Bars or coins? Gold or silver? How much is enough?
Please do settle all your questions in advance so that you are able to make an informed decision.
You may find information regarding the following topics on this site:

Preliminary information
Purchase of precious metal
Sale of precious metal to Dresden.Gold

In case your question has not been answered we are happy to help either via telephone or e-mail.

Preliminary information

How much VAT is charged on gold?

Investment gold such as gold bars and bullion coins are VAT exempt in the EU.
Bullion coins are coins produced in large quantities for investment purposes or storing value.

Should I invest in gold or silver?

This decision depends on both the investment volume and the period of investment as the price fluctuation of silver is greater than that of gold. However, silver bars and coins are a lot less expensive.

You might furthermore want to consider tax-related aspects.
During the year there are neither interest nor dividend payments on precious metal bars or coins, therefore no income tax needs to be paid. Should you sell your precious metal, you might need to pay income tax on the profit achieved depending on how long you owned the goods and on the amount of profit. Please consult an expert on tax law in your country for further information regarding this point.

You should also consider the aspects of VAT when deciding. Investment gold, as offered by Dresden.Gold, is not subject to VAT. On all other precious metals, VAT is charged, which private individuals may not invoice when selling their goods.
Due to this gold becomes a more convenient investment than silver, platinum, or palladium. Customers may reduce tax losses by choosing silver coins not originally manufactured in the EU, as smaller amounts of VAT are charged.

Overall, investment gold is used best for long-term investments. For hedging, smaller amounts silver coins are an option to consider. For private portfolios, we generally recommend a ratio of 80:20 gold to silver.

Are platinum and palladium not suitable for investing?

There is no general answer to this question.
Platinum and palladium are primarily used by companies and if industrial demand decreases prices of both platinum and palladium are affected. They are therefore more suitable for speculative investors who wish to diversify their portfolio.

Should I better invest in coins or bars?

Regarding gold, this is foremost a matter of personal preference. Even though bars are slightly cheaper than coins of the same weight both are accepted worldwide if manufactured by a certified producer.

Silver is subject to VAT which amounts to 19 % for silver bars. As most silver coins, however, are treated under the margin scheme they are cheaper than bars. .

How should I divide my investment between units?

Generally, the following applies: the smaller the unit the higher the premium. However, smaller units allow for a sale of parts of your portfolio should the need arise even in times of low rates without having to sacrifice the entire amount. .

How can I test my bars and coins for authenticity?

Testing requires training, experience and a number of technical equipment. Therefore, in most cases, you cannot test your precious metal reliably at home.

We guarantee that all the products we sell are genuine which can be ensured by buying brand-new bars and coins straight from the manufacturer. Goods bought from secondary markets are tested by our experienced staff so that authenticity can be granted as well.In case you are in possession of coins or bars you would like to have tested by our staff, please see the page on metal testing services for further information.

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Purchase of precious metal

Is there a minimum order amount?

Yes, orders placed online will only be accepted if they have a value of 1.000.00 EUR or more. In our shop we may process smaller orders should you wish to buy only a couple of items. Please note that in this case a fee of 5.00 EUR will be added to the invoice.

Are special discounts available on large orders?

We will always make sure we offer the best prices possible. Instead of charging more and offering discounts on large orders we want all of our customers to participate.

What happens after I placed an order online?

We will send you a confirmation of receipt and an order confirmation containing the preliminary invoice via e-mail. Please settle the invoice as soon as possible as we will only ship goods ordered upon receipt of the full payment.

Why is it not possible to place orders online anonymously?

Unfortunately, allowing orders placed online to be anonymous bears incalculable risks for us. To decrease the risk of failure, we only accept over the counter transactions in our retail shop.

I do not wish to place an order online as I need to pay upfront to receive my parcel and this seems too insecure. Are there any other options available?

We do understand that transactions concerning precious metals require trust and that our customers wish for security.
You may, therefore, visit our retail shop during opening hours and purchase any goods in stock paying in cash.
Furthermore, we offer the option to place orders not exceeding 5,000.00 EUR online which subsequently may be paid and picked up at our retail shop.

