To hedge against the falling dollar many smart investors are turning to a more tangible asset, gold. There are many ways you can invest in gold, you can actually purchase stocks in gold mines, gold bullion, and of course you can buy gold investment coins.

Before you pull out your wallet you want to know a little more about the process of buying gold as an investment. For the purpose of this article we're going to talk strictly about buying gold coins as an investment.

No matter what you invest in, there is always a direct correlation between the amount of knowledge you have and the amount of success you see with your investments. For that reason, it's very important you do your homework.

The price of gold has been going up for some time now and is at an all time high. Many coin collectors have begun to sell of their collections and they are being melted down just for the value of the gold. If this practice continues gold coins might become even more valuable since there won't be as big of a supply of them.

When you are ready to buy your first gold coin(s), make sure that you only purchase government made coins. These tend to have a higher value since their quality is well known amongst investors. Stay away from a privately minted coins.

Make sure that you will take possession of your coin as soon as you buy it. This may sound dumb, but it's not uncommon for people to let the investment company or the coin company to hold the coin for them. It may seem more secure but if the company is dishonest or goes out of business your investment will likely be gone too.

When you do bring home your new investment, make sure you have a safe place to keep them. It's best to either invest in a good quality, bolted to the floor safe at home, or get a safe deposit box at your local bank. It's probably also a good idea to not talk about all the expensive gold you have in your home... unless you want to be robbed.

Go online to find out what the current price of gold is before you make your purchase. Again, knowledge will help you make a smarter investing decision.

You've probably heard the investment advice: buy low, sell high. Collecting gold coins is no different. The lower you can buy a quality coin for, the higher potential for a big pay out down the road. I hate to sound like a broken record, but do your research.

One last point: no matter how much education and knowledge you gain, there is always some risk involved in investing (you can greatly reduce your risk if you are knowledgeable but it won't go away entirely).  For that reason never invest more than you can afford to lose. Don't put yourself in the hole financially by investing more than you should.

Starting an investing career is always a good idea. It won't happen overnight and you shouldn't be pulling out your credit card anytime soon, but buying gold investment coins can help protect you against a falling dollar. These coins are not only a good investment they are beautiful and fun to collect too.