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PAMP Suisse Installs Solar Panels Installs at its Castel San Pietro Refinery to Accelerate Supply of Renewable Energy

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MKS PAMP, the parent company of PAMP Suisse has announced the completion of a project to supply their Castel San Pietro refinery with renewable solar energy. The solar panel installation covers a total area 2000m² rooftop with an expected annual production of 519.7 MWh of electricity.

In 2016, MKS PAMP entered into an agreement with the Swiss Confederation to reduce Co₂ emissions. Since then, the company has reduced its CO₂ emissions at its production site by 41%.  Moreover, they continue to source 100% renewable electricity long-term.

“This renewable energy installation demonstrates our path to continued environmental sustainability – we are proud to achieve such objectives with the support of the Castel San Pietro municipality ”, said Phaedon Stamatopoulos, Managing Director, MKS PAMP Ticino in a press release.  

Silver is utilized in solar panels as part of the conductive paste that is contained in photovoltaic cells. Silver is well known for its excellent electrical conductivity, which helps in efficiently collecting and transmitting the electricity generated by the solar cells.

MKS PAMP

MKS PAMP GROUP has a significant international footprint and is known for its commitment to sustainability and ethical business practices.

The company’s operations span the gamut of the precious metals industry from refining and manufacturing to trading and finance across key markets worldwide while adhering to strict environmental standards.

PAMP’s refinery is accredited as a Good Delivery provider of the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) underscoring its reputation for reliability and the high quality of its products.

Throughout its more than 60 year history, PAMP has been at the forefront of integrating advanced security features into its products, including Veriscan® technology, which uses microscopic surface topography to register and verify the authenticity of gold bars.

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BLM Proposes Updates to Western Solar Plan

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First proposed in 2012, the Western Solar Plan from the Bureau of Land Management aims to facilitate the development of utility-scale solar energy projects on public lands.

The Biden administration has updated the plan, with several proposed options that would divert anywhere from 8 million to up to 55 million acres of public lands across 11 Western states to be made available for solar energy.

For utility-scale solar installations, a commonly used estimate is that 1 acre of solar panels can accommodate about 1,000 panels, considering the necessary spacing and infrastructure. This estimate can vary based on the design and layout specifics of the installation but serves as a good baseline for calculation.

To meet only Los Angeles’s annual electricity consumption of approximately 26 billion kWh, it would require about 42.25 million solar panels.

A typical 300 watt solar panel uses approximately 0.1 to 0.2 grams of silver per watt of solar cell, with roughly 30 to 60 grams of silver per panel. How much silver would it take to manufacture enough solar panels to power Los Angeles? 81,502,142 troy ounces, roughly 2,535,058 kilos of silver.

While the efficiency of solar panels has been increasing over the years, this plan from the BLM is pretty absurd.

From the ZeroHedge Article:

This plan is part of the Biden administration’s goal of generating 25 gigawatts (GW) of electricity from wind and solar on public lands by 2025—and generating 100 percent “renewable” electricity by 2035—solar panels would need to be sited on 700,000 acres of public land.

The sheer scope of the BLM plan—designating tens of millions of acres for solar development when the agency says 700,000 acres would suffice to meet Biden administration goals—is a red flag for many communities.

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The Basics of Silver as a Store of Value and Wealth

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In an age where digital transactions and cryptocurrencies are the norms, the concept of precious metals as a form of currency might seem outdated to many. However, there’s a compelling case to be made for considering silver not just as a relic of the past but as a relevant and wise choice for long-term wealth preservation and financial security.

The Forgotten History of Silver as Money

For centuries, silver and gold have been the cornerstone of global trade and currency. Our grandparents carried silver coins in their pockets, and the coins in circulation prior to 1965 were minted from 90% pure silver. Many in America built their wealth based on gold and silver reserves.

This historical significance isn’t just a matter of antiquity; it’s a testament to the intrinsic value these metals have played for thousands of years across various cultures and civilizations, but which is often overlooked in modern times.

Ancient civilizations, including the Greeks, Romans, and Chinese, used silver as a primary medium for trade. Silver coins were minted and used extensively for commercial transactions. Various countries, at different times, adopted a silver standard, a monetary system in which the value of paper currency was defined in terms of a certain amount of silver.

