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JM Bullion Notifies Customers of Hack

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The website for online Precious Metals retailer JM Bullion was hacked earlier this year.

The company began notifying customers recently that malicious code had been discovered on their website. As part of the hack contact information and payment information may have been compromised.

JM Bullion became aware of suspicious activity involving their website around July 6, 2020. As part of the investigation it was determined that malicious code had been installed on their website. The malicious code had been in place for a six month period from February 18, 2020 until July 17, 2020.

During an investigation it was discovered that customers making purchases on their website may have had their data compromised. The data includes personal information, including credit card or banking information captured by a third-party.

The malicious code was removed from their website on July 17, 2020.

jm-bullion letter to customers of website hack and data leak
JM Bullion letter to customers of website hack and data leak

The stolen personal identifying information (PII) included customer name, address, and payment card information including account numbers, expiration dates and CVV security codes.

JM Bullion notified potentially effected customers via ‘Notice of Data Security Incident’ letter. What’s not clear from the letter is if the incident involved their website being hacked by a third party.

The data breach spanned six months. Customers that made purchases during this time frame were notified by the company.

The data breach was first reported in the r/Silverbugs group on Reddit by a customer that received the letter.

The hack occurred during a time when investor interest in precious metals reached a peak due to the economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

All customers who made purchases on JM Bullion’s site between February 18th, 2020 to July 17th, 2020 should monitor their credit card statements for fraudulent activity.

JM Bullion is one of the largest online precious metals retailers. They sell gold, silver, platinum, palladium and other bullion and coin investment products.

JM Bullion also owns and operates Provident Metals and Silver.com. It’s not clear from the letter whether this hack only impacted customer of jmbullion.com. Or if it also involved their other companies including  providentmetals.com and silver.com were also impacted.

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2020 American Eagle Silver Privy Proof Coin – End of World War II 75th Anniversary

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2020 American Silver Eagle 75th Privy Proof - Anniversary of the End of World War II

End of World War II 75th Anniversary American Eagle Silver Proof Coin

The most anticipated coin release in recent time was last years’ 2019-S Reverse Proof American Silver Eagle coin. With only 30,000 coins minted, the coin was sold out in minutes from the US Mint website.

Many of those that were lucky enough to score one of these coins turned to eBay to sell for a quick flip. Some are still being sold in PR70 grades in PCGS and NGC slabs for over $2,000. PR69 Examples are selling for upwards of $1,000.

Pretty nice ROI for a coin that was sold by the US Mint for $65.95.

This year there seems to be a lot of hype lately around the US Mint’s upcoming release of a new Silver Eagle Proof coin. The coin is being marketed by the US Mint as a commemorative celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the End of World War II.

The coin is minted by the West Point Mint. It is a proof coin containing a special privy mark shaped like the reflecting pool at the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. Inside the privy it is stamped with V75.

This is the first time the US Mint has release an American Silver Eagle coin with a privy mark.

The mintage will be limited to just 75,000 coins. Demand has been high for the coin. Some  dealers have already begun listing the coins for sale on eBay for presale at prices ranging from $800 – $1,500.

The coin goes on sale next Thursday November 5 at 12 noon eastern time. You can sign up for reminder alerts on the product page at the US Mint website. I’m sure this coin will sell out quick.

If you’re lucky enough to buy one of the 75,000 coins being made available it should be an easy flip for a huge ROI.

American Silver Eagle Prices

 

Silver Prices

 

Gold Prices

 

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US Mint Releases Reverse Designs For 2021 American Gold And Silver Eagle Coins

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2021 American Eagle Coin Reverse Designs

The Unveiling of the New American Eagle Coin Designs

New reverse designs for both the American Silver Eagle and the American Gold Eagle coins have just been unveiled by the United States Mint. These exciting new designs will be featured on collectible and bullion coins in 2021. The reverse or tails designs will be available for both versions of the silver eagle and gold eagle collectible coins. The American Eagle Coin Program will be celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2021.

The exciting new designs are set to become available toward the middle of the year. As the Director of the United States Mint, David J. Ryder made a statement. He said the United States Mint has an artistic heritage based on excellence. The gorgeous new designs were created to build on this heritage while fortifying the status of the American Eagle Coin Programs as an icon for both the art and numismatic worlds.

