Is anybody still buying silver and gold?

that sunshine mint bar doesn't look easy to copy.

 

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Nothing could be further from the truth.

Returning to my earlier example, lead is denser than silver, and copper is less dense than silver. By alloying them -- mixing them in various proportions -- you can produce any density between those two that you want, including the precise density of silver. (It's actually a bit more complex than that; sometimes a binary (two-component) alloy can be denser or less dense than either of its components. But that's not the usual case.)

The "laws of physics" also dictate that most elements will change their density with temperature and pressure, but that's not really relevant to this discussion, either. Those changes aren't large enough to be a useful diagnostic for coins.

That's a separate issue. Emulating silver's mint luster would be really tough. A realistic patina on a circulated coin is a lot easier.

 

just silver plate it

 

Sorry, but I could not disagree with you more. The chances of you stumbling upon a mixture of metals that is exactly the same as silver and leaving room to then silver plate the coin without altering it's density is next to nill. And by the time you're done with it you're cost basis would be sky high. So like I said, I couldn't disagree with you more.

 

but you could fool people with a bar.

 

Yes, exactly! I'm glad to see you're catching on!

 

I don't see how unless you plated it. then someone could just scratch it to check. just like you said on the ASE.

 

My dealer sells half dollars (kennedy 64's, franklins, a few walking liberty's in VF or worse) for 12.50 at this silver price, which I see is about 6% over spot. Maybe it's a bad deal but I buy them at that price.

 

Oy Vey! A bar has no set exact dimensions and unlike an ASE, it only has weight. Therefore you can make it out of anything whereas an ASE has exact dimensions which can be measured and with those dimensions AND the weight, you can only conclude it is made of silver. And this conversation is getting old, if you want bars, good for you. I've stated the obvious and if you don't get it, I'm sorry but my point has been made and I'm done.

 

I think you mean the poured silver bars. the sunshine mint and apmex bars are indeed an exact size and shape. it's OK we all make mistakes.

 

I am still buying gold its either that or put it in .5% CDs and lose money . That got me thinking with Asian countries having rates at 5-6+% offered for even savings' account aren't the savers there getting wealthier where as in America by keeping rates at 0% households are hemorrhaging money...

 

:thumb:With Gold being up.this would be a good buy.
http://www.coinnews.net/2011/12/06/2012-australian-platypus-platinum-bullion-coin/

 

Nobody's buying silver. ASE sales fell off a cliff last month.

 

I haven't been buying any ASE's, especially since the release of the 25th ann. sets. Been buying marquee pieces for the type set, it's the best use of my money this year.

 

I buy silver every paycheck and have been doing so since the May smackdown. Whether it's 2 ounces or 10 ounces, I am consistently stacking. I even picked up some fractional gold recently just because I'm so overweighted in silver. The 25th Anniversary ASE set sales probably have a lot to do with the subsequent dropoff the following month, but there's a lot more silver out there than just ASE's.

 

That would explain why some of the individual regular minted 2011 ASE's are selling at a premium right now. Even though they have nothing to do with the actual 25th ann. set.

 

And like the Walker buy for $12.50 above; that's what I like to do. On the condition of Morgans or Peace dollars that I am guessing are prone to counterfeit, I prefer VG-8 ones close to spot. Then I look at the premium margin for other U.S. coins I like, and gauge that per the daily spot per the condition I feel confident enough to afford, almost never more than 50% over. I also try to keep in mind "you can't collect everything." That said, I'm about as new at this as this thread, and have no interest in pure junk or bars. So I bought a few ASEs for $44 at $40 spot: oh well. I really enjoy the site and appreciate the advice!

 

I think what DW-Coins is saying (and I am just stepping into this post - I haven't read the whole thing) is that the ASE is widely recognizable, and it's dimensions are known precisely. Measure the thickness, diameter and weight accurately enough - and if ALL THREE check out against the widely-known public (and non-changing) dimensions, you can rest assured that it's not a fake - or at least that it's made of silver (which is what really matters in the case of bullion).

You might be an expert on those pretty APMEX and Sunshine Mint bars you posted pics of, but I'm not. Nont sure who else is. If you wanted to sell them to me (for example), I wouldn't know what the dimensions are (except for the weight of course). Also, even if I looked up the dimensions, those rounded corners would make precision extremely difficult to verify. For example, if the bars were made of a heavier material, the counterfeiter could round 'more' off of the corners and then the bar would still be the correct weight, length, depth, and thickness, and I wouldn't be the wiser.

 

I'm doing the same thing. My dealer has a plastic tub full of 90% halves that he sells for spot. When silver dips, I go in and grab a few. I usually sort throught them and cherry-pick out the best-looking Walkers. My pile is growing.