Silver has been a hot topic since its run-up over the course of the last year. At nearly $18 an ounce, the shiny metal has captured the attention of investors and collectors alike. And one of the best ways to add silver to your portfolio is investing in silver coins, a strategy that offers an additional layer of protection due to the collectible value of coins.
Many Ways to Invest
The most fundamental way to invest in physical silver and other precious metals is buying bullion, the metal in its raw form. Other forms include modern silver coins made as collectibles and rare silver coins prized by collectors.
Silver Bullion
Silver bullion is offered in many forms, coins and bars among the most common.
Silver bullion coins (often called rounds to distinguish them from currency) are issued by both government and private mints. They may simply state the amount and purity of the coin or they may carry special designs that add to their collectability. Other coins, known as junk silver, are former circulating coins, usually with heavy wear, that are bought strictly for their bullion value.
Bullion bars range in size from a few grams to several pounds and are issued by private smelters and mints.
Silver Coins
Silver has been a principal metal for coining for centuries. Serious collectors search out rare coins, focusing on those least common and in the best condition. The top coins are usually sold at auction and can bring prices in the millions. Those coins have numismatic value, the premium paid by collectors based on several factors including rarity, condition, and the collector’s personal goals.
Commemorative coins are issued by government and private mints to memorialize special events, persons, and places. Often made as special issues and proof sets, they are also issued in pure silver or gold, such as the US Mint’s 2019 America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set™. The Royal Canadian Mint is another producer of collectable bullion coins like the Silver Mint Wolf coin that’s part of the mint’s special predators collection.
Collectible Coins Add Value
While precious metals have intrinsic bullion value, coins, medals, and tokens of silver and gold add additional value based on their collectability. Bullion prices can fluctuate, but the collectable value of coins tends to grow over time, largely independent of their bullion value. This makes buying precious metals in the form of coins a nice way to get extra bang for your buck.
The Great American Coin Company® is pleased to offer both silver bullion and silver coins to add beauty and value to any collection. They make great gifts, too. They’re just some of the many items of collectable currency from around the world that we carry, along with U.S. coins and paper money, that make welcome additions to any collector’s or investor’s portfolio.
