So I have been collecting ASE's lately as I've been trying to do my homework on what coins are worth and their historical value and what just "fits right" for my collection/investments. My question is this. Does it really matter what you buy when it comes to silver?? I mean is there one coin worth more than another when it comes to bullion I.E. Canadian maple vs ASE?? Or do you mainly just go for the ounces and just watch the price ?? I know it seems like a basic question but I'm just curious if the value is really just determined like anything else which includes how many coins minted and also demand based on...well I guess looks and presumed value. Sorry if this post is confusing it's been a long week for me, but I've just been wondering. Jeff
If you can tell me what U.S. financial outlook is going to look like in one, five, or ten years, then I can recommend what purchase I think makes the most sense. Everyone has a different opinion on a silver vehicle based on where they believe the future is heading. Decide what you think is GOING to happen and then buy your silver accordingly.
I think it really depends what kind of collector you want to be. If you want to buy bullion for the pure profit, I would say you purchase the closest to spot you can buy no matter what type it is.
I think there's also the aspect of the legitimacy of the item in question. While nearly everything can (and has been) faked, I would suspect that selling a 2012 ASE in 2020 will be somewhat easier than selling a no name "art bar" though both be made of silver. I currently have well north of 200 oz of silver, the vast majority of which is in 90% coins and mint-produced 5 oz ATBs. I do have a few Silvertown and Johnson-Matthey bars but not many. I suspect I'll have an easier time selling the 90% than either the 5 oz ones or the bars if, and when I decide to sell. This doesn't count my ASEs (some of which are slabbed) and my commemoratives.
I like buying what I call "mildly numismatic" coins. For example if given the choice between a worn lot of Barbers and Walking Liberty halves and 64 Kennedys I will always choose the older coins. They may have more value now, but in the future they will be worth more than their silver value. I also would rather buy Morgans and Peace Dollars than ASE's. Even better is getting some really old coins for near the silver price.
Whatever 'art' bar (be it silver, gold, titanium or palladium) you buy, when it comes time to sell it to someone who has never seen one just like that one before, they will cut off a piece of it (which you don't get back) and assay it for purity. A small shop may even send the sample out to a third party contractor for the assay, so it may be a week or two before they wish to buy it from you. Alternatively, recognized local coins don't usually have this problem. I personally like old (worn with low collector value) Mercury dimes, and pre 1964 Washington quarters (72 to the pound av) and pre-64 Roosevelt dimes. If I lived in Canada I would accumulate Canadian coins, etc. I don't go with the older classic coins because then numismatics may enter into play and complicate the transaction issue. Heaven forbid I may accidentally accumulate a stash of rare Mercury dimes (think of a roll of 1916ds), but I think that is unlikely cause the rare ones are called rare for a reason, so just load up on worn 1942 Mercuries and worn 1963 or 64 Roosevelts. Plenty of Ebay auctions sell bags of cherry picked worn out silver coins. When you go to dump them the assay (beyond a weighing) isn't needed. Similar for junk Morgan and Peace dollars. There are even well circulated Walking Liberty bullion coins out there. Not pretty anymore, but still quickly transactable as bullion, you just have to look for them. Gold is harder. Non-slabbed Walking Liberty gold coins are good (here in America), Maple Leafs in Canada, etc. In America I also like the worn out or 'improperly cleaned' older gold coins. 'Improperly cleaned' (or jewelers holed) gold coins can sometimes be picked up at spot. Like I give a fig when buying quickly negotiable bullion how a previous owner treated his coin, LoL to that. Weight, purity, and recognition are what I seek. I would much rather buy a handful of improperly cleaned or with left over holes from dangling on a bracelet $1 or $2.50 US gold coins than pay top dollar for a single slabbed US Walking Liberty of similar cumulative face value.
For bullion silver, I think you're better off going with either ASE's or Maple Leafs. Also, silver bars by Matthey or APMEX.
The great thing about a worn out Walking Lib, or a holey gold coin is that they are probably not fakes. Who would fake a really worn out coin and then put a hole in it?
I've never had a problem with any silver and I've been buying and selling for years. the art bars do fine selling from what I see. people talk about 10-20 years later but for some of what I've sold it is 10-20 years later from when I bought them. I get all kinds of generic bars & rounds. they all sell. I look for ones I haven't seen before or with an interesting theme. I do stay away from the happy anniv, jolly Santa, it's a boy/girl etc. ones. I just don't like them.
Being an addict..lol, any silver that I can add to my collection is A-OK with me. Generic, Government silver, 90% I WANT IT ALL!!!!!
