Torgny Persson

BullionStar Financials FY 2019 – Year in Review

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• Torgny Persson
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This post reviews BullionStar’s financial performance and milestones for the financial year ending 30 June 2019. Continue Reading

BullionStar Provides Food Relief to Over 200 Families

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• Torgny Persson
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In August 2020, BullionStar helped to provide food and groceries to over 200 poverty-stricken families living in Batam, Indonesia. Most of these families do not have a breadwinner that holds a steady job. With COVID-19 restrictions, already tough living conditions have sadly deterioated further. Continue Reading

Bullion Retail Shop Re-Opening 19 June

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• Torgny Persson
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BullionStar's Retail Shop at 45 New Bridge Road will re-open 19 June with normal operating hours.

Feel free to place your order online now at www.bullionstar.com and lock in the price. Collect your order from 19 June. For orders with cash payment, cheque payment, card and NETS payment, you are allowed to place your order now and make payment for your order no later than 22 June. Continue Reading

BullionStar Interview with SG Wealth Builder: Gold at 8 Year High

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• Torgny Persson
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BullionStar’s precious metals analyst, Ronan Manly, was recently interviewed by Singapore-based financial and investing website SG Wealth Builder. Here, we reprint the questions and answers from that interview.

The wide-ranging discussion covers the recent behaviour of the US dollar gold price and how the price discovery process works, the supply disruptions of March and... Continue Reading

Bullion Center Information

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• Torgny Persson
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Update on BullionStar's services. Bullion Center may not open 2 June after all. We are open for online orders at BullionStar.com 24/7! We offer FREE shipping for orders within Singapore and discounted rates for international shipping. Vault storage orders are processed as per normal. We are also accepting customer sell orders. Click here for more information and a service update. Continue Reading

QE Defender – Stop the QE Insanity | Helicopter Money and the Risk of Hyperinflation

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• Torgny Persson
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Helicopter cash - Negative interest rates - Government and Central Bank Asset Purchases - Universal Basic Income. Central banks and governments across the globe have unleashed a series of monetary and fiscal interventions on markets and economies which are unprecedented in their magnitude and which are boarding on the destruction of the current financial system. Are we gearing up for a... Continue Reading

BullionStar – We are Open for Orders – Update of Services 20 May 2020

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• Torgny Persson
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We are open for orders! Place your order on BullionStar.com 24/7! BullionStar has been exempted from the circuit breaker suspension as an essential service company for e-commerce orders. This means that orders can be shipped for delivery (FREE within Singapore or Discounted for International Shipping) or processed into vault storage as per normal. We are also accepting customer sell... Continue Reading

BullionStar – We are Open for Orders – Update of Services 11 April 2020

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• Torgny Persson
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We are open! This is an important update to all BullionStar customers covering the impact of COVID-19 on BullionStar's operations. BullionStar is open for orders but operate in limited capacity as an essential business with measurements taken against the spread of COVID-19. Continue Reading

BullionStar – Important Update 27 March 2020

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• Torgny Persson
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This is an important update to all BullionStar customers covering the situation in the precious metals market. As one of few precious metals dealers globally, BullionStar still accepts orders and has plenty of bullion in stock for immediate delivery. Due to record demand, we have however had to temporarily increase our minimum order for both customer buy and customer sell orders to SGD... Continue Reading

BullionStar Update – The Window to Purchase Precious Metals with Fiat Currency is Closing

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• Torgny Persson
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In the current environment, we are continuing to witness overwhelming demand for physical precious metals, while at the same time scarce supply due to global bullion supply chain issues.

Price discovery for precious metals is now broken, with paper spot and futures precious metals markets not reflecting physical metal demand and supply. This price disconnect is... Continue Reading

Gold Shortages – Price of Physical Gold Decouples from Paper Gold

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• Torgny Persson
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With volatility and turmoil continuing to impact global financial markets, we are witnessing a huge increase in demand for physical precious metals amid record orders and customer visits.