The Spanish silver dollar, sometimes referred to as “pieces of 8”, was widely used beyond Europe, especially in the Americas and Asia, with silver playing a key role in early global trade. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, silver, like gold, began to be seen more as a commodity and an investment. The shift to paper money and, later, digital transactions, led to a decline in the use of silver as everyday currency.

Today, silver continues to be an important asset in investment portfolios and is still used in various forms of commemorative and investment-grade coins. The historical significance of precious metals as a medium of exchange and store of value remains an important part of the global monetary systems.

Why Silver is Relevant Today

In the world of digital finance, silver stands out because it is a tangible asset. It’s an object that you can own and keep as a store of value, like a savings account. Unlike digital currencies or stocks, silver is something you can hold.

Silver has historically offered protection against inflation. When fiat currencies like the dollar lose value due to economic policies and market fluctuations, precious metals often retain their value. There have been many examples in history where their value has even appreciated. This is because these commodities often have an inverse relationship with other investments.

Compared to gold, silver is much more affordable, making it an accessible investment option for young investors who are starting to build their portfolios.

Diversifying your investment portfolio is a fundamental principle of sound financial planning. Including silver can provide balance and stability, especially during times of high inflation and economic uncertainty.

Beyond its value as an investment, silver’s industrial uses are expanding in the tech and medical industries, potentially driving up its demand and value. For the environmentally conscious, silver offers a sustainable investment. It’s recyclable and plays a crucial role in various green technologies, including solar panels.

How to Get Started with Silver Investing

Start by learning about the history of silver as currency and its current role in the economy involves delving into various educational resources and platforms.

A good place to begin is with books focused on the history of precious metals as money and currency. Most of these well regarded books are available in Kindle and other eReaders, paperback and hardcover:

Stay updated with the current role of silver in the economy by following financial news platforms and blogs that specialize in precious metals. Websites such as Kitco, The Silver Institute and FindBullionPrice.com offer news, analysis, and data on silver markets.

Various online learning platforms offer courses in economics and history, some of which specifically offer courses that cover the use of precious metals as currency.

The CME Group, the company which runs and operates various commodities markets and exchanges include COMEX, offers a free self-guided Introduction to Precious Metals online class that provides an overview of various precious metals, how they are consumed by industry and why they are important investments.

YouTube also offers numerous educational channels where experts and influencers discuss the history and economics of silver. Documentaries and TV programs that focus on economic history or the history of money often cover the role of silver.

Social Platforms such as Reddit, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other specialized online forums have communities devoted to precious metals, such as /r/Silverbugs and /r/Gold. These and other online communities can be valuable for discussions, resource sharing, and advice from experienced investors and enthusiasts.

Silver ETFs and Buying Vaulted Silver

Silver can be purchased in physical form (as bars or coins) or through silver Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). A silver ETF purchases and holds silver or silver-related assets in a trust. The value of an ETF share is thus linked to the price of silver, minus fund expenses and fees.

Investors can buy and sell shares of a silver ETF on a stock exchange, just like individual stocks. This provides a simple way to invest in the silver market without dealing with the challenges of physical silver storage and security while aiming to track the spot price of silver. This means that the ETF’s share price moves in tandem with silver prices in the global market.

Additionally, digital platforms like OneGold.com and Vaulted.com provide investors with a mobile application that enable quick and easy buying of vaulted allocations of physical silver, gold and platinum. These vaulted allocations can be easily redeemed anytime for secure delivery of physical precious metals to your home.

OneGold.com specializes in digital precious metals, allowing customers to buy, sell, and hold digital gold and silver without the need for physical storage. The metals backing digital investments are stored with well-known vaulting services, ensuring the security of the physical metals backing your digital investments.

OneGold.com was founded as a partnership between two of the biggest names in the precious metals industry, APMEX and Sprott Metals. Founded in 2000, APMEX is a leading online retailer of precious metals. Founded by Eric Sprott, a renowned investor in the precious metals sector, Sprott Money is known for providing valuable insights into the precious metals market with articles, reports, and analysis that can help investors make informed decisions. They also offers investors a variety of services including options for precious metals IRAs and other investment accounts.

Vaulted.com is an online mobile web app that allows investors to buy and sell allocated silver and gold. Each client is provided with an advisor who offers a personalized approach to investing in precious metals. Vaulted stores its precious metals in the Royal Canadian Mint, which provides investors with a high level of security and assurance. With Vaulted, you can buy, sell, and even request physical delivery of their precious metals for a small transaction fee for buying and selling and a low annual maintenance fee for storage and insurance.

