ASE vs Maple Leaf

I love the ASE and have far more of them then maple leafs.

I like to think of myself as a bullion collector more so then a coin collector, but there is just something I really like about the design of the maple leafs.

As a bullion collector I feel the ASE is the best deal around. My first 1oz of silver I ever purchased was a maple leaf years ago and I have had a soft spot for them ever since.

The maple leaf seems to come in so many different verities and it's .9999 of shiny silver, lol...

I won't pay a premium for one, but if one comes in front of me at a good price it's hard to resist even though I feel my money would be better spent on another ASE.

How do you feel about the ASE compared to the Canadian maple leaf?

 

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i'm new to the whole silver bullion stuff. But to me it seems if you are buying silver for the 1oz of silver.. why buy maples and ase? They are like 3.50 over spot where just a normal bullion/round is 1 over spot. Maybe i'm missing something?

 

Please define 'normal bullion/round'.
If your talking about what I think then I would answer your question, 'why buy maples and ase?' like this.
Because I know where my ASE's come from and when it comes time to sell them my buyers will also have no doubt about them.

 

I dunno, I just bought like buffalo rounds that are minted in texas at ntr? Maybe I should buy ase's?

 

ASEs and MLs will carry more of a premium when you go to sell. The generic bullion is kind of an unknown quantity and will proably sell for under spot.

 

Agreed. I know when I first got into bullion (for me it was gold) I looked first to the Eagles. So I'm sure others in this situation in the US will probably gravitate toward the Eagles before any other bullion. That is, until they research and look into other country's bullion. So it really does seem that the resale value (and opportunity for that matter) would be much greater with the ASE's or AGE's. Having written that, I love to see what everyone has to say anytime this topic comes up.

 

I like both the ASE and the Maple leaf but my favorite is the Mexican Onza's.

 

If I was ever to 'collect' bullion for anything other then a investment then I would pick the maple leaf over the ASE, I think...lol

Even though I think the ASE reverse proof is one of the nicest ASE I have ever seen I really like the looks of the reverse proof maple leaf a lot more.

With that being said I find a roll of mixed SAE 'bullion' a lot more attractive then any reverse proof 1oz silver coin.

 

I tend to go toward the ASE. One shop charges more for ML because he doesn't get as many in. Another shop has the same premium but I still pick the ASE.

Just a note to the generic bullion. To me there are two different types. I don't go for the bullion that is a reproduction of famous old coins. Morgans, Buffalos, Seated Libs etc. If I am going to buy generic bullion it has generally been the sports related, wildlife, famous places/people type of bullion. These seem to have lower mintages than the other type.

When it comes down to it, buy what you like at the best price you can get.

 

For many different reasons, I buy primarily ASE's. But, I also like variety, so I have a hard time saying no to good deals when they come along... :yes:

 

I like all three myself

 

I like them both. I have more ASEs than maples, but that's just happenstance. I'd take either. There's some non-government rounds and bars out there that carry premiums too, though. I like those, mainly just to diversify the designs. I have some prospectors and some Sunshine rounds, and I like those a lot.

 

Since ASE and CML (and Libertad, Philharmonic, others) are government minted coins they have benefits over generic bullion. Mainly worldwide recognition and that they are easier to verify authenticity of with known dimensions. Between those each one has an advantage over the other depending what country you live in, because each country accepts them as legal tender where they are minted. While the face value is far less than the metal value, if silver were ever remonetized then you would be in a better position having the silver your government made. Notwithstanding that I prefer CML's for the 9999 purity which is the purity required for solar panels.

 

If your a collector it comes down to personal preference like all other coins right?

If you are fliping for a quick profit then I would think ASE's seem to be most populat and most common for the quick sale, but maples would also do fine.

If you are a stacker it is a hotly debated topic.

say you buy 10 eagles at $3 each more than what you could buy a generic at. that is $30 and you could have bought roughly another ounce with what you spent on premiums. If your sell target is $70, for example.

70 * 11 = 770
70 * 10 = 700 + $30 (premium) =730

so you have lost $40 for every 10oz you buy unless you think people will be willing to start paying a much higher premium.

or maybe if inflation takes hold a large premium will actually be less money?

 

^^^ True, but there will come a day when those ASE's get sold to someone and chances are good that any premium paid will be recovered at that time. Let's say your great grandchildren sell them 100 years from now when silver is at $500/Oz, that premium will likely still be +/- 10%, or $50. In other words, the value of the premium should keep pace with the value of the silver.

But the future is an uncertain place. It could very well be that some sort of technology comes along that can quickly, easily and accurately assay the PM content of any object. With such technology in place, I could see the premium associated with ASE's and other government minted coins going the way of the dodo...

Like any investment, there's risk. There's risk in buying private minted silver rounds. There's risk paying a premium to get ASE's. And of course there's a whole lot of risk buying Chinese Pandas.

 

Interesting, I did not know that.

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What is a stacker?

Great replies, thanks!



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Outside of milk spot issues from time to time, I'm currently a Maple Leaf lean.

 

If you don't care about looks, buy junk silver. It's the cheapest way to buy silver, and it's in smallish denominations suitable for barter. If the crunch comes, not many people will be able to "make change" for a 1-ounce coin.

I would NEVER buy rounds or bars -- I don't want to have to PROVE that they are good silver to a skeptical buyer down the line. In fact, I CAN'T prove it. And neither can you.

Any day now, we'll start seeing counterfeit-but-correct-weight APMEX or Engelhard rounds and bars. Maybe already?

Finally, once in a while you will find a numismatic coin in junk silver; my most recent, a BU 1948 Franklin. Just avoid the THIN worn-out Mercury dimes and S.L. quarters. That's your only worry.

 

A person who stacks bullion for the sole purpose of owning precious metals. Most stackers don't give a flip about numismatic value. As such, they're usually looking to buy precious metals with the lowest possible premium. But, like others have mentioned, a little premium is worth it to know that you're buying what you want to buy and not counterfeit or plated junk, and also for whoever you might sell to in the future to know the same.

 

Blaubart, you and I are almost in agreement. All the stackers I know (including me, after 61 years of collecting) are keenly aware of scarce dates, and gravitate toward the vest-pocket silver sellers who don't give a flip, so to speak. I keep four Whitman folders handy (Mercury/Washington/S.L./Franklin) and pull the coins that help fill them up; those partial sets are later sold at the coin club at a nice premium.

My opinion, stackers are not investors. Investors would plan to sell for depreciating Federal Reserve notes somewhere down the line. Stackers plan to hold silver as long as possible, for years if necessary, to preserve the purchasing power of their savings. There IS a difference.

Last year, did my favorite silver-seller a favor. Traded him 9 accumulated rounds and bars for 8 ASE's (the only ones I now own). He's happy, I'm happy.