Buying Physical Gold Bullion & Coins

[timsk]

Does anyone have any knowledge and experience of buying actual physical gold bullion and/or coins? Any pointers, tips, dos and don'ts etc. would be much appreciated. There's a plethora of companies and banks selling gold but, to a novice like me, deciding between them is as confusing as deciding between the myriad of brokers for a novice trader!

Thanks in advance.
Tim.