The Library · Field guide
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Four metals, four very different stories. Each has its own page on what it is, where it comes from, what moves its price and how it is bought, with figures from the industry bodies and no pitch. This page is the side-by-side view.
Live spot per troy oz, as quoted to dealers A coin or bar costs spot plus a premium for minting and handling. What spot means
Four pages. One per metal.
Each one is a long read with photographs, the history, the uses and the coins worth knowing, with a source for every figure.
The metal that outlasted every currency.
- 222,600 t ever mined, nearly all of it still here
- Jewelry 45%, private coins and bars 21%, central banks 18%
- Central banks added 863 t in 2025
The working metal.
- 58% of demand is industrial, led by solar cells
- Fifth market deficit in a row in 2025
- Gold-to-silver ratio today: about 77 to 1
Rarer than gold, and most of it comes from one country.
- About 1 oz mined for every 21 oz of gold
- 71% of mine supply from South Africa
- Bullion demand up 65% in 2025
The catalyst metal.
- About 84% of demand is car catalysts (2015–24 average)
- Russia 41%, South Africa 36% of 2024 mine supply
- A record of about $3,440 in March 2022, then down about three-quarters by 2024
One is kept. One goes to work. Two clean the air.
Most of the world’s gold is worn or kept. Most silver goes to industry. Platinum and palladium do their biggest job inside car exhausts.
Kept.
Almost every ounce ever mined still exists: 45% of it as jewelry, 21% as bars and coins, 18% in central banks.
How gold is used
Put to work.
Industry took 58% of silver in 2025, led by the silver paste printed onto solar cells.
How silver is used
Cleans exhaust.
Car catalysts are its largest use, 37% of demand in 2025, and it sits at the heart of hydrogen fuel cells.
How platinum is used
Rides in gasoline cars.
About 84% of it goes into catalytic converters, mostly on gasoline and hybrid cars.
How palladium is usedThe metals, measured.
All four are scarce. Where they come from and where they go could hardly be more different.
It takes about that many ounces of silver to buy one ounce of gold at today’s spot prices. The ratio moves with the market through the day. All live prices
more gold than platinum was mined in 2025: about 118 million ounces against 5.55 million.
of silver demand was industrial in 2025: 657 million ounces, led by solar cells.
of palladium goes into car catalysts (2015–24 average), so one industry sets most of its price.
of gold mined in all of history. Almost all of it is still above ground.
of mined platinum came from one country, South Africa, in 2025.
of mined palladium came from two countries in 2024: Russia (41%) and South Africa (36%).
year in a row that silver demand outran supply (2025).
The four metals at a glance.
Physical facts do not change. The market figures are the latest full-year numbers from the industry bodies listed at the foot of the page.
| Gold | Silver | Platinum | Palladium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | ||||
| Spot now per troy oz | $3,883.70 -112.80 | $50.12 -1.93 | $1,524.30 -16.20 | $1,003.50 -50.60 |
| The metal | ||||
| Density | 19.32 g/cm³ | 10.49 g/cm³ | 21.45 g/cm³ | 12.02 g/cm³ |
| Melting point | 1,064 °C | 962 °C | 1,768 °C | 1,555 °C |
| Tarnishes? | No | Yes, surface only | No | No |
| Usual coin fineness | .9999 (Eagle .9167) | .999 / .9999 | .9995 | .9995 |
| Supply and demand | ||||
| Mined in 2025 | 3,672 t ≈ 118 Moz | 846.6 Moz | 5.55 Moz | Falling (Johnson Matthey) |
| Largest use | Bars, coins and funds (43% of 2025 demand), then jewelry | Industry (58%) | Car catalysts (37%) | Car catalysts (≈ 84%) |
| 2025 market balance | Record demand, 5,002 t | Fifth deficit year | Deficit, 1.08 Moz | Deficit; surplus expected 2026 |
| Owning it | ||||
| Price swings historically | Lowest | Higher than gold | High | Highest |
| Typical dealer spread | Narrowest | Narrow | Wider | Widest |
Density and melting points are physical constants; the bars compare the four metals with each other. Mine supply and demand: World Gold Council (gold), Silver Institute / Metals Focus (silver), WPIC and Johnson Matthey (platinum, palladium), published in 2026 for the year 2025; palladium uses and supply are Johnson Matthey’s 2015–24 average and 2024 figures.