The surge in demand has created supply chain constraints, with some of BullionStar’s suppliers completely out of stock.

As the gold price on COMEX is not reflecting this physical... Continue Reading

Infographic: Central Bank Gold Buying and Gold Repatriation

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• Torgny Persson
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Annual central bank gold demand is currently running at a 50-year high. A whole host of central banks have also recently repatriated gold from London and New York.

But why are central banks buying more gold bars than at any time since 1971? And what has spooked sovereign nations to fly their gold back to their home countries?

With this easy to grasp and visually... Continue Reading

Buy Gold & Silver in New Zealand – Diversify your Bullion Storage

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• Torgny Persson
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With the addition of a bullion storage offering in New Zealand, BullionStar customers can now diversify bullion storage internationally across New Zealand and Singapore, two of the safest and securest precious metals storage jurisdictions in the world.

Geographically located in one of the safest areas of the world, in a stable jurisdiction with strong property rights and a... Continue Reading

Gold, Silver and Platinum surge ahead with impressive double digit YTD returns

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• Torgny Persson
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Year-to-date (YTD), based on prices at the time of writing, precious metals prices in US dollar terms have been making impressive double digit returns. The gold price has now risen 20.73% YTD, the silver price is up 25.91%, and the spot platinum price is 22.25% higher.

Much of these returns have been generated since early June, when first the US dollar gold price and then the... Continue Reading

Singapore Tops Global Rankings as the World’s Safest and Most Secure Nation

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• Torgny Persson
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Singapore is perceived to be one of the safest countries in the world with a strong rule of law and a dynamic and liberal economy.

While this is true, it is encouraging to see that these are not mere anecdotal stories or claims, they are facts borne out by the myriad of global rankings which year after year rank Singapore as the safest countries in the world and the one of the... Continue Reading

The History of the World is a History of Gold

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• Torgny Persson
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Gold has been inextricably linked to human civilizations since at least 6000 BC. Gold has been used as money in countless civilizations for thousands of years. From the ancient Egyptians to the Roman Empire, from the Republic of Venice to the Spanish Empire, civilizations may rise and fall but the one constant they all had was gold.

A people without the knowledge of their past... Continue Reading

Gold Smuggling to India & Japan is a Symptom of Governments’ War against Gold

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• Torgny Persson
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On a nearly daily basis, the media across Asia covers cases of gold smuggling into countries such as India and Japan. On the surface this smuggling is undertaken to avoid government imposed frictions such as import or consumption taxes, which distort the local gold price.

But at a higher level gold smuggling is a symptom of a problem. And that problem is that these governments... Continue Reading

What is Money? | BullionStar

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• Torgny Persson
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For something used by nearly everyone on the planet on a daily basis, the subjects of money and currency are surprisingly little understood and shrouded in mystery. But perhaps that’s the way governments and their central banks like it.

From a time in which only gold and silver were considered money, to a contemporary banking system where debt is created out of thin air and... Continue Reading

BullionStar Cash & Bullion Account – Better than a Singapore Bank Account!

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• Torgny Persson
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As one of the innovative features BullionStar offers in bringing modern technology to the age old bullion sector, with a BullionStar account you can hold both bullion and cash on one and the same account.

Keeping funds on your BullionStar account allows you to save on costly bank fees, speed up your precious metals transactions, trade or average in and out of positions, and... Continue Reading

London’s annual Platinum Week: A showcase for the White Precious Metal

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• Torgny Persson
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Each year during May, the great and the good of the global platinum market come together in London for a series of seminars and events known as “Platinum Week” organized by the London Platinum and Palladium Market (LPPM).

Participants comprise the heads of platinum mining companies, refineries and mints as well as attendees from the auto industry, industrial companies,... Continue Reading

Holding Precious Metals in your Individual Retirement Account (IRA)

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• Torgny Persson
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In the US, an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is a tax-incentivized account structure designed to save for retirement. IRAs can be opened by any US resident with taxable income. A self-directed IRA is a version of the IRA structure that allows investment into a wide selection of assets.

