Non-US silver coinage for bullion purposes

Cladiator

Hey all,

What are the most common non-US silver coins you've seen or heard of being stored for bullion purposes?

jmski52

I would say that Silver Maples are the most commonly held non-US bullion silver coin, and Austrian Philharmonics might be a contender in terms of lowest premiums.

Cladiator

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I don't mean actual silver bullion coins. I mean circulating coinage that is now held solely for it's silver content. Like US 90% silver coinage.

cars

I say canadian coinage & panama balboa's I think the balboa's are actually struck on US coin planchets.

Weiss

Interesting question. Kinda hand in hand with my question from earlier about whether people in other countries hoard/collect/store their country's pre-cupro silver the same way we do.

Certainly Canadian coins. You can buy rolls of Canadian quarters and dimes on eBay pretty easily.
I've also seen a fair amount of Mexican.

I don't believe there are many European equivalents, though. JohnTheJute posted some interesting insight about that:

http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=42&threadid=727417&highlight_key=y&keyword1=canadian

1jester

Second Republic (between WWI and WWII) Polish silver coinage. Its 75% silver, but that's really no worse than 90% if you're collecting it for silver content.

Weiss

My father in law has a bunch of Peruvian Dineros from around the turn of the century. I suspect they were and are still hoarded similarly to our own 90% coinage. I like how they indicate their content on the coin.

"These coins were made of 90 percent silver, each containing .0723 of an ounce of the metal."

BBQnBLUES

<< <i>My father in law has a bunch of Peruvian Dineros from around the turn of the century. I suspect they were and are still hoarded similarly to our own 90% coinage. I like how they indicate their content on the coin.

"These coins were made of 90 percent silver, each containing .0723 of an ounce of the metal."




>>


OMG ! Those are too pretty to Melt !

secondrepublic

<< <i>Second Republic (between WWI and WWII) Polish silver coinage. Its 75% silver, but that's really no worse than 90% if you're collecting it for silver content. >>



There are definitely some hoards of that back in the "old country"

Lancastercoin

Not surprisingly, many folks in other countries store their own country's old silver. Here in the US I've seen hoardlets of Canada and Mexico (of course), Brit, and Australian. I like old silver 100 yen coins myself and am slowly accumulating a hoard. I used to have a hoard of Sun Yat Sen and "Fat Man" Chinese dollars that I bought piecewise at melt, but since any dog brings $20 and MS63's bring $80 they aren't exactly a bullion thing anymore. At the Honolulu show once I bought a tied-up handkerchief full of Chinese silver from an old man who brought it with him from Vietnam.

OPA

1951 - 1974 German circulating 5DM coins have .2250 ASW ( they are about the size of our 1/2 $ ) are readily available at slightly above spot. .6250 silver contents. However, some are quite rare and demand a lofty premium

1jester

<< <i>

<< <i>Second Republic (between WWI and WWII) Polish silver coinage. Its 75% silver, but that's really no worse than 90% if you're collecting it for silver content. >>



There are definitely some hoards of that back in the "old country" >>



Some minor hoardlets of no consequence do indeed exist!

CoinHusker

Very interesting thread. Thanks for posting.

Weiss

<< <i>

Some minor hoardlets of no consequence do indeed exist!


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Those Jadwiga pieces are in my 'umble opinion some of the most beautiful coins ever made, by any country, in any period. Very cool hoard!!

secondrepublic

<< <i>

Some minor hoardlets of no consequence do indeed exist! >>



I love it !

mhammerman

Very nice to look at silver coin hoardlet.

jmski52

I might have assumed that other folks hoarded their own country's old silver, but it's cool to actually see it. Great minds think alike!

samingeorgia

At what point in time did Canada and Mexico switch from silver to base metal or clad like the US? Was this in 1964 also?

1jester

Thanks for all the compliments, guys!

Weiss, I didn't use to think much of the Jadwiga design, but they've grown on me and I really do appreciate the style and elegance of their art deco design. While all 2nd Republic coinage is very scarce and costly in uncirculated, it's quite reasonable in circulated grades.

Ski, I have no Polish blood, but my sons do!

John, I knew you would! LOL

Norseman88

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>Second Republic (between WWI and WWII) Polish silver coinage. Its 75% silver, but that's really no worse than 90% if you're collecting it for silver content. >>



There are definitely some hoards of that back in the "old country" >>



Some minor hoardlets of no consequence do indeed exist!





>>



That's a neat hoard of old silver coins!!

ajaan

<< <i>At what point in time did Canada and Mexico switch from silver to base metal or clad like the US? Was this in 1964 also? >>


Canada did half way through 1968.

Weiss

Hadn't seen these before, and they appear to be spot on for this discussion. From Apmex's website (foreign silver coins)
In addition to various Canadian and Mexican lots, they offer these and a few other lots:

1) Germany 1951-1979 5 Marks Silver Mostly XF or Better
.2250 ASW. These are the last general circulation and commemorative silver 5 mark coins of Germany.


2) Great Britain 1920-1936 Silver Florins of George V
Only $1.99 over melt!These average circulated or better florins of King George V each contain .1818 of an ounce of silver. Dates of our choice.

3) Peru 1864-1916 Sol Silver Average Circulated
Theses beautiful coin, rich in symbolism, contain .7234 of an ounce of silver. These coins are average circulated coins.

COINB0Y

.LIBERTADS .999 1 OZ PURE SILVER UNA ONZA MEXICAN

1jester

Update: I found a bag of these coins hiding in my closet. Funny, I thought I should have had more but guess I forgot about that bag...alzheimers I guess. Incidentally, these are getting harder to find and competition is becoming quite stiff, with prices 2-4 times melt.