The Redesign for the Reverse Side of the American Eagle Coins

The new designs are enchanting portraits of a proud eagles. The inscriptions on the American Silver Eagle and American Gold Eagle coins are the United States of America, In God We Trust, 1 oz. Fine Gold, E Pluribus Unum.

The designer for the AIP or Mint Artistic Infusion Program is Jennie Norris. The beautiful design she created was sculpted by Renata Gordon, the medallic artist for the United States Mint.

Renata Gordon was previously a volunteer raptor handler.

The deep connection she shares with wildlife was responsible for the inspiration required for her design. She spoke of the American Eagle as a sensationally noble bird. Her intention was to capture the intense stare of the eagle through the use of close cropping. The gaze she created speaks of the wisdom and pride generations have passed down over the course of time.

The Specifics of the New Design

The designs depicted on the silver eagle and gold eagle coins are notably different. Both designs are an attribute to the quality coins available through the United States Mint. The design was created by Emily Damstra, an AIP designer.

Michael Gaudioso is the medallic artist for the mint responsible for sculpting the coins. When Emily Damstra reflected on the design she created she spoke of her inspiration. She said she had the desire to create an image with all of the values represented by our national bird. She focused on conveying the most important traits including cooperation, protection, diligence and care in the most unique way possible.

The Head of the Eagle

The head or obverse side of the redesigned American Silver Eagle and American Gold Eagle coins will still show versions of the same historical designs the mint has featured for these coins during the last three decades. The obverse for the gold eagle coin will show a refreshed depiction of the design established by the well-known sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens in 1907.

Adolph A. Weinman is the famous sculptor responsible for the original Walking Liberty depiction of 1916. This image will be displayed on the obverse side of the silver eagle coin. The last issues for coins with the current design are the 20EM or One Ounce Silver Proof American Eagle Coin minted in San Francisco in 2020 and the 20EH or one ounce uncirculated gold American Eagle coin minted at West Point in 2020.

The 20EM or silver one-ounce proof coin of 2020 displaying the S mint mark of San Francisco will become available on October 13th of 2020. The 20EH or one ounce uncirculated gold American Eagle coin of 2020 will become available on November 19th of 2020.

Decreasing the Risk of COVID-19

The United States Mint has closed its sales centers until further notice to decrease employee risks in the workplace of exposure to COVID-19. The United States Mint has also made operational adjustments due to the COVID-19 response. There are customer service representatives ready to answer the questions of both potential and current customers.

Credit card information is not currently being accepted on the phone and customers will be unable to place their orders in this manner. All orders can be placed at this time by visiting the official website of the United States Mint.

About the United States Mint

The United States Mint was created by Congress in 1792. In 1873, the Mint was included in the Department of the Treasury. The Mint is the sole manufacturer for the nation of legal tender coinage. This means the Mint has the responsibility of producing and circulating coinage and conducting both commerce and trade for the nation.

Numismatic products are also produced by the United States Mint including commemorative, proof and uncirculated coins, Congressional Gold Medals, bronze and silver medals and gold and silver bullion coins. The numismatic programs of the Mint are self-sustaining to ensure operation with no cost to the taxpayers.

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eBay Bucks 5% Bonus Through September 23, 2020

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20 Francs Gold Coins

eBay announced a new Bucks promotion today.

The promotion pays 5% “cash-back” on eligible purchase instead of the base 1% on eligible purchase.

This offer is targeted to eBay users who have opted-in.

If you didn’t receive the invite, people have reported success in being added to these promotions by contacting eBay’s Customer Support.

You can earn eBay Bucks on qualified purchases. This includes most things on eBay except for items listed in the Bullion categories, gift cards and a few other exclusions.

Some dealers list bullion items in alternate categories. Many vintage gold bullion coins are listed as collectibles and are eligible to earn eBay Bucks.

You can later leverage the Bucks Rewards to buy or offset the cost silver, gold or other bullion items.

If you have not yet signed up for eBay Bucks yet you can find out more information on signing up at eBay’s website.

