VanEck Merk Gold Trust

(Name of Issuer)

VanEck Merk Gold Shares

(Title of Class of Securities)

921078101

(CUSIP Number)

December 31, 2018

(Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)

	☒	Rule 13d-1(b)
	☐	Rule 13d-1(c)
	☐	Rule 13d-1(d)

CUSIP No .

921078101

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1	NAME OF REPORTING PERSON			Merk Investments LLC
2	CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP			(a) ☐ (b) ☐
3	SEC USE ONLY
4	CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION			United States of America
NUMBER OF SHARES		5	SOLE VOTING POWER	28,429 (1)
BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY		6	SHARED VOTING POWER	853,800 (2)
EACH REPORTING		7	SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER	882,229
PERSON WITH:		8	SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
9	AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON			882,229 (3)
10	CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW 9 EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES			☐
11	PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9			7.73% (4)
12	TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON			IA

(1)	Represents shares received directly from the Issuer by Merk Investments LLC for its services as a sponsor to the Issuer, over which Merk Investments LLC holds sole voting power.
(2)	Represents shares held by the Merk Hard Currency Fund (the “Fund”) and the Merk Global Opportunity Fund LP, over which Merk Investments LLC, as investment advisor and manager holds shared voting power and sole dispositive power.
(3)	Merk Investments, LLC disclaims beneficial ownership of the 537,800 shares held by the Fund pursuant to Rule 13d-4.
(4)	Based on 11,415,895 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2018, as reported by the Issuer to Merk Investments LLC.

CUSIP No .

921078101

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1	NAME OF REPORTING PERSON			Merk Hard Currency Fund
2	CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP			(a) ☐ (b) ☐
3	SEC USE ONLY
4	CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION			Delaware
NUMBER OF SHARES		5	SOLE VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY		6	SHARED VOTING POWER	537,800 (1)
EACH REPORTING		7	SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
PERSON WITH:		8	SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
9	AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON			537,800
10	CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW 9 EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES			☐
11	PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9			4.71%
12	TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON			IV

(1)	Represents shares held directly by the Fund, over which the Fund and Merk Investments LLC, as investment advisor and manager of the Fund, share voting power. Merk Investments LLC has sole dispositive power over the shares. The Fund disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares pursuant to Rule 13d-4.

CUSIP No.

921078101

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Item 1(a).		Name of Issuer:
		VanEck Merk Gold Trust
Item 1(b).		Address of Issuer’s Principal Executive Offices:
		VanEck Merk Gold Trust c/o Merk Investments LLC
		44 Montgomery Street, #3730, San Francisco, California 94104
Item 2(a).		Name of Person Filing:
		This statement is filed by Merk Investments, LLC and the Merk Hard Currency Fund (the “Fund”). Merk Investments, LLC is sponsor of the Issuer and investment adviser to the Fund.
Item 2(b).		Address of Principal Business Office or, if None, Residence:
		The address for the principal business office of Merk Investments, LLC is:   Merk Investments LLC 44 Montgomery Street, #3730 San Francisco, California  94104
		The address for the principal business office of the Merk Hard Currency Fund is:   Merk Hard Currency Fund P.O. Box 588 Portland, Maine 04112
Item 2(c).		Citizenship:
		The Fund is a series of a Delaware statutory trust, and Merk Investments LLC is a Delaware limited liability company.
Item 2(d).		Title of Class of Securities:
		VanEck Merk Gold shares, no par value.
Item 2(e).		CUSIP Number:
		921078101

CUSIP No .

921078101

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Item 3.

If This Statement is Filed Pursuant to §§240.13d-1(b), or 240.13d-2(b) or (c), Check Whether the Person Filing is a:

	(a)	☐	Broker or dealer registered under Section 15 of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78o).
	(b)	☐	Bank as defined in Section 3(a)(6) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c).
	(c)	☐	Insurance company as defined in Section 3(a)(19) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c).
	(d)	☒	Investment company registered under Section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-8).
	(e)	☒	An investment adviser in accordance with §240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E);
	(f)	☐	An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with §240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F);
	(g)	☐	A parent holding company or control person in accordance with §240.13d-1(b)(ii)(G);
	(h)	☐	A savings association as defined in Section 3(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813);
	(i)	☐	A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under Section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act (15 U.S.C. 80a-3);
	(j)	☐	A non-U.S. institution in accordance with §240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J)
	(k)	☐	Group, in accordance with §240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(K).

CUSIP No .

921078101

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Item 4.	Ownership.
	Provide the following information regarding the aggregate number and percentage of the class of securities of the issuer identified in Item 1.

	(a)	Amount beneficially owned:
		882,229
	(b)	Percent of class:
		7.73%
	(c)	Number of shares as to which such person has:
		(i)	Sole power to vote or to direct the vote
			28,429
		(ii)	Shared power to vote or to direct the vote
			853,800
		(iii)	Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of
			882,229
		(iv)	Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of

CUSIP No .

921078101

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Item 5.	Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class.
	If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the date hereof  a reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of securities, check the following [ X ]
Item 6	Ownership of More Than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person
	N/A
Item 7.	Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding Company or Control Person.
	N/A
Item 8.	Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.
	N/A
Item 9.	Notice of Dissolution of Group.
	N/A
Item 10.	Certification.