How to Buy Silver Coins
All wealth investors and coin collectors know that silver coins are among the best assets in the precious metals market.
Owning some fine silver offers many advantages one cannot get with other, intangible investments. Out of all forms of silver bullion, coins are the most liquid and desired.
After reading this guide, you will be well ahead of other silver coin investors. You'll learn answers to some of the common questions such as: How to buy silver coins, which are the best silver coins you should buy, and more.
Reasons to Buy Silver Coins
So, why are silver coins the best bullion for investors?
Advantages you gain by buying silver coins are numerous, and here are some of them:
- Durable. Silver coins are assets that can't be destroyed by fire, water, or any other accidents. What is more, they don't require any special maintenance!
- Portable. Just think about it - you are holding potentially thousands of dollars in the palm of your hand. Plus, they are easy to store.
- Highly liquid. You can sell silver coins anywhere in the world, and there are plenty of silver bullion dealers and collectors. Gold bullion, for instance, might be of higher value, but it's also less liquid. Thus, it will take longer to sell than silver bullion coins.
- High demand. Silver has been in great demand for a long time, and it will only continue to grow due to its many uses in industry, tech, and medicine.
- IRA-eligible. Silver coins are approved as bullion products that can be purchased for your Individual Retirement Account. Note that not all silver coins are IRA-eligible, but most of the coins that are featured on our website are.
Silver Coins Vs. Other Forms of Bullion
While all forms of silver bullion have significant value, silver coins rank highest.
Some investors might prefer silver bars because they tend to be cheaper and contain more silver, but coins offer attractive designs, historical value, and particular numismatic value.
Thus, plain silver bars are good for converting to cash, but silver coins are a true collector's piece.
Another convenient thing is that you will have an easier time selling silver 1-ounce silver coins one at the time. More often than not, you'll have a hard time finding a buyer for some silver bars or silver rounds that weigh a lot more.
Buying Silver Coins
Now that we've established why silver bullion coins might be a better option than silver rounds or silver bars, let's see what you should be aware of.
The first thing precious metals investors have to track all the time is the spot price of silver. This means observing finance websites with stock tickers and the daily price of silver.
At Pacific Precious Metals, we update the silver's spot price along with the price of our silver coins regularly so that you can see it in real-time.
Silver is fairly easy to buy compared to gold, but prices vary greatly with sellers, so you should avoid rip-offs and retailers who do not disclose all the fees right up front.
Where to Buy Silver Coins?
Some bullion sellers may try to convince you to buy coins from them, claiming they are the only authorized dealers.
This argument is just sales tactics - there are many silver coin dealers who won't try to talk you into higher prices than you should pay.
It goes without saying you ought to make sure that you are doing business with a reputable dealer that can guarantee coins' purity, weight, and size.
Pacific Precious Metals has a collection of coins from the most reputable world mints, and we 100% guarantee their authenticity. We are strongly against any counterfeiting practices and take all precautions and safety measures.
Buying silver coins from our web store is quite simple:
- First, browse silver coin products on our retail website, and select those you want to buy by weight, quantity, and price that is regularly updated.
- We offer different payment methods - checks, wire transfers, cards- so you can choose the one that is the most cost-effective for you. Your transaction is completely encrypted and secure with the Authorize.Net processing.
- Our customer service is available for any questions you may have during the purchase of silver bullion items from our website.
- The delivery time is up to seven business days, and you will receive your silver bullion coins via fully insured shipping. Our tip is to keep your silver bullion coins in their packaging to avoid scratches and store them in a safe whenever you can.
You can purchase silver coins from one of our stores located in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well. Our team of experts will wholeheartedly welcome you and make sure you feel respected and safe throughout the process!
Can You Buy Silver Coins from a Bank?
In short - the answer depends on where you live.
Some banks in Europe and Asia offer silver coins to retail customers. To learn whether you can get silver coins from a bank, you need to perform an individual check by giving them a call or going there in person.
However, it isn't possible to buy silver bullion directly from a bank in the United States.
Even when a bank does sell silver coins, there are some disadvantages to buying them from a bank.
Namely, when buying silver bullion coins from the bank, you will pay a whole lot more than you should. To avoid the risk of being overcharged, it's best to go with an authorized distributor of silver coins.
If you live somewhere where there aren't reliable silver bullion dealers, it's a good thing that there are many online authorized sellers of silver coins.
What is the Best Silver Coin to Buy?
Silver coin buyers must consider the ease with which they can liquidate the bullion coin as a significant part of the buying process.
There's no going around the fact that there are a lot of silver bullion coins on the market, which can make you feel a bit overwhelmed when you're trying to build your silver portfolio.
Thus, it's of paramount importance to know which coins are liquid and most desired in investors' collections.
We've decided to single out the five best silver coins to buy, based on our considerable experience and precious metals market analyses.
Most Popular Silver Coins to Buy
The following six are the most popular sovereign silver coins in the world:
American Coins Silver Eagle
American Silver Eagles are the most recognizable silver coins from the United States Mint.
What makes the American Silver Eagle so unique is its rich history. First, this is the first American Silver coin that has been produced in 1986, and not a single other silver coin has reached such popularity.
Its striking design of Lady Liberty walking toward the setting sun on the horizon on the obverse and heraldic eagle on the reverse, used on the Great Seal of the United States, celebrates the nation.
The United States Government guarantees the weight of 1 oz, purity of .999, and fine silver content.
The limited quantity of the coins grants them some additional value, so various versions of the American Silver Eagle can be traded for as much as $7 over the spot price of silver.
