OT: Silver Bar Care

[pendragon1998]

I just received a few 1 ounce silver bars and a round as a gift over Thanksgiving. Do I need to give any particular care to their preservation like I would coins? One was definitely cleaned or dipped. They're in plastic/vinyl sleeves in varying degrees of disrepair that are a bit mildewy, so I'd like to take them out. Should they go into any sort of holder?

 

Are these particularly collectable, or are they simply worth bullion value? I don't care to collect them - they're just bullion to me.

[physics-fan3.14]

To me they are just bullion. There may be collectors out there who would be willing to pay premiums for some pieces, but if so they are not a very well known group. I would say take care of them just like you would a silver coin. Proper storage conditions will maintain the look of these - from what I have seen, bullion buyers like blast white fresh pieces, not "dirty" bars.

[Zoins]

You can get Air-Tites for silver bars.

 

There are a few bars that seem to have avid collectors but I think that's the exception. One area that I've seen some collector interest is the Coca Cola 75th Anniversary series. They seem to go for $50 and above on the Bay.

[James_OldeTowne]

There are a few collectors, but they are practically impossible to find. The only place you'll ever get anything above melt is on eBay.

 

They tone even more quickly and more dramatically than coins, and require air-tight preservation if you want them to maintain a silver appearance.

[MunkyMan95]

I had a bar once that was a deep black in color, I mean VERY black. Some TarnX took it right off, but only after a week it started to tone again. As James and others have said, they are very prone to turning.

[pendragon1998]

I wonder why the surface of a silver eagle would tarnish differently than a silver bar? Both are .999 Ag.

[MunkyMan95]

 

Need I say more?

[James_OldeTowne]

The purity of silver bars is nominally .999, but I bet they're actually even more pure than that. More importantly though, silver eagle planchets are specially rinsed prior to striking, whereas I believe silver bars are simply struck on untreated ingots. Just a guess .

[pendragon1998]

Some of the silver bars have a little oooogly tarnish on them from holes in their plastic wrappings. I was thinking of doing the old trick where you put the tarnished silver in a container with boiling water with dissolved baking soda and some aluminum foil. Will that do anything horrible to the bars? After I take them out, I was going to rinse them in a little acetone to displace the water and place them in some brand-new plastic holders for storage.

 

Ha ha ha! I'm going to clean my silver! Such a relief not having to be so careful as I am with coins.

[pendragon1998]

 

Need I say more?

 

Ugh - pocket piece!

[MunkyMan95]

 

Need I say more?

 

Ugh - pocket piece!

 

Slab... Can't crack... Must keep in plastic...

 

 

Speaking of ASE pocket pieces, I just looked through the NGC census and saw a 1991 ASE in G! I'd love to have that coin.

[Zoins]

Speaking of ASE pocket pieces, I just looked through the NGC census and saw a 1991 ASE in G! I'd love to have that coin.

You can always make one

[pendragon1998]

Some of the silver bars have a little oooogly tarnish on them from holes in their plastic wrappings. I was thinking of doing the old trick where you put the tarnished silver in a container with boiling water with dissolved baking soda and some aluminum foil. Will that do anything horrible to the bars? After I take them out, I was going to rinse them in a little acetone to displace the water and place them in some brand-new plastic holders for storage.

 

 

Just to get back on topic...

[James_OldeTowne]

Michael,

 

What you propose sounds a little drastic to me. I have never dipped a silver bar in my entire life, but based on the success others have had dipping .999 ASEs, I suspect that's the safest (and probably most convenient) route.

 

Some folks may not realize this, but silver bars DO have "mint luster". It just doesn't flow in a radial manner as for round planchets. The point is that they can be overdipped, but I don't think that's really much of a concern, since "cartwheel luster" is not relevant to these items.

[MikeKing]

it sounds a little drastic to me too.

 

I had some silver bars in a box for years, totally tarnished.

 

I wanted to sell them on ebay, so I dipped them in jewel luster and just rinsed them off with water.

 

If you want to preserve the original surface, I wouldn't rinse with acetone. I would rinse with water, then with alcohol, let them dry, and encase them in plastic.

 

:You know, those vacuum bag things they sell on qvc would probably be really great.

 

Another possibility if you're not worried about preserving any luster lines like James mentioned, some of these silver cleaners contain a chemical that resists tarnish, and you can polish your silver bar up quite nicely, I'm sure. Then, encase it...no water, no alcohol.

[TJ'S Coins]

I've seen a number of 1 ounce silver bars at truck stops and convenience stores that commemorate some person or event. These show quite a bit of tarnish after sitting in a case exposed to the sun daily. Even at the half price that I've seen 'em marked at they are still double the going price for silver bullion. Just another niche market for bullion silver at great profit for the creator/seller.