The price of gold bullion, which has been continuing to decrease, rose 0.6% yesterday, making a small but steady attempt to recover its position in the market. The recovery came at the same time as other commodities and worldwide stock markets experienced negative movement. Silver has made much more substantial gains than gold and has recovered from the previous drop of 2.5%. Silver is currently being bought for $17.80 per ounce. Despite the temporary recovery, this is still a relatively low price for silver to be traded at.

Amongst the worse effected commodities are soybeans, iron ore and corn which are all at four year lows. The price of Brent crude oil in Europe has also dropped and settled at $98 a barrel.

In China, it has been noted in the press that people are trading silver quite aggressively and it has been predicted that some silver derivatives contracts may be at risk of liquidation.

In other bullion news, the Royal Mint has begun selling gold and silver coins. The move has been received with criticism from many due to the potential to cause disruption in the market. Investment experts are therefore warning buyers to be cautious of deals offered by the Royal Mint.

Their current prices stand at £19 for silver coins, £197 for gold Sovereign coins and £800 for gold Brittania coins. They are also offering to store any large purchases of bullion for the buyer at their Military of Defence guarded vault in South Wales.

The Royal Mint has created quite an attractive offer for savers who are increasingly tempted to add bullion to their investment portfolios. However, the downside comes if those people aren’t fully aware of just how quickly the price of gold can drop. It has been estimated by the World Gold Council that there is approximately a £4 billion untapped market when it comes to those who could be interested in purchasing gold bullion. Many people are keen to spend their money on gold, believing it to be a solid investment for the future. But these people need to be aware that gold is a no-income asset and is currently priced at £400 lower than it was just three short years ago.

It has also been speculated that if the Royal Mint was to achieve its aims of encouraging a large volume of internet sales, then a gold rush could easily occur. A spokesperson from the Royal Mint commented that they “want to help expand the bullion market, particularly as coins offer a relatively affordable introduction”.

It remains to be seen how successful sales of Royal Mint bullion will be.