Is investing in gold and sliver coins a good idea?

Only from reliable sources. Some can depreciate in value quite quickly.

If you're looking to invest in gold and silver, you can do it more efficiently through the stock market.

The Streetrackers Gold ETF (ticker symbol GLD) lets you own gold directly and can be bought through a brokerage account.

I believe there's an equivalent silver ETF, but I can't remember its ticker symbol off the top of my head.

Gold & sold and silver coins are not an investment, they are either a hedge or a hobby.

Think about it, if you purchased $1000 in gold and put $1000 in a broad stock market mutual fund in 1929 (just before the crash), your 48oz of gold would now be worth about $32,000....the thousand you put in stocks, however, (though it would have fallen to around $120 during the crash) would now be worth far, far more!

In general I would have to say no. There are several problems with investing in coins. One is retail mark up. Two is liquidity. Three is storage problems. That being said certain coins might present good investment opportunities. Such coins would be those that are sought after rarities. A couple of examples would be a 1909 svdb penny (not silver or gold but valuable) or a 5 th century bc King Kroisos electrum stater (made of a natural mixture of both gold and silver). There is however some difficulty is selling either readily.

As with all investments, it is a matter of timing. A few years ago gold and silver were a really good investment. Now they are an okay investment. The important thing is to invest for the long term. Don't expect gold to be up 10-20% within a year, but do expect it to be double in value in 10 years.