Sign up today

 for your Free Silver Investment Guide and benefit from its one of a kind perspective on silver investing.

Your Name (required)

Your Email (required)

Address (required)

Address2

City (required)

State (required)

Zip (required)

Phone

Comments

What is the 3rd number in the list five, thirty one and 14? 

Silver Bullion Bars and Coins

What to Know About Silver Bullion

Silver bullion is one of the more widely-traded forms of precious metal on the futures market, and it is a great option for silver investors to consider. Bullion is the term used to describe precious metals in bulk, and it can be circulated in different forms. Most commonly, silver bullion bars are made by private companies, and silver coins are minted by nations. Differing from traditional currency, such coins are not regularly exchanged for services or store goods. The worth of a bullion coin is determined by its weight, mass, and purity, and serves to represent an investment or store of value.

A number of nations have minted bullions coins, including the American Eagle Coin of the United States, the Canadian Maple Leaf of Canada, and the Philharmoniker of Austria. While most of these coins will come in gold or silver bullion variety, the Krugerrand of South Africa, as well as the Vreneli of Switzerland, are only minted in gold.

Silver Bullion Bars: Preferred Avenue for Investment

Concerning silver bullion ingots: These may be produced in varieties that weigh as much as 60 or more pounds; however, the most commonly-traded silver bullion bars will weigh 10, 100 or 1,000 ounces. The 100 ounce bar is particularly popular on the market, because it weighs less than seven pounds and is almost completely pure. Convenient size and weight makes silver bullion bars an excellent option for silver investment. 1,000 ounce bars are considered most appropriate for IRA investments.

There are several different manufacturers of silver bullion bars in the United States; however, the Engelhard and Johnson Matthey companies represent the oldest tradition of silver bullion production — with Johnson Matthey having been founded in 1817 and Engelhard in 1902. However, both ceased to produce silver in recent times when silver-buying hit a slump after the Reagan administration had lowered inflation in the 1980s. Fortunately, a private mint, Northwest Territorial Mint, acquired the tooling and is now the premier producer of silver bullion bars.