About this blog

I started reading commentary on the net about precious metals in 1998, when the The Perth Mint transferred me from Sydney to Perth to take up the position of Depository Administrator. In that time I have seen some intelligent writing but also a lot of stuff that could be described as emotional, misinformed, misguided, driven by hidden agendas or all of the above, and a fair bit by people who have never worked in the industry.

I hope to contribute some reasoned and reasonable commentary without the hype; expose anonymous agendas, factual faults and logic lapses; provide information on how the market actually works; give an insight into what goes on on the other side (of the trading desk); and most importantly, have a bit of fun (although I’ll have to make sure my humour isn’t too dry). This blog is really written for those Depository clients I got to know when I was Depository Administrator (you know who you are), which means it will only appeal to intelligent people, so if you are one of those, welcome. If your looking for sensationalism or personal attacks, look elsewhere.

I think it is important to disclose any potential “agendas” or commercial interests because while in theory one should be able to assess the validity of an argument independent of the writer, full disclosure helps the reader to be vigilant. That's why I mentioned The Perth Mint first up. I have worked there since 1994, except for one year with Australia’s version of Wal-Mart – BigW – until gold’s siren call drew me back (OK maybe it was the pay packet). In that time I’ve held a number of roles across all levels and I'm currently working on the redevelopment of the Mint’s retail and exhibition business.

Having said that, this blog is not a Perth Mint mouthpiece and I will always strive for objectivity. All comments here are my personal opinion and not endorsed by the Mint in any way. And I'm not going to be answering specific question about the Mint's business - if you have a problem with them or a question for them, ask them directly yourself. However, I am happy to answer general questions readers may have. If you think that is a cop out, well I don’t want to test the confidentiality provisions of my employment contract or be a test case on what Section 74 of the Gold Corporation Act 1987 covers. As I work at the Mint no one is probably going to believe what I say about it anyway. This is a blog, not a newsletter, and I'm doing it on my time, not the Mint's time, so I'm not taking any risks.

Finally, while this blog is not about giving you my opinion about where the gold price is going (there are plenty of those out there), I probably won’t be able to stop myself from commenting on the market from time to time. In that case, note the following disclaimer - this blog is not giving investment advice and should not be relied upon at all! I mean, if what I had to say on the gold price was worthwhile, why would I be here writing this blog instead of sunning myself in some exotic location from all my trading profits?

Legal: of course I claim/retain copyright on any material published in this blog (as if it is worth much) but am happy for it to be quoted or republished as long as it is credited/linked back to this blog.