• Get to Know Popular Types of Bullion

• Understand Bullion Terms

• Evaluate Bullion Mintmarks

• Find Bullion on eBay

• Buy Bullion With Confidence

Get to Know Popular Types of Bullion

Get to Know Popular Types of Bullion

Bullion coins, bullion bars, bullion ingots, and bullion mixed lots offer beauty and value. From newly-created collector items to ancient coins lost in shipwrecks, you can find a wide selection of silver bullion, gold bullion, and platinum bullion on eBay.

• Silver bullion: Silver bullion, the most popular type of bullion on eBay, includes some of the world's most valuable coins, but is often overlooked by collectors. When searching listings, you may find a silver ingot recovered from a famous treasure wreck such as the Spanish Atocha or a collection from an old Colorado mining town. Also keep your eyes open for an officially-sealed crate of silver Maple Leaf coins from the Royal Canadian Mint, a collection of Franklin Mint 100 Greatest Masterpieces, a bag of Walking Liberty half dollars, or a dealer roll of first-strike 1994 U.S. Eagles. You'll find silver bullion in the American Eagle, Bars, Rounds, Mixed Lots, and Other Coins categories on eBay.

• Gold bullion: Bullion collectors often favor gold bullion. Popular gold bullion options include gold Krugerrands from South Africa, gold Canadian Maple Leaf coins, United States American Eagle coins, and European gold crowns from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. You may also want to look for British sovereigns, French Roosters, and Swiss Helvetias. You may even find a 10-ounce Suisse gold bar, five-coin American Eagle proof set, or China Gold Panda set. You'll find gold bullion in the American Eagle, Bars, Mixed Lots, and Other Coins categories on eBay.

• Platinum bullion: Platinum bullion, the most uncommon form of bullion found on eBay, comes in Eagle sets, Koala proofs, and French Statue of Liberty coins, among others. You may find a crucible dish made of platinum bullion, an Engelhard platinum bar, rare platinum coins recovered from vaults below the World Trade Centers, or Johnson Matthey Year of the Dragon coins.

Select bullion for special occasions

Bullion can make a thoughtful gift to mark special occasions such as births, weddings, anniversaries, graduations, and birthdays.

• Bullion birthday gift ideas: Look for a bullion bar featuring a Happy Birthday greeting. Also, many collectors enjoy searching for coins issued their birth year.

• Bullion anniversary gift ideas: For a thoughtful anniversary gift, look for bullion dated with the couple’s wedding year. You might choose vials of 24-karat gold flakes or silver flakes for wedding favors.

• Start someone's bullion collection: Collectors often say that a gift started their collection. To introduce someone to the "hobby of kings," select bullion to match their interests. For example, choose a silver bar created for Donald Duck's 45th birthday or a Looney Tunes set of silver coins with Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, and Elmer Fudd.

To determine how much you should pay for bullion, search Completed Listings to find out what similar items sold for on eBay in the past 14 days.

Understand Bullion Terms

Understand Bullion Terms

Sellers use a variety of terms to describe coins and other numismatic items on eBay. Common descriptions in the Coins category include:

• Brilliant coins: Brilliant coins have no tarnish or oxidization.

• BU rolls: BU rolls are wrapped coins, usually enclosed in paper.

• Eagle coins: Eagle coins are coins with a face value of $10.

• Error: Error numismatic items unintentionally vary from the norm.

• Full strike: Full-strike numismatic pieces have full detail created by metal flowing into all areas of a die.

• Proofs: Proofs are brilliant with a mirror-like surface.

• Slabbed coins: Slabbed coins have been encapsulated in a sonically sealed plastic holder by a grading service.

• Toned, toning: Coloring that forms on the surface of a coin due to interaction of the metal with paper or other elements.

• Uncirculated: Uncirculated coins or other uncirculated numismatic items never circulated. Also refers to a coin without wear.

• Wear: Erosion of metal, normally from the highest points of a scene.

Common abbreviations in the Coins category include:

• AU: About Uncirculated or Almost Uncirculated

• BU: Brilliant Uncirculated

• CAM: Cameo

• CCE: Certified Coin Exchange

• COA: Certificate of Authenticity

• DCAM: Deep Cameo

• DMPL: Deep Mirror Proof-like

• LOA: Letter of Authenticity

• NGC: Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (a leading grading service)

• NNC: National Numismatic Certification

• NR: No Reserve (seller has not set a minimum price for sale)

• PCGS: Professional Coin Grading Service (a leading grading service)

• PR: Proof

• UNC: Uncirculated

For a list of other popular coin terms, visit the Coins Buying Guide, Graded Coins Buying Guide, and eBay's Popular Items - Coins page.

Evaluate Bullion Mintmarks

Evaluate Bullion Mintmarks

Each mint uses a particular letter or mark, called a mintmark, to indicate that it manufactured a coin. The presence or absence of a mintmark can greatly affect the value of a coin. Look for the following mintmarks on US coins:

* Although the Philadelphia mint has been operating continuously since 1793, most Philadelphia coins do not have a mintmark.

Find Bullion on eBay

Find Bullion on eBay

Once you know what type of bullion you want, go to the Coins category portal, click Bullion, and start searching for items on eBay.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow listings by item type. Initially you'll find links for Gold, Platinum, and Silver. Subsequent Categories lists allow you to narrow listings further by subcategory.

• Keyword search: Search eBay listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find a 1988 gold half-ounce Panda coin from the Chinese Mint, type "1988 Panda" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Remember to use a "+" between consecutive words in a keyword phrase. After conducting your initial search, try misspelling the name of the item you desire, trying several variations. You'll likely come across additional listings. Visit eBay's Search Commands page for more tips on searching with keywords.

• Advanced search: eBay's Advanced Search feature allows you to conduct a more precise search and gives you the option to search by seller, buyer, or store. You can also narrow results to "All of these words," "Any of these words," or "Exact phrase." Search All Categories to find bullion listings in multiple categories on eBay, including Coins, Antiques, and Jewelry & Watches.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy Bullion With Confidence

Buy Bullion With Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,000.

• eBay Security & Resolution Center: Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.