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Different forms of silver

I've liked gold and silver for a long time now, and it feels even better since the people who used to think I was nuts, now want it.
Over the years I've picked silver up in a number of different forms; bullion bars, 1oz rounds and flats, .999 bullion coins, 90% coins, and sterling.

Some sterling has been passed down from family. So far I've felt silver is silver, so at the right price, it's mine.
Sterling purity is higher than 90% coins, and can be purchased cheaper, particularly at yard sales where 1 to 20 oz can be picked up for 50 cents to a couple bucks. It can be found where people are happy to get 50 cents to a couple bucks for that black piece of junk. To say it was a steal is close to accurate.

Most are happy to have gold in any form, even if it's a nice shiny rock, but show them what looks like a shiny or black rock. If it has a flat surface they'll throw it over water to see how many times they can get it to skip.
On top of that, there are no premiums so it seems to have the biggest bang for the buck.

So other than sterling being the most difficult form to store, why is it the least desired?
Is it another in the eye of the beholder? Or do I have it wrong?
Remember, I'm pullen for ya; we're all in this together.---Red Green---

Comments

  • CladiatorCladiator Posts: 18,038 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I like Sterling. Enough so that I have some of it in my bullion savings...

    image
  • cladkingcladking Posts: 28,631 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Silver's silver.

    Generally it's probably best to pay the lowest premium if you're buying
    it for the long term except avoid scrap and anything of questionable fine-
    ness. Also avoid anything under about 600 fine and this goes double if
    you aren't familiar with it.

    My favorite way to get silver (other than yard sales) is in world coins. This
    especially applies to unc and proof coins. Some of this stuff is near priceless
    but it goes begging and can be found at less than melt. I'm not talking
    about a Bahama proof set as maybe North African silver coin.

    Anything odd is usually cheap and more desirable than a bag of VG walkers.
    Tempus fugit.
  • secondrepublicsecondrepublic Posts: 2,619 ✭✭✭
    I think the silver flatware play is a very smart move. The key is that you're getting it at a big discount to spot - you've already made a profit the moment you bought it. Anything after that is gravy.
    "Men who had never shown any ability to make or increase fortunes for themselves abounded in brilliant plans for creating and increasing wealth for the country at large." Fiat Money Inflation in France, Andrew Dickson White (1912)
  • A couple years ago I bought three sterling silver spoons and one sterling silver fork for a grand total of one dollar!
    The interesting thing is that the three spoons had engraving on them with one a picture of the old Ada, MN. high school and two of the Ada, Mn. courthouse.
    The fork had the year 1909 after the word sterling, as for the high school and courthouse I'll have to do more research but I'm pretty sure the courthouse was built in the late 1800's while the school was probably built in the 1920's.image
  • Forgot to add that this was at a rummage / moving sale. Just found out the courthouse was built in 1904.
  • Cladiator, if you ever have a yard sale, would you give me a call?image
    Remember, I'm pullen for ya; we're all in this together.---Red Green---
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