Silver Bullion Bars & Rounds

Silver Bullion Coins

Silver bullion coins have a high percentage of fine silver and are specifically intended for those who want to buy silver of recognized quality in small amounts. Their value is determined by their weight and purity.

• Silver coins: Generally, silver coins are legal tender issued by governments and intended for circulation. Their quality and the amount of silver bullion they contain is tightly regulated.
• Silver rounds: These are coins minted strictly for the intrinsic value of the metal. They are not legal tender, and their quality is not backed or guaranteed by any government. Because of their high purity, they are generally softer than coins in circulation. They also have little, if any, numismatic value.

Silver rounds are the easiest way to buy silver bullion in small quantities. Many buyers favor them because of the ease of buying and selling. A 100-ounce bar of silver must be bought or sold as a unit. If you’re looking for 100 one-ounce silver coins or rounds, however, they can be bought and sold one, or a few, at a time.

Junk bullion silver are silver coins that have been in circulation and are worn up until the point where they have no numismatic value. The value of junk coins is strictly in the precious metals they contain. This is also called melt value. Some examples of junk silver coins are those minted before 1965. They are 90% silver and include:

• Walking Liberty Franklin Half-Dollars
• Walking Liberty Kennedy Half-Dollars
• Roosevelt Dimes
• Mercury Dimes
• Washington Quarters

• Silver American Eagle: The official silver coin of the United States is the Silver American Eagle. It is certified by the U.S. government to contain one troy ounce of fine silver.
• Canadian Maple Leaf: The Canadian Maple Leaf is minted and issued by the Canadian government on a yearly basis. It has a face value of five Canadian dollars and is guaranteed to contain one ounce of 99.99% silver.
• APMEX Fine Silver Rounds: These are privately minted rounds guaranteed by the APMEX corporation of Oklahoma City to contain one ounce of 99.9% fine silver.
• Morgan Silver Dollars: These were minted by the U.S. government from 1878 to 1904, and again in 1921. They contain 26.73 grams, or .859 ounce of 90% pure silver.
• Austrian Silver Philharmonics: The Austrian Silver Philharmonics are the first silver coins denominated in euros. They have a value of 1.5 euros. Minted annually by the Austrian government, beginning in 2008, they contain one ounce of 99.9% pure silver.