Under IRS rules, a wide range of investment grade precious metals can be held within... Continue Reading

BullionStar Financials FY 2018 – Year in Review

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• Torgny Persson
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As one of the world’s most innovative bullion dealers, BullionStar is also committed to transparency which extends to BullionStar’s annual financial results, which we publish on our website every year in the form of a commentary with supporting graphics.

For the financial year to 30 June 2018 (FY2018), BullionStar grew total revenues to SGD 177.8 million. Sales of gold bars... Continue Reading

How much Gold is in the FIFA World Cup Trophy?

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• Torgny Persson
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A sporting trophy revered by the elite footballers of the world. A trophy with near mythical status in the eyes of players and fans alike. A trophy held aloft by a select few captains in its less than 50 year history. A legendary trophy made of gold.

Designed in 1970 by Italian Artist artist Silvio Gazzaniga, the FIFA World Cup Trophy is, in the words of its creator, "a... Continue Reading

Cashless Society, Negative Interest Rates and Hyperinflation – Part 2

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• Torgny Persson
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Imagine a country in which banks hold virtually no cash at all. A country where if you walk into a bank branch, the clerk won’t be able to help you make a deposit. A country where there’s a good chance that if you grabbed a wad of cash and walked into an electronics store or a major nightclub, they wouldn’t be able to assist you in buying a new computer, nor get your drink on.... Continue Reading

Investing in the Noble Metal of Platinum

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• Torgny Persson
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As a recognized investment precious metal, many of the world's leading refineries and mints now offer investment grade platinum bars and platinum coins within their physical precious metals product suites. These include minted platinum bars from the famed refineries of Heraeus, Valcambi and Argor-Heraeus, and platinum bullion coins such as Royal Canadian Mint Platinum 1 oz Maple Leafs... Continue Reading

Customer Order Number 100,000 at BullionStar

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• Torgny Persson
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Since it's establishment in 2012 in Singpore, BullionStar has had many notable achievements, and recently reached another milestone by completing its 100,000th customer order, awarding a PAMP gold bar to the lucky customer who placed this order.

With customers from over 100 countries worldwide for both precious metals purchases and secure precious metals storage, BullionStar is... Continue Reading

BullionStar adds Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin as Payment Options and Currencies

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• Torgny Persson
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Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin have now been added to the list of transactional currencies which can be used to purchase gold bullion and silver bullion at BullionStar.

Since May 2014 BullionStar has accepted Bitcoin as a payment option and was one of the first bullion dealers worldwide to do so. Now with the addition of Bitcoin Cash, BullionStar again innovates and customers can... Continue Reading

BullionStar Wins First Place in Bullion Directory’s 2018 Awards

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• Torgny Persson
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BullionStar has won a Bullion Dealer of the Year award in the 2018 “Bullion Directory” Awards. Bullion Directory is a global online directory of the world’s precious metals dealers, listing over one thousand bullion dealers globally, and its awards are decided by the voting public. With competition from across the world, BullionStar secured first place in the ‘Rest of World’... Continue Reading

The Blockchain Beyond Bitcoin

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• Torgny Persson
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With the recent emergence and recognition of a diverse range of crypto currencies, the technology of blockchain is rapidly gaining traction as a profound innovation that has potential to alter entire industries.

