Is there a way to buy small amounts of pure gold for its exact value?

Buying in sub-ounce quantities triggers a premium to the bullion price. Your best bet is to buy smaller gold coins in non-collector condition. My personal holdings are in British, Swiss, South African and Canadian coins. Their value is a standard rate based on gold content (they are not 24 ct, but have a known bullion content in each coin). You can buy coins with as little as 1/10 oz bullion content, but you pay a premium buying single coins that small.all of my gold I bought at less that $250 an ounce, shows what the confidence in the dollar is now

@stranger_in_a_strange_land is right, buy it in coin.

@stranger_in_a_strange_land well what if I want $50 worth. Is there a coin worth only $50 that is pure gold, or are you saying that the coins won’t be pure but the gold content will be there?

You want to look into Kruggerands.

There may be ½0 oz bullion coins. They contain that much gold. At that small amount, you may be paying more like $55, or a 10% premium because of the small quantity. China may mint bullion coins in that small a size. All of my gold is in 1 oz coins, purchased by the roll. Short of buying gold bars, that is the most cost effiecient way to buy. Current quote (2FEB10) is $23,695 per roll of 20 US Eagle 1 oz coins. These are fresh from the mint. A coin dealer can probably beat this slightly on circulated-quality coins, but the vast majority of valuation is based on bullion content, as these are not collector items, but a recognizable inflation hedge.

Buying small quatities of gold is only worthwhile as a long-term hedge. Bullion would have to rise at least 10% for you to break even when buying the 1/10 oz or smaller coins.

Given the record US budget deficit buying bullion gold any way you can is probably a good idea. I doubt if gold will go lower than $1000 per ounce any time soon.

Another hedge would be to convert your dollars to Euros, Sterling or Swiss Francs.

(first sentence of above: I meant one-twentieth ounce)

you can buy gold leaf on e-bay

One problem with buying gold in forms other than bars or bullion coins is the assay costs involved in buying and selling “scrap gold”. Nobody wants to get ripped off, so assay is involved in each transaction.

@stranger_in_a_strange_land what are assay costs?

Those are costs charged by a metalurgist to certify the gold content, I’m not sure what they charge since I don’t deal in gold other than in standard bullion form or have bought it as jewelry where the vast amount of the value is in the artisans labor.

I see..

Easier to purchase Gold Jewelry.
Soon gold will bottom out, though, so hurry to buy then sell, when it is high.