Trust is the product. The metal is the proof.
Coins Online is the online shop of American Rare Coin & Collectibles in Bloomington, Minnesota, a dealer since 1985. We are licensed by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Hennepin County and the City of Bloomington, and bound by the Professional Numismatists Guild Code of Ethics.
The price you see is the price
Every price comes from one formula tied to the live spot price, the same for every customer. Each product page shows the spot price, the metal content and your price before checkout. No hidden fees, no “special” coins, no pressure calls.
Freedom Guarantee
Every coin, bar and collectible is verified before it is listed, through NGC or PCGS grading or our own in-house testing, and documented with its mint, specifications and condition.
Authenticity Guarantee
Accurate weight, purity and condition, or your money back. We stand behind what we sell because we also buy it back.
Collector Bill of Rights
Seven commitments aligned with PNG standards: transparency, integrity, authenticity, accuracy, fair pricing, prompt delivery and education. Read them in full
Insured, discreet shipping
Orders ship insured and trackable in plain packaging, with tracking emailed the day they leave.
We buy, too
Anyone who owns metal will one day sell it, inherit it or pass it on. We buy back at posted prices, in person at the store or by mail. How selling works
Questions people ask us.
Which metal should a first-time buyer start with?
Most people start with silver or gold, because both are easy to recognize, easy to sell in small amounts and carry the narrowest dealer spreads. Silver costs less per ounce and swings more; gold is steadier and more compact to store. Buyers usually add platinum and palladium later, in smaller amounts. We sell all four; the two-minute metals quiz asks what interests you and points you to the guides that fit.
Coins or bars?
Bars cost less per ounce; government coins are more widely recognized and quicker to sell. Many holdings use both: bars for the bulk, a few recognized one-ounce coins for flexibility. Whatever you choose, compare the total price (spot plus premium), not the premium alone.
Is gold a good store of value?
Gold pays nothing and grows nothing the way a business does. What it has done is keep its purchasing power over very long periods, and it tends to move differently from stocks and bonds. Its price can also fall for years at a time, and nobody knows the next twenty-five. Many collectors hold only what they understand, in an amount they would not have to sell in a hurry.
What is a troy ounce?
The unit precious metals are weighed in: 31.1035 grams, about 10% heavier than the avoirdupois ounce on a kitchen scale. A “1 oz” coin always means one troy ounce of metal.
What do .999 and 22 karat mean?
Both describe purity. Fineness in thousandths: .999 is 99.9% pure, .9999 is 99.99%. Karats out of 24: 22 karat is 91.67% (the American Gold Eagle and Krugerrand), 24 karat is 99.9% or finer (Maple Leaf, Buffalo, Britannia). A 22-karat coin still contains its full stated weight of pure metal; the alloy is added on top.
Why does a coin cost more than the spot price?
Spot is the price of raw metal in bulk. A coin has been refined, struck, shipped, insured and sold through a dealer; the premium pays for that. It is smaller per ounce on larger pieces and on bars. Every product page here shows the live spot price, the metal in the piece and your price, so you can compare dealers on the same basis.
Do I pay sales tax on precious metals?
It depends on the state the order ships to and on the product. Many states exempt bullion, some only above a threshold, some tax it. Our state-by-state guides spell out the rules and checkout applies them automatically.
How should I store metal at home?
Dry, out of sight and in the original tubes or capsules. Silver tarnishes in air and reacts with rubber and some papers; gold, platinum and palladium do not. Keep a record of what you own, where it came from and what you paid. For larger holdings many people use a safe-deposit box or an insured vault. Home versus vault storage ›
Can I sell it back to you?
Yes. Coins Online is the online shop of American Rare Coin & Collectibles in Bloomington, Minnesota, a dealer since 1985. We buy at our posted buy prices on the day you sell, in person at the store or by mail. How selling works ›
Start with the metal that fits you.
One coin is enough to begin. Every order ships insured, in plain packaging.