If you are already signed up for eBay Bucks you can check to see if the promotion is available to you by visiting the offer page on eBay’s website and clicking the “Activate Offer“.

Even with the recent market volatility and high premiums there are still at least 3 deals that net out to below spot price when you apply what you earn through eBay Bucks. You can find these offer and more in the eBay Bucks Eligible Bullion section of the website.

Using a credit card that offers cash-back rewards can also help to lower the overall dollar-cost average of your purchases.

There are currently several offers from credit card companies that provide additional cash-back reward bonuses for online purchases or combined with PayPal.

Bank of America currently has a promotion offering 3% cash back reward for online purchases. When combined with the eBay Bucks 5% bonus, this provides up to a combined 8% cash back on eligible purchases.

Discover Card has partnered with PayPal to offer a 5% cash back bonus on purchases made with PayPal through September 30, 2020. If you have a Discover Card, combining these offers can give you up to a combined 10% cash back reward on bullion purchases.

With a combined 8% to 10% cash back bonus available sweetens this deal. This level of cash back rewards leads to a net price on many bullion items on eBay below spot price.

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The History of the 20 Francs Gold Coin

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20 Francs Gold Coins

Even though most were minted well over 100 years ago, 20 Francs Gold Coins continue to be one of the most popular fractional gold coins today.

The 20 Francs Gold Coin began as a French coin in 1800 during the First Empire. The first coins were struck in Turin while it was under French control following the Battle of Marengo. The coin featured a helmeted soldier facing left wearing a laurel wreath upon his head.

In 1803, the Napoleon coin was introduced by Napoleon Bonaparte. The obverse of the coin featured a left facing bust of Napoleon I surrounded by the words “BONAPARTE PREMIER CONSUL”.

Latin Monetary Union

During the first half of the 19th century, the 20 Franc Napoleon gold coin circulated throughout France. By the mid 1800’s, Napoleon III, the nephew of Napoleon I envisioned a unified Europe. By treaty on December 23, 1865, France, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland formed the Latin Monetary Union (LMU).

A unified currency was created by the LMU that would be used for trade and recognized by all four countries. The new currency implemented by the LMU would be a bimetallism standard based on the French Franc. Each LMU Franc represented 4.5 grams of fine silver or .290322 grams of fine gold.

Several years later, Greece joined the original four countries in the treaty. Spain and Romania considered joining and made attempts to conform their currency to LMU standards. Austria-Hungary rejected bimetallism and refused to join, but later signed a treaty with France to mint some of their gold currency to LMU standards.

By 1873, the LMU had moved to a gold standard due to increasing silver imports dampening prices.

LMU member countries were responsible for the minting of millions of 20 Franc gold coins. Today, the most popular of these coins are:

Other common variations of the 20 Francs that are common to find to buy for a low premium over spot price include 20 Francs from Belgium and 20 Lira Gold Coins from Italy.

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Which Gold Coins and Bars Are Best for Investment?

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american gold eagle coin

In recent months we’ve seen the stock market drop and lose millions of dollars in value. The federal government continues to print fiat which is likely to lead to large scale inflation. Many people are shifting money from traditional investments into precious metals. New investors often wonder which gold coins and bars are best for investment or just a way of storing wealth.

If you’re interested in shifting investment dollars to buy gold bullion with the intent of selling it at a later time, it is best to stick with items that are widely recognized. Sovereign gold coins, such as the Gold Eagle or Gold Maple Leaf will make it much easier to sell down the road.

Gold Eagles and Gold Maple Leafs are some of the most widely recognized gold coins in the world. Along with Krugerrands, Kangaroos and other sovereign coins. Being widely recognized makes them easier to sell.

If the premiums on Sovereign Gold Coins seem a bit much, the alternative is to buy gold bars that are manufactured by widely recognized and reputable private mints, such as PAMP Suisse, Scottsdale or the Royal Canadian Mint.

What makes sovereign gold coins a better investment?

Simply put, coins minted by sovereign governments come with the backing and guarantee of that nation to their purity and quality.

Sovereign coins are minted in large quantities on an annual basis. Coins such as the American Gold Eagle or Canadian Gold Maple Leaf have a well-known and consistent design each year.

These coins are recognized by many buyers. Their purity and specifications are well documented and widely known.

