By - May 9, 2011 6:46 AM ET
The U.S. Mint sold 62,000 ounces of American Eagle gold coins in the first week of May, heading for the highest monthly amount since March 1999.
This month’s sales are already 57 percent of the total in April, according to the mint’s website. May sales would be about 240,250 ounces if the current pace continues. The mint sold 231,500 ounces of the coins in December 2009 and 269,000 ounces in March 1999, its website showed.
Concern about faster inflation, Europe’s debt crisis, a weakening dollar and conflict in the Middle East and North Africa helped gold climb to a record $1,577.57 an ounce on May 2. European Union officials agreed in an unannounced meeting on May 6 to reconsider the terms of the 110 billion-euro ($158 billion) lifeline Greece received last year. LINK...