Buying Silver Online

Buying silver online offers numerous advantages, including convenience, variety, and competitive pricing. As a tangible asset, silver provides security and privacy, similar to real estate, but with greater liquidity.

Online dealers offer a wide range of silver products, from coins and bars to specialty and numismatic items, providing more options than what might be available in your local coin stores. Many online dealers offer products from a variety of international mints that aren’t available locally. With lower overhead costs compared to brick and mortar stores, online dealers can offer lower premiums over the spot price of silver. Several dealers also offer silver at spot price deals catered specifically to new investors that offer a low risk way to start.

Buying online allows you to easily compare prices and products across multiple dealers with many providing a variety of educational materials, market analysis, and investment guides. Most of the trusted and reputable online dealers are have customer reviews and ratings on third-party websites, helping you make an informed decision based on other buyers’ experiences.

Online transactions provide various payment options, including credit cards, bank transfers, and even a large assortment of cryptocurrencies through platforms like Bitpay. Combined with purchases being delivered discreetly and securely to your doorstep, this level of privacy, discretion and convenienceis not be possible with in-person transactions.

FindBullionPrices.com provides comprehensive price comparisons for various physical silver coins, silver bars and silver rounds from a wide range of online dealers and enables investors to quickly find the best available prices. By aggregating prices from dozens of reputable online bullion dealers, FindBullionPrices.com gives investors access to a broad market landscape from a single platform that saves time and effort that would otherwise be spent visiting multiple websites.

PAMP Suisse 10 oz Cast Silver Bar

Our product listings covers a vast array of silver coins, bars, rounds, and even collectible and numismatic items. In addition, we provide access to a broad range of educational materials, analysis and detailed guides on investing in precious metals. These resources help buyers understand market dynamics, investment strategies, and other factors affecting precious metals prices.

The most popular silver investments include a variety of notable silver coins and bars. Top selling 1 oz coins like the American Eagle, the Canadian Maple Leaf and the Krugerrand are a mainstay for investors who prefer government backing or have a specific need such as a Silver IRA.

Private mint 10 oz silver bars offer a combination of low premiums, high liquidity, bulk discounts and unique varieties that are suitable for both long-term holding and short-term trading. Compared to smaller denominations like 1 oz coins or bars, 10 oz silver bars have lower premiums over the spot price of silver allow you to acquire more physical silver for the same money.

Silver has a high market demand and is recognized globally, facilitating easier buying and selling. Silver’s value is universally recognized, with prices updated daily based on global markets, enhancing its liquidity.

Unlike real estate or land, silver can be bought, sold or traded in smaller units, making transactions simpler and quicker. This liquidity, combined with its global recognition and ease of transaction, makes silver, along with other assets like gold and stocks, a preferred choice for beginning investors seeking liquid tangible assets.

Like any investment, the spot price of silver constantly fluctuates. Keeping an eye on the market can help you make informed decisions. The “spot price” of commodities like silver and gold refers to the real-time market price at which they can be bought or sold for immediate delivery. The spot price of silver is influenced by various factors, including supply and demand dynamics, geopolitical events, market speculation, and currency fluctuations. For precious metals like silver, gold, and platinum, the spot price is typically quoted per troy ounce.

For beginning investors, especially Millennials and Gen Z, rethinking silver as a currency and store of value offers a bridge between the past and the future. It’s a way to preserve wealth in a tangible form that has stood the test of time, while also aligning with modern values of sustainability and diversification. In an ever-changing financial landscape, the enduring value of silver can provide both stability and peace of mind.

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New Investor Starter Portfolios, Silver Spot Prices Deals and other deals

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cheap silver bars

Various online bullion dealers provide options for pre-determined portfolios, silver at spot price deals and other offers designed to entice investors with a simple and affordable path to precious metals ownership.

These offers are a popular way for investors that are new to metals to experience buying, owning and perhaps selling precious metals, to gain a better understanding of the precious metals and bullion market.

The price of precious metals can fluctuate based on global economic conditions, demand, and other factors. Beyond the spot price, physical metals often come with premiums, which are additional costs over the metal’s intrinsic value. It’s essential to understand these premiums and shop around to ensure you’re getting a good deal.