Vintage sovereign coins, such as British Sovereigns, 20 Francs Coins from the Latin Monetary Union and Gold Pesos from Mexico also make a solid investment. In many cases, vintage gold coins can be purchased at a much lower premium than newer coins.

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Which Online Bullion Dealers Ship Internationally?

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Global demand for silver and gold bullion remains strong. Buyers in foreign countries see the low premiums over spot price available in the United States. Even after factoring in the cost of international shipping it can be cheaper to buy silver and gold from US based dealers.

A common inquiry relates to which online bullion dealers ship internationally.

Which online bullion dealers in the United States ship to customers in foreign countries?

Many US based gold and silver bullion dealers ship internationally. Some may require a order minimum, payments made in US dollars and paid via wire transfer or certified funds.

APMEX – The largest online bullion dealer in the United States ships internationally to 33 countries. Details and requirements are shown on the APMEX International website.

Silver Gold Bull – Based in Canada, Silver Gold Bull is one of the fastest growing online bullion dealers worldwide. They have localized and regional websites specific to many of the countries that they ship to. They currently ship to 35 countries. Details and requirements are shown on the Silver Gold Bull International Gateway page.

SD Bullion – SD Bullion can ship directly to your door or preferred depository in 28 countries. Refer to the international shipping page on their website for specific details.

JM Bullion – According to their FAQ JM Bullion only ships to US Addresses including PO Boxes and APO. Using a worldwide shipping service may be an option to purchase from JM Bullion or other US based bullion dealers that do not directly offer international shipping.

Provident Metals/Silver.com – Both Provident Metals and Silver.com are subsidiaries of JM Bullion and share the same international shipping policy.

Bullion Exchanges – Currently Bullion Exchanges does not offer international shipping. They are currently only shipping to US based addresses. If you are interested in making a purchase from Bullion Exchanges that will be delivered overseas then you will need to use a US Based package forwarding service such as USGoBuy.com.

BOLD Precious Metals – The checkout process on BOLD Precious Metals website currently only supports US based shipping options. However, you can make international purchases from them by first contacting their customer service team. Details on how to contact them and what information they need for the transaction are available on their international shipping page.

Monument Metals – Monument Metals is able to ship international orders that are larger than $1,000 USD. Further details are available on their website shipping page.

Money Metals Exchange – The checkout process for Money Metals Exchange currently only supports US and Canada based shipping addresses. Other international shipping options may be available by contacting them directly. Otherwise, you will need to use a US Based package forwarding service such as USGoBuy.com.

BGASC – BGASC is an online bullion dealer based in Southern California. There is nothing within their shipping policies that mentions international shipping. The will ship to mail drop locations only if the order is paid via wire transfer. So it may be possible to use a US Based package forwarding service to have orders delivered internationally from BGASC.

eBay – Many of the online bullion dealers based in the United States also sell most items via their eBay Store. There are services that offer US based package forwarding for eBay purchases.

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Gold & Silver Headlines of the Week – June 5, 2020

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Silver & Gold Headlines of the Week

World’s largest jewelry maker commits to using 100% recycled
silver and gold

Pandora, the world’s largest jewelry brand by volume, is moving
completely away from newly mined silver and gold in its products—and
to reach a goal of 100% recycled silver and gold by 2025.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90512610/the-worlds-largest-jewelry-maker-commits-to-using-100-recycled-silver-and-gold

GLD And SLV Not Safe Ways Of Owning Gold And Silver

Find out whether GLD and SLV are safe ways of owning gold and
silver.
https://arcadiaeconomics.com/silver-price/gld-and-slv-safe-ways-of-owning-gold-and-silver/

Gold rebounds as bulls step in to buy the dip

Gold prices were solidly higher in midday U.S. trading Thursday,
after trading both sides of unchanged on the day.
https://www.kitco.com/news/2020-06-04/Gold-rebounds-as-bulls-step-in-to-buy-the-dip.html

A Touch of Gold and Silver

Gold and Silver are usually characterized by good electrical
conductivity. However, researchers have now discovered that some
precious metals lose this property if they are thin enough.
https://phys.org/news/2020-06-gold-silver.html

