The ample supplies of coins, rounds, and bars being sold back into the retail bullion market are keeping premiums down. These “secondary market” items are almost always in stock and available at a significant discount to newly minted products. It’s an opportunity buyers have lacked for most of the past decade.
Folks should not hesitate to take advantage of today’s historically low premiums.
When our Specialists recommend buying lower-priced secondary market products, it is common for clients to ask whether anything is wrong with them. They wonder if perhaps the coins have been damaged.
The answer is usually “no.” Ethical dealers will always disclose condition issues. Unless the buyer is specifically told the items they are buying are tarnished, spotted, scratched, or otherwise marred, they can expect products to be delivered in good condition.
Secondary market items are discounted because the supply is plentiful. That's because people are more inclined to sell metals than they have been in years.
There are a variety of reasons for the recent lack of enthusiasm for gold and silver among the U.S. retail investor, even as Asian demand has remained very strong...
The election of Donald Trump made many investors more optimistic. Gold and silver markets have been stagnant. The equity markets have been getting most of the attention in the financial press.
Investors who recognize there is little President Trump is able, or even willing, to do to control spending and federal deficits should seize the moment. So, should those who understand neither the bull run in stock prices nor the bearish trend in metals persist forever?
The future of the U.S. dollar remains grim. Cheap gold and silver prices are a gift for those looking beyond the current moment and preparing for the next decade.
Savvy buyers should not hesitate to grab secondary market items whenever they can save a buck.
Unless there is a particular reason to pay more, such as wanting 2019-dated Silver Eagles or Gold Eagles to complete a set of dates, they should take advantage of lower premiums on back dates while they last. The truth is that 2019 Eagles will be identical in value to secondary market coins a year from now anyway.
When demand for bullion picks up and the number of sellers pushing supply back into the market evaporates, the current discounts will evaporate almost overnight.
It takes a bit of courage to be a buyer when others are inclined to sell, but we think those who take advantage of today’s low premiums and low spot prices will be well rewarded.
About the Author:
Clint Siegner is a Director at Money Metals Exchange, a precious metals dealer recently named "Best in the USA" by an independent global ratings group. A graduate of Linfield College in Oregon, Siegner puts his experience in business management along with his passion for personal liberty, limited government, and honest money into the development of Money Metals' brand and reach. This includes writing extensively on the bullion markets and their intersection with policy and world affairs.
