Best form of physical silver.

I've been saving a while, and silver is near my "buy" point. I've been looking around, and I'm not sure what to get the silver in. Should I just go for the lowest premium, or go for something I can sell for a couple bucks over spot, like ASE's or Koalas?

 

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I personally go for the lowest premium. For me that ends up being average circulated Peace and Morgan dollars. I can get them from a local dealer for about $1 over melt if I buy in bulk. I can't find ASEs, Maple Leafs(leaves?), or any other bullion coins for less than $4 over melt.
Your other option would be junk silver. Heavily circulated US dimes, quarters and halves from 1964 or prior. You can sometimes find those for close to melt.

Some also like to buy silver rounds. You can usually get those for a couple bucks over melt. Just make sure they're one troy oz and .999 fine. There are some nice ones out there.

One thing I haven't purchased yet are silver bars. Not sure what the premium on those is.

 

I would say bars

 

dimes and 10oz bars?

 

Personally, I would go with ASEs, Maple Leaves, Koalas, and any other silver coin that is made with a high content of silver. IMHO this is how one protects themselves if silver should take a dive in that the coin has both melt and numismatic value.

 

When times are good, the "best" silver appears to be that with the lowest premium. When times are bad, everyone wishes they had the silver that is easiest to resell without a large discount. I think ASEs will prove to be best by test when the time comes to sell silver.

 

#1 - Maple Leafs
#2 - Average circulated Peace dollars

Morgans and Peace have the same amount of silver in them. But, the retail premium for Morgans is higher when you buy.
When you sell, you get the same rate for Morgans and Peace.

 

I go with ASE's. You recoup the premium and you have the US Secret Service watching your back. If someone sells you a phoney round, the best you can do is file a police report as petty fraud. If some sells you a phoney ASE, then it counterfiting.

 

I agree with the government Mint-issued coins as opposed to privately-issued bars and coins for the reasons mentioned by previous posters. Silver is currently about $34.00 an ounce. You can get an ASE for $37.50. If you feel like being a little more exotic, you can get a Canada grizzly for about $38.00 and a New Zealand taku for $37.00.

 

This works for me

 

+1 :thumb: TC

 

How large of a quantity are looking to buy? Are you looking to buy circulated on Un?

 

I like have a mix of both bars and ASEs & Maple Leaves but bars give you the best value. I mostly have coins though.

 

I like silver dimes, you get the small size at no real premium. When/If the Shvt hits the fan and it's survival and barter, that silver is worth a lot, then you want it small, storing 90% silver is little different than .999 silver. I've never seen a fake 1964 Roosevelt dime or similar.

A dime might get you a gallon of gas, some water, ammo, food, etc.

Silver bugs are sorta banking on this doomsday scenario, IMO !

 

It's all silver. When I find a good deal, I'll buy it in whatever form.

 

It's certainly worth less if it is war nickels, 40% halves or Sterling. 90% coins and most bars, rounds, ASE's etc. are fine.

 

90% Junk is probably the best bet, if you ever had to barter it would be the easiest to do so with. Try making change with a bar.

 

The other day, when junk was worth 26X face, my dealers buy price was only 20X face. That $6 lost in the buy/sell spread makes me stay away from junk silver. Unless I find some at a steep discount.

 

I would say "best form" depends on two things: Are you a collector also, and what do you want to do with it?

If you are a collector, I would collect what appeals to you, within a premium reason. Then its just you coin collection and silver speculation secondly. THis could included a circulated Frankling collections, washington quarters, (most of them), etc.

If you only want to speculate on silver, I would look like others have said at government issued forms of bullion. .999 is good because its best for smelters, but .90 pure US coins are also valued well for silver. I would stick with government issued so you can be more sure its pure silver, and your buyer in the future can be sure as well. Problem with bars is always verification of purity, weight, etc. Bars are counterfeited just like coins, but at least coins have verified tolerances.

 

I was torn on this poll, but voted for lowest premium. I like bars and generic rounds for my core position since no premium paid means no premium to haggle over if you sell, though I spend a lot more time chasing all the collectible rounds which is more like a hobby that pays for itself. I have some junk for smaller change, but I'm not counting on it to hold its value as well.