There are a variety of reasons that investors should consider precious metals as an investment. Some investors are laser-focused on long-term wealth preservation, using silver as a hedge against inflation, or developing an interest in numismatics and collecting as a hobby. Pragmatic investors do not expect short-term gains from precious metals. Your reasons for buying silver can influence what types of pieces (bullion, coins, or numismatic pieces) you should buy.

Silver at Spot Price Deals

A variety of leading online precious metals dealers offer ongoing and flash sales offering investors the opportunity to buy silver at spot price.

These offers are typically allow investors to buy a silver bar or a set of silver rounds with no dealer premium over the current spot price. They are also a way for dealers to acquire new customers, and for investors, they are an opportunity to pay the lowest possible price for silver.

There are many other low premium silver deals that are close to spot. Some are reduced premiums often to promote a particular premium mint product. The promotions often lower the cost of high premium items by at least few percentage points, which can help maintain a reasonably low dollar-cost average. These offers continue to appear from time to time.

The availability of Silver at Spot Price deals from online bullion dealers changes frequently based on market activity. Be sure to check out our spot price deals page for the latest offers.

Investor Starter Portfolios

Money Metals Exchange

Money Metals Exchange, a leading precious metals dealer, offers a variety of pre-made portfolios that are perfect for investors that are new to owning precious metals.

The most popular, is their 9-piece silver starter kit. This simple portfolio contains two silver bullion coins from leading government mints, in addition to a variety of privately minted silver rounds in both 1 troy ounce and fractional sizes.

This basic portfolio contains 4 troy ounces of pure silver and is an ongoing special offer that new investors take advantage of.

Additionally, Money Metals offers a variety of larger pre-made portfolios that include both gold and silver. The Gold & Silver Starter Portfolio includes 8.575 troy ounces of silver and 1/10 oz gold; with (5) 1 oz Walking Liberty Silver Rounds, $5 Face Value Pre-1965 Dimes and (1) American Eagle 1/10 oz gold coin.

For new investors that are looking to quickly build a significant portfolio, Money Metals offers an larger option that offers a very rapid way to acquire 120 oz of silver that is a mix of government backed, private mint and fractional silver rounds, along with 1.1 troy ounces of gold.

The Gold/Silver Investment Portfolio from Money Metals includes 50 oz private mint 1 oz silver rounds, (50) American Eagle 1 oz Silver Coins, (200) 1/10 oz fractional silver rounds, along with (1) American Eagle 1 oz gold coin, and (1) American Eagle 1/10 oz gold coin.

These starter kits and portfolios include some of the most popular and widely traded bullion products, which means they are liquid and you will be able to instantly sell and command the fairest price when you are ready.

The portfolios include a variety of both full 1 troy ounce size as well as smaller-sized gold and silver bullion that are suitable for barter and trade in a currency crisis.

Investor Crate and other Automatic Buying Services

InvestorCrate is a service that offers a subscription-based model for purchasing precious metals. Investors select a monthly budget, and the company then ships a curated selection of gold, silver, or a mix of precious metals to the subscriber’s doorstep every month.

The company offers different “crates” or packages based on the type of metal. Customers can choose from options that include gold-only crates, silver-only crates or mixed crates that contains both gold and silver at a variety of budgets and price points.

By purchasing a fixed dollar amount of precious metals every month, subscribers effectively use a dollar-cost averaging strategy. This can be beneficial because it reduces the impact of volatility in metal prices over time.

One distinguishing feature that sets InvestorCrate apart from many online precious metals buying services is that they deliver physical metals to the customer. This is in contrast to many other investment platforms where investors might use an app to buy a stake in precious metals, such as buy vaulted silver or gold or ETFs, but don’t physically possess them.

The company also provides educational resources and information about precious metals and investing on their website to assist newcomers in the field and subscribers can adjust their budget or cancel their subscription at any time.

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What is a Silver Certificate?

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The silver certificate was a type of representative money issued by the United States from 1878 to 1964. These certificates were some of the country’s first forms of paper money.

When silver certificates were first issued by the U.S. government in the 19th century, they were redeemable for their face value equivalent in silver dollar coins. Most typically, Morgan Dollar coins early on, then Peace Dollars. Though it is possible to have exchanged the certificates for any combination of silver coins, including dimes, quarters and half dollars as well.

