Most precious metals climbed Tuesday. In highlights, gold finished near a 21-week high, silver closed at a 1-month high, and palladium scored another record.
Gold for February delivery advanced $7, or 0.6%, to settle at $1,246.60 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The settlement was the best since gold ended at the same price on July 12.
"The safe-haven metals are getting buying support from a big sell-off in the U.S. stock market today," Jim Wyckoff, a senior analyst at Kitco Metals Inc., said in a report. "The gold market is also benefiting from an improved near-term chart posture that is inviting technical buyers."
Gold futures ranged from a low of $1,235.80 to a high of $1,247.50. They rose 1.1% on Monday.
Silver for March delivery gained 14.1 cents, or 1%, to settle at $14.64 an ounce. The finish was the highest since silver ended at $14.647 an ounce on Nov. 5. Silver futures traded between $14.46 and $14.75. They jumped 2% on Monday.
In other precious metals futures prices on Tuesday:
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January platinum declined $6.50, or 0.8%, to $804.20 an ounce, ranging from $799.60 to $811.20.
- Palladium for March delivery added $14.60, or 1.3%, to $1,180.20 an ounce — a fresh record. Palladium traded between $1,155.50 and $1,189.50.
London Precious Metals Prices
In comparing earlier fixed London gold and silver prices from Monday PM to Tuesday PM:
- Gold rose $10, or 0.8%, to 1,240.30 an ounce.
- Silver added 16 cents, or 1.1%, to $14.545 an ounce.
LBMA platinum and palladium prices are available on the LBMA’s website with a delay of midnight.
US Mint Bullion Sales in 2018
United States Mint bullion sales were unchanged. Below is a sales breakdown of U.S. Mint bullion products with columns listing the number of coins sold during varying periods.
| US Mint Bullion Sales (# of coins) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Last Week | This Week / December | November | 2018 Sales | |
| $100 American Eagle 1 Oz Platinum Coin* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30,000 |
| $50 American Eagle 1 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 11,000 | 0 | 16,000 | 188,000 |
| $25 American Eagle 1/2 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 2,000 | 0 | 4,000 | 32,000 |
| $10 American Eagle 1/4 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,000 | 62,000 |
| $5 American Eagle 1/10 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 5,000 | 0 | 20,000 | 230,000 |
| $50 American Buffalo 1 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 2,500 | 0 | 5,500 | 120,000 |
| $1 American Eagle 1 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 375,000 | 150,000 | 1,645,000 | 15,360,000 |
| Pictured Rocks 5 Oz Silver Coin* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30,000 |
| Apostle Islands 5 Oz Silver Coin* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30,000 |
| Voyageurs 5 Oz Silver Coin* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30,000 |
| Cumberland Island 5 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52,500 |
| Block Island 5 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 80,000 | 0 | 80,000 | 80,000 |
