The price of platinum declined on Thursday while prices for gold, silver and palladium increased for a third straight session. Gold registered a new, more than one-year high.
Gold for April delivery tacked on $15.90, or 0.8%, to settle at $1,926.30 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The finish was the highest since Jan. 5, 2021, when gold ended at $1,954.40 an ounce.
"Safe-haven demand is featured amid a risk-off trading day in the marketplace, as Russia unleashed a major military attack on its neighboring country, Ukraine. However, by midday most markets had calmed down significantly, including U.S. stock indexes and Treasury markets," Jim Wyckoff, a senior analyst at Kitco Inc, said in a daily research note.
Gold futures traded between $1,911.50 and $1,976.50. They edged up 0.2% on Wednesday and they rose 0.4% in their start to the trading week on Tuesday.
Silver for March delivery rose 13.4 cents, or 0.6%, to close at $24.687 an ounce. The settlement was the highest since Jan. 20 when silver ended at $24.716 an ounce. Silver futures traded between $24.55 and $25.68. They increased 1% on Wednesday and they advanced 1.3% on Tuesday.
In other precious metals prices Thursday:
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April platinum lost $29.60, or 2.7%, to $1,062.10 an ounce, ranging from $1,053.20 to $1,132.
- Palladium for June delivery — the new, most-active contract — gained $59.50, or 2.4%, to $2,501.90 an ounce, trading between $2,454 and $2,721.
US Mint Bullion Sales in 2022
Published United States Mint bullion sales increased Thursday by 5,500 ounces in American Gold Buffalos and a combined 20,500 ounces in American Gold Eagles.
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) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | Last Week | This Week | January | February | 2022 Sales | |
| $50 American Eagle 1 Oz Gold Coin | 19,500 | 10,500 | 35,500 | 123,500 | 67,000 | 190,500 |
| $25 American Eagle 1/2 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45,000 | 0 | 45,000 |
| $10 American Eagle 1/4 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 0 | 2,000 | 64,000 | 4,000 | 68,000 |
| $5 American Eagle 1/10 Oz Gold Coin | 10,000 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 195,000 | 25,000 | 220,000 |
| $50 American Buffalo 1 Oz Gold Coin | 5,500 | 6,500 | 10,000 | 61,500 | 22,000 | 83,500 |
| $1 American Eagle 1 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 480,500 | 519,500 | 5,001,000 | 1,500,000 | 6,501,000 |
| $100 American Eagle 1 Oz Platinum Coin | 0 | N/A | 25,800 | N/A | 25,800 | 25,800 |
| $25 American Eagle 1 Oz Palladium Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tuskegee Airmen 5 oz Silver Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
