Silver bars/rounds collecting question....

[Carterofmars]

I've been recently looking at Silver Rounds. Are they worth anything more than their spot value? Do they have any value beyond the intrinsic value?

 

I ask because I've noticed alot of rounds that are "limited mintings", like the Elizabeth 5 Dollar 1 oz., the Australian Kookaburra, and the Mexico Silver Libertad. They sound gimicky but are 1 oz. .999 and are some are really beautiful.

 

I guess I'm asking about Art Silver bars and rounds. Do any silver bars/rounds have value beyond spot value? Is there a collecting community of Bullion? If there is, are there any good books/guides?

 

Thanks in advance.

[GAB]

SILVERS are FUN, and kids just love them. Here are some Big Ones. (3.5 pounds)

 

 

[TomB]

Bullion coins are just that...bullion. I would never pay a premium over melt for a bullion coin or art bar.

[Carterofmars]

Bullion coins are just that...bullion. I would never pay a premium over melt for a bullion coin or art bar.

 

Are there any rare examples... I've seen some Bars from the 1880's Wells Fargo Silver Bullion... look at this on ebay...

 

web page

[TomB]

How do you know that is authentic to the time period and company that is stamped on it? The history of metal bars is littered with counterfeit stamps and with bars that were once thought to be legitimate that were later found to be new. If you intend to buy this type of esoteric material I will suggest that you be willing to lose 95% of your investment if you need to sell.

[DaveG]

There's a difference between "bullion coins" (Silver Eagles, Libertads, Maple Leafs, etc.) that are struck by governments and "silver rounds" and "art bars" that are struck by private companies. The art bars started in the 70s, as silver began its run up to its high in late-79 or early-80, while, I think, most of the bullion coins (except the Mexican ones) started in the mid-80s.

 

There are some who collect either or both - some in Dansco-type albums and some in slabs, some in MS-69 and some who will pay big money for MS-70, some who collect the proof bullion coins, etc.

 

I believe there is (or was) a club for silver art bar collectors, but I don't know of any published price guides for them. Most of the newer bullion coins sell for a small premium over bullion, except for the proof coins and some limited edition coins, like the Chinese pandas.

 

If you look in Coin World (or the other numismatic publications) around Christmas time, you'll see ads for a variety of Christmas and New Year art bars.

 

If I were interested in collecting these items, I'd check around a lot, do a lot of research and find some folks who collect them. I'd say the market for them is very thin, so you might have to pay a premium to buy them, but have to wait a long time to sell them or sell them for spot.

 

Bars from the 19th century, on the other hand, are a whole different kettle of fish! I'd say that's a very thin market, with lots of "air pockets", so do a lot of research first!

[TomB]

If you do some homework, which most people sadly do not do before a purchase, you will find the following information, listed on a Wells Fargo web page, about the item in the auction you linked previously-

These small bars are recently made souvenirs, and not made by or for Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo & Co. did ship silver from western mining regions, but these were large heavy blocks - harder for thieves to take - and not marked by Wells Fargo.

Be careful.

[macrocoin]

I'm not the expert, but if you are looking at purchasing a metal as an investment, the conservative route would be curbed by the spot trend. I tend to buy a lot of common circulated silver, but only in US coins with some numismatic value of their own. (mercs, walkers, morgans, etc) I would be very careful about investing in metal for its own value as the market is histotically high at the moment. Certain genuine bars may indeed have intrinsic value as a function of what they are, but I would enter into those purchases with extreme caution.

 

Good luck.

[cpm9ball]

Private mints like Danbury and Franklin often produce "art bars' and "rounds" in precious metals. I rarely see anyone who invests in these profit from an increase in value. In most instances, they are lucky to sell them for "spot" which doesn't cover the premium originally paid. If you searched eBay for "Franklin Mint" you would see just how many of these items are being auctioned for less than "spot".

 

Chris