Canadian Coins Silver Maple Leaf
Canadian Silver Maple Leaf lands squarely in the second place of the most valued silver coins globally.
It's also one of the most eye-pleasing ones, with the premium Maple Leaf design that adorns many coins issued by the Canadian Mint.
Some claim that its a bit less popular than the Silver Eagle, but the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coin is one of the rare silver coins that can pride itself on the purity of .9999. This means it contains one troy ounce of 99.99% fine silver, making it a worthy investment.
We also sing praises to its beautiful design with the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse, and Maple Leaf, the national symbol of Canada, on the reverse.
Some issues that have low mintage numbers, like the 2008 edition of the coin, tend to sell for $3 over the spot, and on average, it's around $2.50.
To give you an idea of the oscillating mintage numbers, here's an example: in 1988, when the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf was first produced, it had a mintage of approximately 1.1 million coins. As a contrast, in 1992, there were just about 343,800 coins issued.
British Coins Silver Britannia
Guaranteed by the Royal UK Mint, the Silver Britannia Coin has a face value of £2 and is a popular choice amongst investors.
The silver version of the coin was first issued in 1997, with the famous design of Britannia, a personification of the United Kingdom.
Until 2012, this coin had a fineness of 958 (in other words, 95.8% of silver), and since 2013, it has been produced with a fineness of .999.
Thus, more recent versions of Britannia coins are better for investment, and they can be sold well over the spot price.
An interesting anecdote with these coins is that the obverse of around 17 thousand coins in 2014 was struck by mistake with the Lunar Year of the Horse coins' obverse. These have been nicknamed the "Mule Britannia" and have some considerable numismatic value.
Australian Perth Mint Silver Koala
Produced at the Australian Perth Mint, the Silver Koala coin is another great choice to get.
Its value lies in the fact that each year the design of the koala on the obverse changes, so each edition of the coin is unique in its own way.
Oftentimes, people collect different versions of a charming koala depicted hanging onto a tree branch for their treasured Silver Koala portfolio.
Our favorites include the 2011 coin with a mother koala and her adorable joey, as well as the 2014 one with a distinctive close-up of the marsupial's face.
The reverse hasn't been changed from 2015, and it features the right-profile of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Jody Clark.
Other than that, each coin is minted with .999 pure silver content. While the 1 oz version with the face value of AU$1 is the standard, there are also four other sizes: 1/2, 1/10, 10 oz, and 1 kilo.
This coin is part of a bigger series by the Australian Perth Mint, known as the "Wildlife series." Each coin from this program depicts a native Australian fauna representative - including the kangaroo, kookaburra, wedge-tail eagle, and more.
Silver Krugerrand
Anybody who knows at least the basics about bullion coins has heard about the South African Krugerrand coin.
While the Gold Krugerrand is unrivaled in its popularity, in 2017, which was the 50th anniversary of the mintage, the Rand Refinery began producing silver versions of the coin.
At first, the coin was meant to be just a premium special edition, but due to its popularity, it became a regular part of the annual issues of the South African Mint.
Both the reverse and the obverse side of the coin have the same design as the gold version - Paul Kruger, a leading figure in the South African Republic's independence, on the front, and the Springbok antelope on the back.
Austrian Silver Vienna Philharmonic
If there's one silver coin that threatens to take the Maple Leaf off the throne for its remarkable design, it's the Austrian Silver Philharmonic coin.
The design has a significant cultural value, with a pipe organ instrument and Golden Hall, the most famous concert hall in Vienna, where the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra plays. You might know it as a hall where the Austrian annual New Year's Day concert is held.
The reverse design depicts selected musical instruments from the Orchestra - the harp, cello, flute, bassoon, violin, and French horn.
Another rare feature that you get with this coin is a euro denomination, with its legal tender of €1.5.
Produced annually by the Austrian Mint since 2008, the Silver Vienna Philharmonic has very large mintage quantities that attest to its popularity. For instance, in 2011, there were as many as over 17 million struck coins!
Nowadays, these coins usually trade for $2-3 over the spot.
Government Mint Vs. Private Mint
Government mints produce silver bullion coins each year. These coins are also labeled "sovereign coins," meaning they are guaranteed and backed by a particular government.
These coins also come with a legal tender face value (apart from the South African Krugerrand). Of course, the face value printed on the coin is nothing compared to its silver content, but that's the official monetary value that they carry.
Therefore, mint coins are recognizable all over the world, can always be sold, and will have millions of potentially interested customers.
Private mints also produce silver coins that are known as silver rounds. Unlike the sovereign bullion coins, these do not come with a face value.
Generally, the popularity of silver rounds is much lower than the bullion, but there are some rare numismatic instances that may be very interesting to the collectors.
Their value isn't actually based on the silver content, but rather on their rarity, condition, etc.
Order Silver Coins Today
Now that you're familiar with all the do's and don'ts of buying silver coins, including how and where to buy them, you are on your way to owning one of the longest-living assets on the market.
If you're interested in other silver bullion forms, check out our silver bars and silver rounds before you go.
If you want to check them first-hand, visit our stores in the San Francisco Bay area - Sausalito, Fremont, Palo Alto and Walnut Creek.
One thing's for certain: silver bullion coins' benefits are far beyond the fact that the spot price of the silver can rise. As we like to say, the silver price fluctuates - but its value is timeless.
Pacific Precious Metals offers a variety of silver coins that you can get both online and in-person
If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, don't hesitate to visit us and get the best offer today!
Have a question or concern about buying gold bullion?
Get a free consultation with an expert - call 415-383-7411
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