Investing today is no easy task. The markets may be seeing record highs, but it all depends on the day.
It’s a lot harder to just hand your money over to some stranger and expect the money to roll in like it once did. Nowadays, if you want to succeed, you’ve got to take the bull by the horns and get your head in the game.
And maybe the best place to start is with silver. For a solid investment with a little backbone behind it, silver coins are becoming a true savior to a once broken investment portfolio.
But this alternative investment route is far from straight and narrow; you’ve got to do your research and know what to look for, and once you’ve got it, you’ve got to know where to put it.
So just where do you start?
Types of Silver
First off, you’ve got to get acquainted with the types of silver out there in the market.
There are four types of silver coins: silver bullion coins, numismatic silver coins (or collector coins), semi-numismatic silver coins, and pre-1964 junk silver coins.
We’ll start with the most genuine of the bunch. The silver bullion coin has a purity of .999 or higher, and it is considered pure silver, according to GoldSilver.com.
These coins break down into two cost brackets: precious silver metal content and dealer premium.
If you’re an investor, this is the type of coin you’ll generally be looking for based on the market prices of the physical investment grade silver.
Next is your numismatic silver coin, which is what most coin collectors are looking for. These coins tend to have rare coin values and follow many pricing factors outside of the silver price spot market, including conditioning, rarity, and so on.
These coins will have three cost brackets: metal content, numismatic premium, and dealer profit, according to GoldSilver.com.
Coin collectors most interested in numismatic silver are usually lifelong enthusiasts who have years of experience in the trade.
Semi-numismatic coins are coins that can be somewhat collectible, but value is largely based on the coin’s silver content.
And last but not least are your pre-1964 junk silver coins. Maybe if you’re lucky enough, you’ve got one jingling around in your pocket right now – old quarters, dimes, Morgan dollars, Franklin half dollars, among others.
These coins range from 35% to 90% silver, according to GoldSilver.com, and are not .999 fine silver. They have little investment value behind them, and they are more sentimental than anything.
Choosing Your Silver
Once you’ve decide the kind of investment you want to make, you’re ready to choose your silver coin.
Now you have to look at factors like buyer and seller premiums, and even your geographic delivery or storage location.
If you want to convert an IRA account into silver coins, then you’re definitely going to want to look into silver bullion coins as an investment.
The most popular is the American Silver Eagle Coin. The Canadian Silver Maple Leafs Coin is another good choice. You’re going to purchase these coins in bulk, where they come in stackable-sealed government mint cases, according to GoldSilver.com. Each case holds 500 1-troy ounce silver coins packaged in a tube.
Buying Your Silver
Time to buy! You can make a purchase online, or you can go down to your local coin shop and make a purchase in person.
You’ll need to find a few things out. Make sure that your silver coin dealer publishes and offers a competitive buy-back price for whatever you decide to buy. Reputable dealers will do this, and that way you have all your bases covered.
And shop around, too! Just because you find the lowest price doesn’t mean you’re getting the best deal. While we want to pay low prices, the value is what matters most in the long-run.
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Investing in Silver
Now you’ve made your silver coins purchase, and it’s time to let them work for you. If you’re still having doubts, this might help ease the pain:
Silver is limited. We can’t make more than what we have, and if we compacted together all that is in the earth, it would only be big enough to stretch 55 meters across, according to Silver-Coin-Investor.com.
All of our cell phones, televisions, and computers of today contain some amount of silver. And for twenty years now, the value of silver has steadily increased.
That isn’t likely to change, and the best part is that the investment is still fairly inexpensive – especially compared to gold.
If you have the means, you should definitely load up on key date American Eagle silver coins. Rare key dates are going to be more costly, but like I said before, it’s all about the value, especially as time marches on.
For a bit less money, check out common silver coins that have a higher grade.
And if you’re still unsure, silver bullion coins that are traded right around the spot price are always a good investment.
The important thing is to get in.
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