Investors have started to buy silver bullion to hedge against inflation and protect their wealth during economic downturns. Buying silver bullion is one of the most effective ways to diversify your investment portfolio. For many savvy investors, silver bullion continues to be the precious metal of choice.
Silver bullion comes in a variety of shapes, weights, brands and designs. Silver bullion is most commonly bought in the form of rounds or bars. Silver bullion in the form of bars and rounds are sold strictly for their precious metals content. They are priced based on their weight in troy ounces relative to the spot price of silver.
Silver bars and rounds are minted both private mints and sovereign government mints around the world. The most commonly bought silver bullion products range in size from 1 oz up to 1 kilo. There is a wide variety of silver bullion products available for investors with a wide range of budgets.
While there are services that allow you to purchase silver bullion and store it in their vaults, the majority of investors and stackers prefer to take delivery of precious metals. Most stick to the common catch phrase of “If you don’t hold it, you don’t own it”.
What type of Silver Bullion is for sale?
Government Bullion
Silver bullion can be bought in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and weights. In the United States, the most commonly purchased and widely recognized is the American Silver Eagle coin. American Silver Eagles are the official silver bullion coin of the United States and is minted by the US Mint.
Other popular silver bullion coins that are produced by sovereign governments include:
- the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf which is minted by the Royal Canadian Mint
- the Mexican Libertad which is minted by La Casa de Moneda de México, the Mexican Mint
- the Australian Kangaroo, minted by the Perth Mint
- the Britannia of Great Britain, minted by the Royal Mint
- the Austrian Philharmonic, minted by the Vienna Mint
Silver Bullion coins that are minted by sovereign governments are sold at a greater premium over silver spot price than privately minted or generic bullion. This is because government backed bullion is guaranteed for it’s purity by the mint and is widely recognized by investors.
Private Mint Bullion
Silver bars and rounds are minted by private mints around the world. Investors buy silver bullion products from private mints for their silver weight.
Silver Bars and rounds are most commonly produced in 1 oz weight denominations. It is also common to find silver bars that weigh 5 ounces, 10 ounces, kilo and 100 ounce sizes. The most common cast silver bars will be stamped with the manufacturer, the weight of the bar, and the purity or fineness of the silver (usually .999).
The premiums on silver rounds and bars are usually closer to spot price than government bullion.
