Many people dream about finding a rare collectible coin – the type that Wal-Mart hands out as change. However, as an investment strategy, silver bullion is more attractive than numismatics. What is the reason for this? The price is silver is set to go sky-high.
It is currently trading at $18.50 and many analysts are predicting it at $50 or higher within the next one or two years. If you have too much money invested in numismatics, you could end up missing out on the silver explosion that is due to come soon.
Keeping that in mind, here is a list of the top 5 best silver coins for investment.
- Silver American Eagles
The Silver Eagle is the only silver bullion coin in the world with its purity, content, and weight that is guaranteed by the government of the United States. This fact alone makes these coins better than “rounds” that are privately minted, and also makes it worth the minimal premium that comes with Silver Eagles. New Silver Eagles that are not in circulation yet are typically sold for anything between $1.80 and $2.50 over silver spot prices while Silver Eagles that are already “used” may trade for as little as $1 above the spot price of silver.
- Silver Canadian Maple Leafs
As with the Silver American Eagle that was just discussed, the Canadian Maple Leaf is yet another legal-tender coin that was issued by the US government.
Though it lacks the Eagle’s cache, in the US, or anywhere else in the world, the Silver Maple Leaf is still one of the most recognized silver coins in the world. It is also one of the best looking. At .9999 fine silver, it is also the purest silver coin among government-issued ones. New Silver Maple Leafs not in circulation yet sell for about $1.80 to $2.50 over silver spot prices, but their numismatic value increases more quickly.
For some issues, the mintage numbers are very low as well. The mintage of the Silver Maple Leaf issued in 1988 – the first year that the coin was produced – was over 1.1 million units while the one issued in 1992 was just 343,800.
- Morgan Silver Dollars
Morgan Silver Dollars are in great demand. These legal-tender coins are US government minted coins that were in circulation between the years 1878 and 1904. The coins then stopped being manufactured, but were minted again in 1921 for a year. These 0.86-ounce coins are made up of 90% silver and 10% copper. They have a silver weight of 0.77344 troy ounces – containing almost the same amount of silver as the original Spanish dollars on which the US currency was first based.
Although numerous Morgan Silver Dollars command large numismatic premiums, coins of a lower quality from years when a large number were minted can be bought at just a bit over the silver spot price. In most cases, it is preferable to get coins that have .999 silver purity instead of those mixed with other metals. However, the Morgan Silver Dollar is a rare exception to this rule because it is so recognizable, making it a big favorite among investors across the world.
- Austrian Silver Philharmonics
In terms of beauty, the rare Austrian Silver Philharmonic even beats the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf. It is also the only silver coin that has a Euro denomination. The legal tender value of this coin is €1.5. Instruments from the Austrian Philharmonic Orchestra are featured on one side of this coin, while on the other side, the Golden Hall in Vienna is depicted. Austrian economics fans also seem to favor these coins.
New Austrian Philharmonics have a trading price of $2 to $3 over the silver spot price. However, the 2008 issues are commanding a $2.30 premium, and this is for orders that exceed five hundred.
You can purchase one 2008 Austrian Philharmonic coin from APMEX for about $3.50 over the spot price of silver and has price breaks at twenty, one hundred, and five hundred purchase levels. 2009 began at $2.30 over the spot price of silver and for every large order, you can buy them for as little as $1.79 over the silver spot price.
- APMEX ½oz Silver Rounds
Although the standard silver coin and rounds weight has become one-ounce, 1/2-ounce issues do have some advantages. First of all, they are more liquid. If you use silver in a barter course, what do you have to do to make change? Obviously, you cannot cut a one-ounce in half (unless you want to go in your own garage and break out a saw and cut it in half and then grind it or smooth out the rough side so it is smooth – you will lose some value in small flakes that fall off though when doing this), and if you melt it down and recast it, you need to spend a lot of time and effort. And this is why, two ½-ounce silver rounds have a much higher value and are more sought out for than a single full ounce silver round.
This concept is hard for silver traders and investors to grasp because everyone is used to a “token” currency. Half-ounce and lighter issues also have a disadvantage and that is that they command a higher premium.
These are the top 5 silver coins that you should consider as an investment. If you are considering including the silver market in your investment portfolio, these coins are your best options.