Why don't you ask the U.S. Mint?
i had an economics professor who had a saying, "whenever a scam happens, there are always 2 cons. problem is that one of them is a pro."
the moral of the story is to know the value proposition of your investment. trusting somebody's word to steward your money is not the best bet in this society.
been there, done that, got the barrel (not t-shirt)