Trading The Gold-Silver Ratio During Times Of Crisis

On March 18, the gold-silver ratio reached an extreme high of
126.43. If you’re a seasoned metals investor, you know the
significance of this level: It’s never been reached before. One
expert is even calling it a 5,000-year high.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesfinancecouncil/2020/05/26/trading-the-gold-silver-ratio-during-times-of-crisis/

 

Pyromet Silver Card

The Pyromet Silver Card is a thin, 1 oz piece of .999 fine
silver. Roughly the size of a credit card, The Silver Card
is a 1 oz silver bullion card that is easy to keep on you at
all times. The Silver Card makes a great gift. It’s thin
enough to cut with a pair of scissors if you want to divide
it up into smaller, fractional silver pieces.
 
In Stock with BGASC and ready to ship!
 

1 oz Aztec Calendar Gold Round

These amazingly intricate and beautiful 1 oz Gold Bullion
rounds of the Aztec Calendar are made by Golden State Mint.

Now available in .9999 fine gold.

Also Available in 1 oz, 2 oz and 5 oz
Silver & Copper Rounds and 1 oz, 5 oz and 10 oz Silver
Bars.

Other Silver & Gold Bullion Deals

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American Silver Eagle Mintage By Year

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2018 American 1 oz Silver Eagle

The American Silver Eagle Coin is minted annually by the US Mint since 1986. The US Mint produces only enough coins that they think they will be able to sell to investors. American Silver Eagle Mintages vary year to year based on investor demand.

Annual American Silver Eagle Mintage Numbers

The Liberty Coin Act of 1985 authorized the US Mint to create the first American Silver Eagle coins in 1986. The law set base design specifications and standards for the Silver Eagles that includes:

  • The coins will be 40.6 millimeters in diameter and weigh 31.103 grams
  • Each coin will contain .999 fine silver
  • Each coin will  feature a design symbolic of Liberty on the obverse side and of an eagle on the reverse side
  • Each coin will be inscribed with the of the year of minting or issuance, the words ‘Liberty’, ‘In God We Trust’, ‘United States of America’, ‘1 Oz. Fine Silver’, ‘E Pluribus Unum’, and ‘One Dollar’
  • Each coin will have reeded edges

The Liberty Coin Act took effect on October of 1985 with instructions that the first coins would be released in September of 1986.

Many collectors want to buy an American Silver Eagle coin from each mintage year to build a complete set.

There are several Silver Eagle Dollar Coins that have continued to rise in price due to their rarity and demand from investors and collectors. The 1996 Silver Eagle Bullion Coin was the lowest mintage to date, with only 3.6 million coins produced. Even coins in poor condition can fetch high premiums.

The release of the 2019-S Enhanced Reverse Proof American Silver Eagle coin in November 2019 was met by incredibly high demand due in part to its limited mintage. The coin was limited to just 30,000 coins making it the lowest mintage of any variety of American Silver Eagle coin. This coin sold out from the US Mint website in under 15 minutes.

For Proof American Silver Eagles, the previously rarest coin was the 1995-W. Only around 30,000 coins were produced that year with the West Point mint mark. The coin was only available as part of a special 10th anniversary set.

During the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020 the West Point Mint was shut down for the period from April 15 until April 21. From April 8 to April 20, the U.S. Mint added silver American Eagle production to Philadelphia. During that period the Philadelphia Mint produced 240,000 Silver Eagle Bullion Coins.



