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Note 9 - Investment Valuation
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]  
Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block]

9 - Investment Valuation


U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price the Trust would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Beginning January 1, 2014, the Trust’s policy is to value its investments at fair value.


Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of assets and liabilities. Inputs may be based on independent market data (“observable inputs”) or they may be internally developed (“unobservable inputs”). These inputs are categorized into a disclosure hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting purposes. The level of a value determined for an asset or liability within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:


Level 1 – 

Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

 

 

Level 2 – 

Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability either directly or indirectly, including quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not considered to be active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means; and

 

 

Level 3 – 

Unobservable inputs that are unobservable for the asset or liability, including the Trust’s assumptions used in determining the fair value of investments.


At December 31, 2014, the value of the gold bullion held by the Trust is categorized as Level 1.