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Message:: [QUOTE="Collector1966, post: 1271248, member: 17919"]My approach is basically the same as yours-- I usually don't buy strictly bullion, but rather try to cherrypick numismatic coins that are selling for around the melt price. Regarding the direction of silver and gold prices, it's anyone's guess. But speaking as one who has ties with the mining industry, I will say that there are quite a few base metal (lead, zinc, copper) mines in Third World countries, former Soviet republics, etc., that have-- or had-- been sitting on their silver, which is often a by-product of their main operation. This silver costs little to produce and is often viewed as a "rainy day fund" by the producers. Unlike Western mining operations, the main goals of mining operations in such countries are usually to 1) provide hard currency for the national government, and 2) provide sustainable employment opportunities in mining areas. Thus, a common strategy is to ensure a steady, stable, sustainable revenue stream. Given that base metal prices will likely fall with the economic news coming from China and elsewhere, while on the other hand silver prices had recently been hovering in the mid- to high-30s, it seems entirely possible to me that several mines may have been selling their silver to take advantage of the relatively high price and to compensate for the lower prices received for their main products.[/QUOTE]