Gold or silver?

Is this site up to date on values? http://www.monex.com/liveprices

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Wow so which has gone up/down in the past 100 years? Since 60 oz of silver is equivalent to 1 oz of gold.

 

I would want to buy silver bars not coins, does APMEX or Provident Metals sell bars? Do bars cost more than coins?

 

Yes they sell bars and yes generic silver bars are cheaper than government issued silver coins. Silver eagles usually have about a 3 or 4 dollar premium over the spot price while one ounce generic bars are maybe a 2 dollar premium.

 

Go to www.apmex.com or www.providentmetals.com and look around those sites a little bit.

 

would you suggest buying 4 coins or 4 bars? I personally like bars but I could buy 2 bars and 2 coins what do you think?

 

It's good to study the past as it could hint at what may come in the future, but I'm not really sure where you are going with this.

I don't necessarily believe in revisions to the mean when comparing two instrument prices, if that's where you are going. Many speculators have fallen victim to patterns. For every example one way there's an example to the contrary. It all depends on how it's presented. One could make the case that based on the information provided that the trend is for a continuation of gap widening. This is a 100 year old trend. What are the chances it ends within the next 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, etc? Not as good if the trend began 25 years ago. Not sure what your age is, but I would like to cash out in my lifetime.

 

It's your own personal preference. I have both. If you want a variety order 4 different types and see what you like.

 

The gold silver ratio hasn't been 15 to1 in what? 100 years? I wouldn't count on it going back to 15/1 anytime soon. Too many new silver mines over the past century and every country in the world has removed silver from their circulating coinage which has reduced demand.

 

From an investment standpoint, coins usually hold a premium when metal prices drop. This is the numismatic value. However, premium plays less of a role when price rises. You have to determine whether it is worth paying the premium on a coin at the time of purchase.

 

When APMEX or Provident Metals ships you the silver do they make the person that bought it sign for the package?

 

Here is a website that has the silver price in real time. The name is Kitco and they are a widely followed site for precious metals info. http://www.kitco.com/charts/livesilver.html

 

Yes, I believe if it's over a certain dollar amount. Not sure how much, but they will require an adult signature at the time of delivery. If no one is home you can go to the post office and sign for it after they have attempted delivery.

 

A word about silver bars -- someday, when you want to sell them, you have to CONVINCE somebody that they are real silver, since the Chinese can whip up pretty good looking silver bars (or rounds) in a flash. If silver's price rises, this will be more and more true.

 

How will I prove to someone that my bar is real?

 

This is very true and the fakes are getting better and better and tougher to spot.

 

If you walk in to a coin shop to sell a bar or coin they can usually tell if something seems "off" about a particular bar or coin. They can weigh it, check the diameter, or give it a little scratch and do an acid test to see if it's silver plated. You can also do a specific gravity test and a magnet test. If it's magnetic it's not silver.

 

That isn't so hard... And I would probably only sell to a coin shop (If I will sell one day) and not to random people.

 

A word about fakes. They're out there but they're not nearly as common as you might think. As long as you buy from reputable businesses you'll be fine. I would stay away from craigslist ads, ebay, and flea markets. At least until you have enough experience to know what's what.

 

Yeah I saw loads of videos and read loads of articles of Tungsten-Filled gold bars that people bought off craigslist and ebay. I will most likely always buy from reputable sources because you can never be to sure if the bar is real or not. Like you guys stated above, gold and silver bars are becoming more "popular".