As silver coins were being transitioned from the economy the Treasury stopped providing an exchange in silver coins. Instead, silver certificates were exchanged for raw silver bullion.

In 1968, the U.S. government halted the redemption of silver certificates for silver bullion entirely. While silver certificates are technically still fiat legal tender, most often they are kept as collector’s items or keepsakes, with some having significant numismatic value in certain conditions.

Key Facts About Silver Certificates

  • Silver certificates are a former legal tender paper currency that was issued by the U.S. government beginning in 1878.
  • Each certificate represented the face value amount in silver bullion, enabling individuals to carry and use paper currency for all the same transactions as silver and gold coins.
  • The Treasury Secretary declared that silver certificates would no longer be redeemable for silver dollars in 1964.
  • Silver certificates can still be redeemed for their face value in fiat currency today, however, many have historical and numismatic value beyond the face value.

Understanding Silver Certificates

On the front of each silver certificate, the following phrase was printed: “This certifies that there is on deposit in the Treasury of the United States of America X dollars in silver payable to the bearer on demand.” The ‘X’ represents the denomination of the certificate that ranged from $1 to $1,000.

When silver certificates were first introduced, silver and gold coins were considered to be real money. The value of each coin was based on the amount of silver that it was minted with. Each $1 USD silver coin has a gross weight of 26.73 g, with a silver content of 0.7734 ozt.

This means that for every ten Morgan Dollar coins someone was carrying, the weight of those coins was 8.6 troy ounces, a little more than half a pound. With the introduction of paper money, the same amount of silver value could be carried with just a few folded pieces of paper.

The key characteristic that helped insure that people adopted the use of silver certificates is that they were backed and guaranteed by the US Treasury and could be redeemed at anytime for the equivalent amount of silver coins.

Value of Silver Certificates

With precious metals removed from the economy completely in the early 1970s, modern U.S. currency, including paper bills and coins, is now fiat money with no underlying commodity providing backing.

This includes both Federal Reserve Notes and the no-longer-issued silver certificates, as neither are currently redeemable for a set amount of a silver or gold.

The value of individual silver certificate as numismatic collectibles can vary widely based on their age, condition, rarity, and specific print run, among other factors. Some are particularly valuable, especially specimens in good condition or with certain serial numbers, with many examples of PCGS graded large denomination silver certificates fetching hundreds of dollars.

Silver certificates continue to have strong appeal among silver stackers, currency collectors and those who appreciate the history and nostalgia they represent. They serves as a historical artifact that is a reminder of an era when silver was integrally woven into the fabric of the economy and how changes occur in the currency system regularly.

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Why Many Investors Prefer Silver Over Gold

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Investing in precious metals is a big commitment. The notion of taking a portion of your cash savings buying a physical asset goes against the mainstream narrative.

The Federal Reserve has announced that the FedNow service is NOT a CBDC. Most “conspiracy theorists” are suggesting that the Fed may not be telling the truth. Luckily, a few states like Florida and Texas have efforts to reject any fed issued digital token.

More people want precious metals as a store of value in lieu of cash and deciding which is the best metal to buy can be a laborious choice. Ideally, having a balanced portfolio that is diverse with a portion in both gold and silver, alongside traditional investments, can provide extra assurance to cover many unexpected financial scenarios.

Silver is Cheaper Per Ounce

The most obvious reason many investors prefer to buy silver is the enormous price gap per ounce. The average per ounce premium is often higher on silver as a percentage of the price.

However, just like with the stock markets, the commodities markets also have bull and bear periods where the returns on silver can shine or tarnish.

For example, at the start of the pandemic in 2020, the price per ounce of silver hit a low of $11.77 per ounce. In three years, silver is already trading up more than 100%.

Silver coins and bars

Gold prices have been trading at record highs in recent weeks. Rumors have been circulating for weeks about an upcoming announcement from the BRICS summit in South Africa related to a new gold-backed reserve currency.

Easier to Liquidate

This has some analysts continuing to suggest that gold prices will continue to climb higher as central banks in many emerging economies continue adding gold to their reserves.

A portfolio containing many smaller silver coins, such as Britannias or 1 ounce silver bars is naturally more convenient to sell than larger bars or a full ounce of gold.

Silver stacking is far more popular than most people realize. Many find it to be a convenient and effective way to set aside a little bit of cash each week or month.