I placed an order online but did neither receive a confirmation of receipt nor an order confirmation. What should I do?

You should receive a confirmation of receipt immediately after placing the order and the order confirmation should reach you within 24 hours on working days.
Please check your spam folder and contact our office should there be no e-mail from us.

Which payment options do you offer?

Currently, we do only accept bank transfers to our bank account and payments in cash at our retail shop.

Please note we do only accept payments made in Euro.

Due to security reasons we do not offer payment options using PayPal, Western Union, or Bitcoins. Please also note we do not accept payments using credit or debit cards, cheque, or cash on delivery.

May another person settle my invoice?

Unfortunately, we cannot accept payments made by third parties. The bank account holder needs to be identical with the person the goods ordered are invoiced to.

How will my order be shipped and how much do you charge for shipping?

We ship all orders using courier services so they are fully insured and may be tracked.
All shipping rates may be looked up here.

Where can I get my order shipped to?

You may provide either your home address or the address of your workplace, depending on where you can be contacted best.
Please note that we do not send orders to local collection points as your signature is required upon delivery.

When will I receive my order?

We will usually ship orders within 1 – 2 working days from receipt of the payment, so that you should receive orders to Germany within 3 – 4 working days from receipt of the payment. Please note that delivery times to other countries vary from this.

Is it possible to pick up the order myself?

We happily offer self-pick-up of your order at our retail shop. All goods in stock are ready for pick up immediately; all other goods may usually be picked up the following working day, provided your order has been placed until 1 o’clock.

I am an international business customer. Do any special regulations apply?

New customers are always welcome. However, please note that for security reasons we will only ship gold bars and coins as well as silver coins subject to the margin scheme to our international business clients.

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Sale of precious metal to Dresden.Gold

May I sell precious metal coins and bars to Dresden.Gold?

We are always happy to buy precious metal coins and bars. For prices please see our website www.dresden.gold. Purchasing prices are indicated next to the product in question and are updated every ten minutes. Please note that we usually only buy products listed on our website.

Please contact us via telephone or e-mail concerning purchase requests. We will confirm our interest regarding your products and inform you of the recipient’s address. Please consider that you as the vendor of the goods in question are the bearer of both shipping costs and risk.
You may also hand over the bars or coins to be sold at our office in person. Should you wish to do so please call us prior to your visit to arrange an appointment.

As soon as we receive the goods they are tested for quality and authenticity. When they are in good condition, we will contact you by telephone to give you a quote of the current purchasing price and to finalise the sale. The payment to you will be processed the same day so you should receive the money within two to three working days.
We would like to ask you to always send your goods with an accompanying letter indicating the kind and quantity of coins or bars, your address and telephone number or email address and bank details. You may use the form provided.

We will return the goods at your expense in the unlikely case that we decide not to buy the coins or bars submitted. Reasons for returning items may be damages such as scratches, bent material, or a missing certificate. Should you have any doubts regarding the quality of your coins or bars we are always happy to evaluate photographs sent by e-mail upfront. Not every fault is visible on a photograph but we will be able to get an impression of the general condition the goods are in.
We will return the goods at our expense should you not be happy with the purchasing price quoted.

We are not obliged to make a purchase and do so based on our current level of stock. .

Why can I not sell my goods anonymously?

We as commercial trades need to be able to prove the origin of our goods at all times. Legal basis for the obligation to keep records of goods received is § 143 AO.

Is it possible to have my goods for sale picked up?

Currently, we can only offer this service for addresses based in Germany.
In case you are based in Germany and are unable to come to our office or do not wish to ship using regular services we are happy to arrange a courier-pick up where the parcel will be picked up at your home and delivered to us.
Your parcel will be fully insured if the goods have a total value of less than 15,000.00 EUR and it can be tracked using a code provided by the courier firm. Pick up fees amounting to 25.00 EUR will be charged and deducted from the final purchase invoice.

Should you wish to use this shipping option please contact us for further details.

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