Precious metals futures were mixed but mostly higher Thursday. Gold futures declined from a 3-week high, registering their first loss in six sessions. Silver, meanwhile, bounced slightly and ended at a 2-1/2-week high.
Gold for April delivery shed $2.50, or 0.2%, to settle at $1,247.20 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
On a technical basis, "gold is challenging a long-term downtrend around $1,250 which if broken, would ignite buying toward the next big technical challenge just near $1,300 — another long term downtrend line," MarketWatch quoted Peter Spina, president and chief executive officer of GoldSeek.com.
Gold futures ranged from a low of $1,242.70 to a high of $1,253.30. They climbed 0.3% on Wednesday — ending at their best price since March 1, rose 1% on Tuesday, and moved up 0.3% on Monday.
Ending higher for the fifth time in six sessions, silver for May delivery gained 1.5 cents, or nearly 0.1%, to $17.593 an ounce. The settlement is the highest since March 6. Silver futures traded between $17.52 and $17.71. They slipped by a half-penny on Wednesday, gained 0.8% on Tuesday, and edged up 0.1% on Monday.
In other precious metals dealings:
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April platinum added $1.90, or 0.2%, to $963.80 an ounce, ranging from $957.10 to $971.90.
- Palladium for June delivery rose $10.70, or 1.4%, to $800.15 an ounce, trading between $786.90 and $809.95.
London Precious Metals Prices
In comparing earlier fixed London bullion prices from Wednesday PM to Thursday PM:
- Gold dipped $1.55, or 0.1%, to $1,247.50 an ounce.
- Silver slipped 3 cents, or 0.2%, to $17.55 an ounce.
LBMA platinum and palladium prices are available on the LBMA’s website with a delay of midnight.
US Mint Bullion Coin Sales in 2017
U.S. Mint bullion sales advanced by 1,000 ounces in American Gold Eagles. Below is a sales breakdown of U.S. bullion products with columns listing the number of coins sold during varying periods. Products with an asterisk (*) are no longer available.
| US Mint Bullion Sales (# of coins) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Sales | Last Week | This Week | Feb Sales | Mar Sales | 2017 Sales | |
| $100 American Eagle 1 Oz Platinum Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20,000 |
| $50 American Eagle 1 Oz Gold Coin | 1,000 | 2,500 | 8,500 | 21,000 | 14,500 | 122,000 |
| $25 American Eagle 1/2 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 1,000 | 0 | 5,000 | 1,000 | 25,000 |
| $10 American Eagle 1/4 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 2,000 | 0 | 4,000 | 2,000 | 42,000 |
| $5 American Eagle 1/10 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 20,000 | 5,000 | 30,000 | 35,000 | 190,000 |
| $50 American Buffalo 1 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 2,500 | 4,000 | 15,000 | 7,000 | 54,000 |
| $1 American Eagle 1 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 220,000 | 795,000 | 1,215,000 | 1,295,000 | 7,637,500 |
| 2017 Effigy Mounds 5 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19,500 | 0 | 19,500 |
| 2016 Shawnee 5 Oz Silver Coins* | – | |||||
| 2016 Cumberland Gap 5 Oz Silver Coin* | – | |||||
| 2016 Harpers Ferry 5 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 Theodore Roosevelt 5 Oz Silver Coin* | – | |||||
| 2016 Fort Moultrie 5 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