As a physical asset, it’s a little more difficult to spend than cash and easy to keep stashed at home is available in a variety of formats that span from naturally fractional junk silver to larger kilogram and 100 ounce silver bars.

There are many options, both locally and online that make selling silver easy when the time comes. Whether it’s for an unexpected emergency repair or to raise some cash for a new venture.

While selling a portion of silver coins is a straightforward process, it’s not as easy or practical to cut a gold bar in half.

Growing Industrial Consumption

Silver is consumed by various industries in considerably greater quantities than other precious metals. Although undeniably an excellent store of value, silver is also one of the best conductors of electricity and is used everything from iPhones and other consumer devices to solar panels and EV batteries. According to statistics released since was used in smartphone manufacturing.

The largest growth in consumption industrial consumption continues to be driven by globalist climate change and green energy initiatives. Global statistics on solar panel manufacturing shows consistent year over year growth likely to continue based on the 2030 narratives.

Renewable energies represents an area where many see potential for continued increases in consumption. Compared to other metals, silver is relatively scarce in nature. There are very few naturally occurring silver ore deposits.

Most raw silver is mined as a by-product of other metals such as lead, copper and gold, which makes the mining of these other metals relatively more important.

Medical Applications

Silver plays a huge role in medical technology and with natural antibiotic properties. The invention of x-rays, MRI and other medical imaging technologies would not have been possible without silver.

Silver bromide is a chemical compound that is sensitive to light and plays a key role in X-Ray and photographic films.

Silver plays many hidden crucial roles in countless ways throughout our everyday lives. Around half of all silver mined annually is consumed during the production of over 3000 various technologies including integrated circuits, medical radiology equipment, water purification, photographic imaging and even explosives.

Silver is Undervalued

The gold-silver ratio is a great way of keeping track of silver’s fluctuations and its current value relative to gold. It demonstrates the relationship between their respective values and can be a way investors spot potential opportunities.

Over the long-term, the price of silver has steadily increased relative to the dollar due mainly to inflation.

Recent CPI data indicates that inflation continues to rise at a steady rate while the data used by the Fed in decision making lags behind the reality that consumers face each day.

Most countries fill their reserve vaults with gold, there are a few countries holding significant silver stockpiles such as Peru, Mexico and China.

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Texas Committee Passes Bill To Create 100% Gold And Silver-Backed Transactional Currencies

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Legislators in Texas are leading the charge against the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on fiat money by offering an option for people to conduct business in sound money. The principal idea reverses Gresham’s Law, where good money drives bad money out of circulation and the people can choose to decline to accept less valuable fiat money from the Fed.

The bill has the bipartisan support of 42 sponsors to create a viable gold-backed alternative to a central bank digital currency (CBDC) already in development by the Federal Reserve. 

If the bill becomes law, it would require the state comptroller to establish and provide for :

  • The issuance of gold and silver specie – A specie is a physical coin or token, typically made from a precious metal that is suitable for or customarily used as currency.
  • Require the comptroller to authorize the Texas Bullion Depository as issuer of the specie as legal tender in payment of debt and readily transfer the specie to another person
  • A mechanism to use 100% backed gold and silver digital currencies in everyday transactions
    • Use the digital currency as legal tender in payment of debt.
    • By electronic means readily transfer or assign the digital currency to another person.

Physical gold and silver backing the digital currency would be stored in a pooled account at the Texas State Bullion Depository.

Federal lawmakers from Texas are also leading the charge against the Federal Reserve issuing a consumer CBDC. In March, Senator Ted Cruz introduced legislation specifically aimed at preventing the Fed from establishing a central bank digital currency.

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One Hundred Ounce Silver Bars

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Precious metals have long been trusted by investors as store of value and wealth.  When looking for the most cost effective way to buy silver. For many stackers, 100 ounce bars are one of the most cost effective ways for investors hold physical silver.

These bars often have the lowest premium per ounce over spot price and are a great way to bring peace of mind during times of economic and political restlessness. A variety of both private and sovereign mint 100 oz silver bars are in stock and ready to ship from many online bullion dealers.

Comparing the features, dealer premiums and shipping costs of the many available options is one of the ways to find the best deal on what fits your needs.

100 oz Silver Bars 

Serious precious metals stackers choose 100 oz bars because they will often have the lowest dealer premium per ounce. This makes them ideal for adding weight to your silver portfolio when stacking silver.