Silver Eagle Mintage by Year

Year

Bullion

Proof

Uncirculated (Burnished)
1986 5,393,005 1,446,778
1987 11,442,335 904,732
1988 5,004,646 557,370
1989 5,203,327 617,694
1990 5,840,110 695,510
1991 7,191,066 511,924
1992 5,540,068 498,543
1993 6,763,762 405,913*
1994 4,227,319 372,168
1995 4,672,051 407,822
1995-W 30,125
1996 3,603,386 498,293
1997 4,295,004 440,315
1998 4,847,549 450,728
1999 7,408,640 549,330
2000 9,239,132 600,743
2001 9,001,711 746,398
2002 10,539,026 647,342
2003 8,495,008 747,831
2004 8,882,754 801,602
2005 8,891,025 816,663
2006 10,676,522 1,092,477 466,573
2006-P Rev Pr 248,875
2007 9,028,036 821,759 621,333
2008 20,583,000 700,979 533,757
2009 30,459,000 0 0
2010 34,764,500 849,861 0
2011 40,020,000 847,473 409,766
2011-S 99,882
2011-P Rev Pr 99,882
2012 33,742,500 832,779 226,120
2012-S 281,792
2012-S Rev Pr 224,935
2013 42,675,000 934,331 221,981
2013-W 235,689
2013- W Rev Pr 235,689
2014 44,006,000 894,614  253,169
2015 47,000,000 696,001  200,016
2016 37,701,500 595,664  216,422
2017 18,065,500 (W) – 389,994
(S) – 123,906 3		  176,739
2018 15,700,000 (W) – 352,141
(S) – 158,761		  138,947
2019 1 14,863,5001 (W) – 319,086
(S) -146,735		 138,140
2019-W Rev Pr 99,911 4
2019-S Enh Rev Pr 29,8232
2020 5 19,509,000 (W) -345,963
(S) – 146,729(W) v75 – 75,0006		 131,501



American Silver Eagle Mintage Notes

1 – Sales totals through November 30, 2019. December Sales Totals Unpublished.
2 – Announced Mintage was 30,000 coins. Sales totals shown are based on sales data released by the US Mint.
3 – The 2017-S Proof Coin was released in two special sets. One called the “Congratulations Set” (17RF) with an announced mintage of 75,000 units. The other “Limited Edition Proof Set” (17RC) with an announced mintage of 50,000 units. Sales records show 48,906 Limited Edition Proof Sets sold. Sales records do not indicate how many Congratulations Sets were sold that year.
4 – The 2019-W Rev Proof was released as part of the “Pride of Two Nations” set (19XB)
5 – Year to Date for 2020 as of May 17, 2020. The West Point Mint was shutdown from April 15 to April 21, 2020 due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Minting of Silver Eagles was briefly shifted to the Philadelphia Mint and 240,000 ASE were minted. The only distinction of the Philadelphia ASEs is the box tracking numbers on the outside of the Monster Boxes. Box tracking numbers 400,000 through and including 400,479 were used on boxes of coins minted in Philadelphia. A total of 480 2020 American Silver Eagle Monster Boxes were minted at the Philadelphia Mint.

6 – The US Mint released a special proof American Silver Eagle coin to commemorate the anniversary of the end of World War II on November 5, 2020. This American Silver Eagle is the first to contain a privy mark embossed with v75. This special proof Silver Eagle has a limited mintage of 75,000 coins.

Source: USMint.gov Sales Reports

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Where is the best place to buy silver?

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There are a lot of online bullion dealers. With so many online dealers how do you decide which bullion dealer is the best company to buy from?

It doesn’t matter if you’re an investor looking for the lowest price investment, or if you’re a collector wanting to find the best prices on silver coins to add to your collection. Investors and collectors both are always searching to find the best prices on silver from online bullion dealers.

Finding which online bullion dealers have the best prices for silver will depend on which bullion items you’re looking to buy and when you’re looking to buy.

FindBullionPrices.com is the best website for tracking the prices and premiums of a large variety of gold, silver and platinum coins, bars, rounds and bullion items for sale by online bullion dealers.

All of the online bullion dealers will carry a core set of gold, silver and platinum bullion products. All will have some sort of selection of:

  • Gold, silver and platinum Sovereign government coins such as American Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs, etc…
  • A large variety of silver rounds from popular private mints
  • Silver bars, gold bars and platinum bars
  • Hand poured items from specialty mints
  • Circulated “Junk” Silver.
  • and much, much more

With so many trusted and reputable online bullion dealers offering such similar products how do you decide which company is the best to buy from? There are several factors to consider, including customer service, shipping charges, sales tax and of course most importantly, the lowest premiums over spot price for what you want to buy.

There are several trusted and reputable online bullion dealers that stand out from all the others.

Some of the best companies to buy silver from include Silver Gold Bull, Golden Eagle Coin, Bullion Exchanges, BGASC, JM Bullion and others.