Described in quite simple terms in the white paper that laid the foundations for Bitcoin, the design principles behind blockchains are now also being used in newer... Continue Reading

The Celebration of Chinese New Year

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• Torgny Persson
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New Year and the Spring Festival are a central part of Chinese tradition in mainland China and in Chinese communities all across the world. Chinese New Year is a movable event which this year falls on 16 February and which ushers in the “Year of the Dog”, the 11th year in the Chinese Zodiac calendar. Chinese New Year is an auspicious time associated with many customs and traditions... Continue Reading

The Role of Gold as Turmoil hits wider Financial Markets

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• Torgny Persson
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With continued selloffs this week led by US stock markets, and now moving into Asian markets, the complacency that had set in in financial markets has come to an abrupt halt as volatility reappears. Aside from the equity bourses, the emerging cryptocurrency markets have also suffered a multi-week selloff which has left investors unclear as to what lies ahead. In such market turmoil,... Continue Reading

Your Weight in Gold

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• Torgny Persson
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There are many phrases and sayings in the English language that illustrate the high-regard with which societies hold for gold. These phrases are embedded into natural language and have evolved over time based on an intrinsic appreciation by civilizations that gold is rare and of high value. One example is the saying “worth your weight in gold”. Although a metaphor, what would be... Continue Reading

The 5 Largest Gold Nuggets that Still Exist

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• Torgny Persson
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The discovery of large gold nuggets has always caused excitement for gold miners and the general public alike. Although most of the big gold nuggets discovered receive nicknames and these names pass into legend, many of history’s big gold nuggets have been melted down and no longer survive.

The world’s largest surviving gold nuggets are now held and displayed in places as... Continue Reading

Gold for Christmas – Gold’s Importance in Religion

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• Torgny Persson
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From religious artwork to religious symbolism, gold and religion have always been symbolically linked in nearly all of the world’s major religions. Due to its unique glow and yellow shine, gold is symbolic of the sun and the energy of the divine.

Since it is relatively rare, indestructible and doesn't decay and corrode, the use of gold in religion also conveys a preciousness... Continue Reading

The Most Outlandish Gold Products You Can Buy

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• Torgny Persson
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Since gold is a rare and valuable substance, it has always been associated with opulence and wealth. None more so than when gold is combined with a product to give that product an air of luxury and exclusivity. Sometimes the match between gold and a product works well, yielding a classic luxury good boosted by its gold content. Other times the outcome may not be so sophisticated, and... Continue Reading

Gold Demand in the Singapore Bullion Market

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• Torgny Persson
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Singapore’s gold market is now one of the largest in the region after strong growth, particularly over the last 5 years since the Singaporean government exempted investment precious metals from Goods and Services Tax GST in October 2012.

The gold market in Singapore is both a wholesale market and a retail market. The wholesale market includes bullion banks, trading houses and... Continue Reading

Mustafa Centre: Gold in Singapore

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• Torgny Persson
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The Mustafa Centre in Singapore's Little India is well-known as a slightly eccentric and congested shopping mall and arcade in which to buy all manner of diverse items. It also sells a lot of gold jewelry and a small selection of gold bullion.

But after navigating through the busy streets and actually finding the Mustafa Centre, the next challenge involves locating the Centre's... Continue Reading

Eat Gold

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• Torgny Persson
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A common phrase in the mainstream financial media is that ‘you can’t eat gold”. This claim is usually trotted out by CNBC and Bloomberg talking-heads as a way of disparaging the benefits of investing gold in times of crisis. But the claim is both wrong and misleading, because you actually can eat gold. And drink it too.

Furthermore, Wall Street and its cheerleaders are... Continue Reading

Buy Silver Bullion in Singapore

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• Torgny Persson
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Singapore offers a number of benefits when buying and storing silver. In Singapore, the majority of silver bullion bars and silver bullion coins from the world’s major mints and refineries are exempt from Goods and Services Tax (GST). There are also no taxes or duties on the import or export of silver. Singapore is also … Continue Reading

Store Gold in Minced Meat? 26 Ways to Store Gold

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• Torgny Persson
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If you buy and take delivery of gold bars or gold coins and want to keep your gold close at hand in your own home, you will still need to ensure that it is safely stored on your property, preferably in a hidden location that only you and close family members are aware of. There are many hiding places in a house or on a property to store gold, some more sensible than others. Taking... Continue Reading

28 Reasons to Buy Physical Gold

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• Torgny Persson
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There are many compelling reasons to own physical gold in the form of investment grade gold bars and gold coins. Among them are gold’s ability to retain its purchasing power over time, and it’s safe haven status in times of financial turmoil and uncertainty.