Some leading private mint one hundred ounce silver bars include those manufactured by Asahi Refining, Scottsdale Minting, Royal Canadiam Mint, Valcambi, Germania and others. Some designs and manufacturers may offer some rarity and collectability which could have an impact on premiums down the road.

A 100 ounce silver bar is an investment vehicle that can be utilized to stack your wealth at home while taking up only a relatively small storage space.

Each mint works within the conditions of their affiliation organizations certifications, such as LBMA, to ensure that these silver bars adhere to the outlined specifications. There is no standard size for a silver bar of this weight class and the dimensions will vary between manufacturers.

However, each 100 ounce silver bar contains almost 7 pounds of silver!

Secondary market 100 oz Silver bars are circulated. Which means that they were at some point sold back to a bullion dealer, pawn shop, local coin store or other exchange. Secondary market precious metals, sometimes refered to as “Dealer’s Choice”, typically have lower premiums than when they were newly minted and make an ideal choice as a store of wealth.

All hundred ounce silver bars are stamped with their weight and purity and include the manufacturers hallmark.

Industrial Demand for Silver

Precious metals and other commodities are always in demand by many industries. They play a significant role as components in many of the things that are part of our everyday lives.

Silver is one of the most efficient conductors of electricity. Many everyday electronic devices, such as cell phones, computers, solar panels and electric vehicles are all made various amounts of silver embedded in the circuitry. There is roughly 1/3 of a gram of silver (0.34g) inside the average iPhone.

While each device only has a small amount, considering that Apple has sold over 1.5 billion devices since 2007. When added up, that’s 510,000,000 grams or 16,396,881 troy ounces of silver.

In perspective, iPhone manufacturing alone has consumed more than 464,843 kilos of silver.

Already, more than 5.3 billion discarded smartphones that have been piling up in landfills as e-waste. With at least another 151 million being thrown away each year. The majority of that silver will likely never be recovered and is likely gone forever.

Today, advanced wound dressings and ointments are compounded with elemental silver and silver ions. The anti-bacterial properties have been used to treat severe burns and other skin ailments for more than 6,000 years.

Silver also plays a prominent role in medical imaging, x-rays and other radiographic imaging.

According to Statista, the jewelry industry consumed more than 202 million troy ounces worldwide in 2022 alone, more than 6,250 tons.

Generic 100 oz Silver Bars

The price of silver is driven by the spot futures markets. Those markets are where brokers for various industries buy silver with the expectation that it will be mined, refined and delivered by a specific future date.

Many modern industries are responsible for consumption of silver that will never be recovered or recycled. This will compound and effect the rarity and availability of silver and drive prices up over time.

Value investors look to the secondary market when searching for the lowest premiums on 100 oz silver bars. These are typically generic, private mint bars that have been bought and sold multiple times after being bought when they were freshly minted. Signs of wear, tear and patina can be indicative of its age and it’s common that most of these bars will have some dings, dents and scratches.

Some investors looking to preserve spending power consider generic 100 oz silver bars to be the perfect investment item. It’s often used as a hedge against high inflation because they maintain their intrinsic value.

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Saudi Arabia Taking Active Steps to End Petrodollar Dominance

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Saudi Arabia is showing the world that it is taking active steps to end the dollar’s hegemony across the global economy through a multitude of political and diplomatic moves and financial investments.

Saudi Aramco, officially the Saudi Arabian Oil Group or simply referred to as Aramco, has announced the investment of more than $10 billion dollars to finance the construction of a new refinery and petrochemical complex. The construction is expected to take three years and when finished it will have the capacity to produce 300,000 barrels of oil per day.

The world’s largest oil exporting country has also opened dialog about joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional trade and security organization dominated by Russia and China.

In recent months, many more countries have expressed interest in joining the BRICS trade organization, which largely represents the global south in an effort to provide open trade and financial empowerment to developing nations.

CNBC reports that much of the rush to dump the dollar is largely seen as repercussions of the weaponization of the dollar to suit the foreign policy whims of the Biden administration, citing the financial sanctions imposed by the G7 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the decades of financial hardship placed on the people of Venezuela.

Central Banks continue to diversifying assets and dumping Treasury bonds and other dollar based assets in favor of commodities and growing currencies like the yuan. Globally, goods and services sold in dollars are going to get more expensive as the yuan and BRICS agreement picks up steam.

