Silver Bars
Silver bars are used almost exclusively for investment purposes. These items can be found in a number of different shapes, sizes, and weights. Depending on the amount of money that you are looking to spend, an order can be placed for bars that weigh anywhere from just 1 ounce, up to 10 ounces, and up to figures as large as your imagination.
Bars are produced by private mints, which separates them from government produced coins. This is one of the primary reasons why coins carry added premiums whereas bars never do. There are a handful of different silver minting companies that are widespread and known around the world, though there are probably also a number mints near you. The truth is that there is very little difference between one bar and another. So long as the purity and weight is true to the label, each bar is the same as the next. Buyers do have the ability to choose between new and second hand or used bars, but there is no real difference in their value.
The only reason that some people prefer to buy new items is because they have a special shine about them. They will seldom be able to be re-sold for any sort of extra price, especially if you are selling them to a company who is just going to re-sell them again. For this reason, your best bet for investment purposes is to simply buy whatever type of silver bar is the cheapest. You could always go after the better looking variety, but it isn’t going to make you any more money if you ever decide to cash in.
Bars come in virtually any size imaginable, but there are a few standard figures that you will commonly run into. First is the 1 oz. bar. Unlike gold, silver bars are very rarely available in gram sizes. Since they are more cost effective by nature, there is minimal incentive for mints to produce such small quantities of silver. After 1 oz. comes 5 oz. bars. These are not all that popular and are more of a gateway to the most common size bars, which is the 10 ounce variety.
10 ounce silver bars offer buyers the perfect medium between small and large investment. If you would like something even larger, 1 kilo (roughly 32 ounces) is your next option. After that, 100 ounce and even larger bars are what is most often sold by dealers and silver companies. For the most part, the smaller the weight, the more available the bars are. Few people are shopping for 100 ounce bars, so mints and dealers keep the smaller varieties in stock. No matter what size you choose, it is hard to go wrong with silver bars.
Though they are not known as a collector’s item, bars are still one of the most popular sellers in the bullion market today. They are easy to store, buy, and sell. The different weights that are available make it easy for all types of buyers and investors to make a purchase that fits into their budget perfectly. If you want to invest in silver bullion without paying any added premium over spot price, bars are definitely the way to go.