Gold has been known throughout history as the pre-eminent form of money and its track record as a stable money is... Continue Reading

Degussa Singapore Closing its BullionStore

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• Torgny Persson
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Exactly 2 years after opening a retail bullion shop in Singapore and expanding outside Europe, Degussa GoldHandel has announced that it is closing its Singapore shop on 31 October. Of possible relevance to the decision, the Degussa Singapore operation has been loss making since inception, with full year results to 31 December 2016 showing a new loss of SGD 2.8 million.

Although... Continue Reading

BullionStar Rebuilds Community Center in Fire-Ravaged Slum in Batam, Indonesia

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• Torgny Persson
• 7 Comments

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Across the border of Singapore, a ferry-ride away, a fire broke out on Saturday, 8 July 2017 in a slum in Muka Kuning, Batam, Indonesia. The fire destroyed 10 huts tragically affecting the lives of the families living there who already struggle daily to make ends meet. We decided to take a small step towards making a difference in this community and funded the restoration of the... Continue Reading

The Chinese Gold Market Essentials

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• Torgny Persson
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A series of 8 articles about the Chinese Gold Market have now been added to Gold University section of BullionStar’s website. These articles are collected titled “Chinese Gold Market Essentials”. The articles are mostly structured around the supply – demand equation of the Chinese gold market which has the Shanghai Gold Exchange at its core, as the market’s allocation... Continue Reading

New Release Now Available! Australian Lunar Series 2018

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• Torgny Persson
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Australian Lunar Series 2018 now available for ordering! Continue Reading

Gold Price: USD 65,000/oz in 5 years? Speech by Torgny Persson

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• Torgny Persson
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Is it realistic that the price of gold could reach USD 65,000/oz in 5 years? In this speech, BullionStar's CEO, Mr Torgny Persson, shares his views on the gold price as well discusses the following topics: 1) Money System of Today - How does our monetary system work? Or doesn't work? Do fiat currencies like the US Dollar have any real intrinsic value? 2) Gold Manipulation - Price of... Continue Reading

2 Winners of the Silver Britannia Competition by BullionStar and The Royal Mint

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• Torgny Persson
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In the month of August 2017, we launched a competition in collaboration with The Royal Mint. The competition invited customers of The Royal Mint and BullionStar to promote the Royal Mint Brand in Singapore through any medium! We received numerous top quality submissions and after much deliberation, we present to you the two winners of the competition, Ms. … Continue Reading

BullionStar Media

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• Torgny Persson
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BullionStar's website features a wide variety of original analysis and content on precious metals markets globally and which provides readers and viewers with unique and up-to-date insights that are not available elsewhere. A case in point is the BullionStar Perspectives video series which gives viewers free access to leading independent analysis of precious metals markets. In July,... Continue Reading

BullionStar Financials FY 2017 – Year in Review

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• Torgny Persson
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BullionStar is transparently releasing sales data and information about the company's overall financial performance for each financial year. This blog post presents the financials as they stood at the end of the financial year 2017. BullionStar increased its sales revenue to SGD 186,200,000 for FY 2017, up 38.7% from SGD 134,200,000 for FY 2016. BullionStar handled 15,213 buy orders... Continue Reading

Gold Price: USD 65,000/oz in 5 years?

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• Torgny Persson
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Although the international price of gold is set by paper gold markets, these markets cannot price physical gold accurately because they don’t trade physical gold. Instead they trade infinitely scalable fractional claims on physical gold. Conversely, real physical gold is not a claim on gold. It is gold. Real physical gold is real money, and is the ultimate form of saving and store of... Continue Reading