We have looked at central bank gold market demand and showed just what a dynamic force it's becoming, just below the surface of the gold market. It's a relatively price-insensitive force that's strong day-to-day, clearing the market of stock when available. It enters the market in a way that leaves the market relatively undisturbed. But the rest of demand is very different. It's this other demand that will drive the gold price. Some of it is price sensitive, some not. Some is price sensitive in a surprising way. Some simply take up tonnage without being in itself a driving force. There are some forces that have no intention of holding gold for longer than their short-term view persists and then will sell it again. Within the above parameters, it's extremely difficult to define gold demand accurately. The major difficulty lies in the . . . .

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) stood by its forecast for a rally in gold this year, saying that the precious metal will advance to $1,840 an ounce over six months as the U.S. central bank embarks on a third round of stimulus in June. “The case for higher gold prices remains in place,” the analysts wrote. “U.S. economic and employment data has now. . . . .

Precious metals have been relatively quiet this week. After posting its best weekly gain in two months, gold is trading slightly lower at about $1,650 per ounce. Meanwhile, silver is trading near $30.50 per ounce. Gold and silver are currently taking a pause, but have been in a bull market for more than a decade and apparently Americans are taking notice.

According to a recent Gallup poll . . . .

This may not come as a surprise, but we're still not seeing it. We're not seeing a US recovery. Here we are, well into 2012, and the fact remains that the US housing situation is still a bust. Then there's unemployment. Then there are US tax receipts. Other economic indicators exhibit the same downward momentum that the pundits are loath to acknowledge. Although the paper gold price has been range-bound over the past month, the physical gold market has been undergoing staggering change. Earlier this month it was revealed that . . . .

Argentina added to its gold reserves for the first time in nearly six years in September last year as the price hit record highs, mirroring the trend among emerging-country central banks to diversify further from paper currencies such as the dollar.

Data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday showed . . . .

Latest IMF statistics released overnight show that a dozen countries increased their gold holdings in March, continuing the trend of Central Bank purchases which has now been apparent for the past two to three years ....

GFMS's Philip Klapwijk maintains that gold investment demand will stay healthy through the course of 2012 on the back of continued loose monetary policy and worries about the US and Europe.

Investment demand for gold has grown consistently over the course of the yellow metal's bull run and, 2012 is likely to continue this trend. This is the view of Philip Klapwijk, Global head of metals analysis at Thomson Reuters GFMS.

Speaking at the Denver Gold Group European Gold Forum, Klapwijk , supported his view by ....

EBay announces modifications to coin listing policy. New guidelines will restrict 'certified' coin listings to two grading services ....

Despite the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 suffering their worst day of the year on Tuesday, precious metals were able to decouple and climb higher. Gold futures for June delivery increased almost $17 to settle at $1,660, while silver gained 16 cents to close at $31.68. Although gold prices declined in March and had the media buzzing once again about a possible bubble, the world continues to be more interested in precious metals than ever before.

Outside of the United States, countries take their gold business very seriously. Earlier this week ....

Capitol Hill lawmakers want to change the color of money amid growing concerns about the federal deficit and the constant pressure for Washington to live within its means. The House and Senate each have introduced legislation that would replace the dollar bill with a $1 coin. “Change can be difficult,” Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., said. “But doing things as we’ve always done has contributed to our debt. We've got to latch on to any reasonable handhold we can find to climb out of this hole.”

This is not the first time Washington has considered eliminating the paper dollar ....