Perth Mint's Dec gold sales jump, end 2013 on high note

    Jan 3 (Reuters) - The Perth Mint's gold and silver sales 
rose in December, capping a year of bumper sales as lower metal 
prices attracted physical buyers for coins and bars. 
    The Perth Mint runs the only gold refinery in Australia, the 
world's second-biggest gold producer after China. 
    Sales of gold coins and minted bars rose to 58,943.61 ounces 
in December from 52,700.23 ounces in November, according to data 
emailed to Reuters. Gold sales for 2013 jumped 41 percent. 
    Silver sales jumped 5 percent in December and 33 percent for 
the year. 
    Gold prices    dropped nearly 30 percent in 2013, their 
first drop in 13 years as investors shifted money to equities 
and as the U.S. Federal Reserve announced plans to trim its 
bond-buying stimulus measures. Silver    fell 36 percent.  
     
 Period     Gold            Silver  
    Dec-13       58,943.61       845,940.53 
    Nov-13       52,700.23       807,246.05 
    Oct-13       77,255.18       821,579.77 
    Sep-13       68,488.06       961,977.07 
    Aug-13       30,430.10       691,258.63 
    Jul-13       56,488.25       697,247.39 
    Jun-13       47,692.02       593,534.52 
    May-13       88,637.82       596,458.40 
    Apr-13      112,575.40     1,113,461.36 
    Mar-13       50,356.16       408,178.52 
    Feb-13       44,399.48       431,237.41 
    Jan-13       66,669.66       676,742.40 
    Dec-12       51,777.57       452,390.35 
    Nov-12       49,004.09       623,345.46 
    Oct-12       54,779.00       465,033.74 
    Sep-12       82,066.89     1,259,702.59 
    Aug-12       37,196.86       338,945.22 
    Jul-12       34,588.36       459,270.48 
 Source: The Perth Mint 
 Note: Sales figures in ounces. Gold sales include coins and 
minted bars. Silver figures include only coins as the mint does 
not issue silver minted bars. 
 
 (Reporting by A. Ananthalakshmi) 
 ((ananthalakshmi.as@thomsonreuters.com)(+65 6870 3726)(Reuters 
Messaging: ananthalakshmi.as.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: PERTHMINT SALES/