This thread would be a lot more meaningful if you-all would just forget the term "intrinsic value." It's a bogus concept. If you ever see the words "intrinsic value" in a Coin World ad, please post it here. The only thing that matters is big dealers' Buy and Sell prices, adjusted for large and small quantities, and for the chart-savvy folks, a long-term graph of the value of the dollar expressed in other world currencies. That's the whole story.
On the scale, at purity, you know what you've got. (Refiner's "Melt" is a useful floor, too.) Bid/Ask, even cull Morgans might have a published 'Spot mkt' one day. Until then, the WSJ $1k fb will have to suffice. POS @ 32.85 ; Coins, wholesale $1,000 face val-A .... $24,882. @ ~ 715 ozt. = USD$ 34.80, or a 5.94% premium, wholesale. POS @ 32.85 ; APMEX SELLS $1,000 face val-A .... $24,482. + $50s/h? @ ~ 715 ozt. = USD$ 34.80, or a 4.45% premium, retail ... but suppose the actual quote might be higher/lower based on +/- POS.
"No not that slide... another one Quincy!" The way data's going, why not all... and more. There's an interesting historical digression I might make, about Platinum circa 1801... but I'll spare you.
Irrelevant in the era of instant communications, whatever the story. In 1801, jeweler #1 didn't know what jeweler #2 ten miles down the road was selling platinum for, unless he jumped on his horse and galloped down there to ask. And five minutes after #1 left, jeweler #2 may have smelled a deal working and bumped the price £2. The internet age changed buying and selling forever. But human nature hasn't changed -- some of you believe this country can borrow forever, without any drastic repercussions.
Jjack, that's where you and I agree completely - it's almost impossible to make money buying and selling bullion. I do sometimes buy foreign silver coins for their numismatic value, and resell them on eBay, but that's a little different. Most stackers are wonderfully uninformed about which foreign silver coins are valuable.