A shortage of silver and gold coins has caused suppliers to increase the premiums charged to several times what they were making before the pandemic, this according to Peter Hug, global trading director of Kitco News.
"The wholesalers are arguing it's a supply and demand issue, and as far as the old saying goes, you make hay when the sun is shining," Hug told Kitco News. "The big wholesalers make relatively incidental spreads on Eagles, both gold and silver."
Peter Hug has been involved in precious metals since 1974. He began gaining first-hand investment industry experience at Deak-Perera. He served as SVP at Guardian Trust Company, which became one of the largest international trading houses for precious metals. He developed the first precious metals certificate program and the first margin trading accounts for metals on the cash market. Peter has acquired extensive experience in the wholesale markets and international asset diversification. A frequent speaker at precious metals conferences and in the financial media, he is one of the handful of experts who have succeeded through multiple bull and bear cycles on the strength and skills honed during the dramatic fluctuations of the 1980s. As the Director of Kitco's Precious Metals Division, Peter develops newer and better investment options for Kitco customers.