23 | January | 2011 | wealthymatters

Investing in Gold Sovereigns

January 23, 2011 26 Comments

The British sovereigns are gold coins with a nominal face value of one pound sterling or twenty shillings.They were first issued in 1489 and still continue to be issued till date. All post-1837 sovereigns are still legal tender in the UK.

The name “sovereign” comes from the large size and portraiture of the coin, the earliest of which showed the king facing, seated on a throne, while the reverse shows the Royal coat of arms on a shield surrounded by a Tudor double rose.

At the height of the British Empire, gold sovereigns were well regarded and accepted as money throughout most of the world and used to settle dues between countries.The gold-standard may be no more, but the good reputation of the gold sovereigns for purity persists to this day and they are the most widely traded semi-numismatic gold coins in the world.In many parts of the former British Empire sovereigns are included in prized jewellery. There is a ready market for these gold coins worldwide,especially in the commonwealth, so they are pretty liquid investments. Read more of this post

Filed under Alternative Assets, Precious Metals, Theory Tagged with 22 Carat Gold, 22 Karat, 22k, Alternative Assets, Bullion Investment, Bullion Purchase, Gold, Gold Investment, Investing In Gold, Numismatics, Passion Assets, Sovereigns

Tithing in Hinduism

January 23, 2011 2 Comments

Hinduism is a religion without a central church and there is little in it by way of dogma.So there is no compulsion for Hindus to give either to religious or secular charitable organizations .

However,one of the niyamas/observances or practices is dana/charitable giving.This impulse to give has to come from inside and the ideal is to give generously and without thought or expectation of reward.

Another niyam of Hinduism is observing sacred vows or vratas.One of the vratas observed is Dashama Bhaga Vrata: meaning “One-tenth-part vow” in Sanskrit.It is a promise a person makes to a God, or Gods to donate regularly for a specified time, or for the rest of their life ,one tenth of one’s gainful and gifted income.

Together these 2 niyams lead to Dashamamsha (One- Tenth- Sharing in Sanskrit) or Makimai (in Tamil),where people donate a tenth of their income to the Gods in temples or religious institutions.The Dashamamsha is not seen as an offering to God but as God’s share of the bounty.Giving as soon as the income is received is believed to sanctifiy the remaining portion and reap the greatest punya.Dashamamsha is an acknowledgement of God’s part in the person’s good fortune.

Dashamamsha brings a greater awareness of God’s power in the world and the givers are uplifted to a purer spiritual consciousness and abundance naturally floods into their lives. Read more of this post