As the impact of the ongoing banking crisis begins to be felt at home, many Americans are shifting their priorities to protect their financial assets. This means we will continue to see a rapid shift of excess dollars into hard assets like gold, silver, land, ammunition and firearms and food in the coming months as more people prepare for further economic hardship.

COMEX silver and gold inventories are dropping as insiders ramp up the draining of physical precious metals from the vaults.

Some market analysts are predicting inflationary conditions to get worse as devaluing of fiat dollars accelerates following the Saudi decision to begin selling oil in other currencies. This is likely to lead to a ripple effect that will cascade to many other countries that rely on the dollar for settlement of global trade.

Last October, CEO of JP Morgan Chase Jamie Dimon, the nation’s largest bank, warned investors that the country is heading into a recession this year that will be far worse than any in recent memory.

In December, he reiterated his warning, adding that the main risks to the economy may come from abroad, citing threats to the fracturing supply chain, high inflation, rising prices of commodities and the ongoing proxy war with Russia.

Last year, numerous executives and precious metals traders were convicted from JP Morgan Chase, Deutsche Bank and other large institutions in a long-term, ongoing price manipulation scheme that was intended to trick the markets and investors into wrongly believing that price movements in the metals markets were organic.

JP Morgan Chase, often cited as to be too big to fail, is reportedly holding massive gold derivative short positions that are potentially greater than the bank’s total assets. If the price of gold continues to rise, JPM may be forced into a situation in which they will need additional leverage to cover the shorts.

Price manipulation, corruption and unfair representation in the LBMA and other G7 controlled commodities market were just some of the many grievances voiced by Russia last year during the announcement of the Moscow World Standard.

Casual investors are beginning to see that one of the best ways to protect their long-term financial assets from the Federal Reserve imposing a consumer CBDC is to diversify their cash holdings and other liquid assets into silver and gold bullion.

Mainstream media has been reporting on the rapid dollarization occurring with varying attempts to denounce genuine fears as a conspiracy theory.

The Chinese Renminbi or yuan is the currency that would benefit most from removing the dollar as the reserve currency.

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Largest Silver Nuggets Ever Discovered

FindBullionPrices.com

Large gold nuggets have been discovered all over the world. However, large silver nuggets are much less common and are rarely discovered. Argentum ore deposits are often found mixed with other metals such as gold, copper and lead. Pure silver deposits in nature are very uncommon.

Smugglers Mine, Aspen, Colorado

Silver was discovered in the Smugglers area shortly after Colorado became a state in the 1870s.

The largest documented silver nugget was discovered in Aspen in 1894. It weighed 1,840 pounds, roughly 834 kilograms and assayed as 96% pure silver.

The year prior to the discovery was one of the worst financial crisis in American history, the Panic of 1893, which had driven precious metals prices to record lows. Historical records from the St Louis Federal Reserve show that the average silver spot price in 1894 was $0.64 per troy ounce which would make the nugget worth roughly $17,160 to the mining company. Before it was melted down, a 12.5 pound section of it was removed and is currently on display at the Denver Museum.

During its years of operation, an extensive system of tunnels was dug by miners that extends more than 1,000 feet underground and below the city. During the height of mining activity the mine was responsible for nearly 20% of the world’s total silver output.

Silvery Slocan 125 ton Galena Boulder

The Kootenay region is is known today for snowy peaks, hot springs, Arrow Lakes, and the headwaters of the Columbia River. In the 1880s, rail lines were extended north and this the part of the Rocky Mountains was the site of one of the largest silver rushes in North America.

During this time, men unearthed a boulder containing 125 tons of galena, which is a naturally occurring alloy of lead, sulfur and silver. Although the percentage of silver in galena is small at just .05%, the sheer size of this boulder yielded 6,250 kilos of pure silver.

The largest silver mine in the world today is the Polkowice-Sieroszowice mine in Poland. In 2018, the mine produced 196,000 tonnes of copper and over 428 tonnes of silver.

“Big Boy” Nugget – 417.8 pounds – Miami, AZ

In 2018, three gigantic silver boulders were discovered in Arizona, along with an assortment of large silver nugget specimens. The largest of the silver nuggets weighing 417 pounds was found in an arroyo. It is believed that at one time these large boulders broken free from a vein outcropping a short distance away.