(FORTUNE Magazine) – It used to be that when there was a gold rush, you had to git where the gold was. Timing was important. A good horse helped. Nowadays it's simpler. Gold bullion coins, minted by countries as legal tender, are readily available from coin dealers. And large brokerage houses such as Merrill Lynch, Prudential- Bache, and Shearson Lehman Hutton have recently stepped up their coin marketing. Problem is, there's no gold rush. Gold boosters are calling it the calm before the storm. The metal, as high as $850 an ounce in 1980, has been mellowing out at around $440 since January. But rising interest rates and heightened inflation fears could drive the price to $600 by fall, even if inflation stays in single digits, says Bruce Kaplan of A-Mark Precious Metals, a wholesaler. When that happens, coin dealers reckon Americans will finally accept bullion coins as a more convenient way to own gold. Until the storm breaks, most of the interest in coins will continue to come from the Far East, especially Japan and Taiwan, where savings habits and strong currency make gold an appealing investment. These buyers prefer the Canadian Maple Leaf for its purity, though the Australian Nugget is also becoming popular. Both are 99.99% gold. The American Eagle, which accounts for at least 50% of all coins sold in the U.S., is only 91.6% gold. All three contain at least one ounce of pure gold, but the Eagle weighs more. - W.E.S.