imposed on Iran, particularly in 2012-13. Gold has certain properties, including a high value-to-weight ratio and good liquidity, that made it convenient. Given that sanctions will probably be reimposed, what will gold's role be in the next round of Iranian sanctions? Continue Reading arrow

May 2018 Gold Market Charts
The Future of Cash: Iceland vs. Sweden

The Future of Cash: Iceland vs. Sweden

  • date
  • author JP Koning
  • comments 2 Comments

When people think about the future of cash, an increasingly cash-lite Sweden is one of the benchmarks that is often brought up. Yet Iceland should not be ignored, since not only does it lead Sweden in digital payments adoption, but it is also experiencing a resurgence in cash usage. Continue Reading arrow

BullionStar Celebrates Customer Order Number 100,000!
BullionStar Adds Bitcoin Cash & Litecoin as Payment Options
Turkey & Russia Highlight Gold’s Strategic Importance
Types of Gold Standards

Types of Gold Standards

  • date
  • author JP Koning
  • comments 4 Comments

From one version of the gold standard to the next, society benefited from the price stability afforded by a link to gold while being liberated from some of the metal's inconvenient physical burdens. Continue Reading arrow

Spoofing Futures, Banging Fixes: Same Banks & Trading Desks
U.S. Gold & Silver Futures Markets: 'Easy Targets'
China’s Secret Gold Supplier is Singapore

China’s Secret Gold Supplier is Singapore

  • date
  • author Koos Jansen

Singapore has been a major gold supplier to China since 2013, which was previously not publicly known. According to Statlink, Singapore net exported 102 tonnes to China in 2017, a record year and up 177 % from 2016. In total China net imported an estimated 1,082 tonnes in 2017, while SGE(I) withdrawals accounted for 2,030 tonnes. Continue Reading arrow

Audits of U.S. Monetary Gold Severely Lack Credibility
Central Banks Care Enough About Gold to Manipulate It
Money as a Measuring Stick

Money as a Measuring Stick

  • date
  • author JP Koning
  • comments 3 Comments

Imagine if the world's metre sticks all grew or shrunk a bit each year. That would make for a confusing system of weights and measures, wouldn't it? Well, that is exactly what happens with money.

This post looks at the history of the Pound, the weight and the currency, right up to the modern day Pound Sterling. Continue Reading arrow

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