1 Oz Silver Bars

The Benefits of Investing in 1 oz Silver Bars: A Comprehensive Guide to Diversifying Your Portfolio

What makes investing in silver bars so great is that silver is affordable and a fantastic store of value for the long term. Investing in one-ounce silver bars at a time allows a person to improve their silver portfolio incrementally as opposed to having to pay a large amount at once.

1 oz silver bars are a popular form of silver bullion, typically produced by private mints and refineries. 1 oz silver bars are also popular for collectors, as some mints and refineries produce limited edition designs and series. These bars are not only favored by investors but are also popular among collectors, as some mints and refineries produce limited edition designs and series. Similarly, 10 oz silver bars can also be an attractive option for both investors and collectors, offering a blend of value and collectability. Silver bars, regardless of their size, can be used either as an investment asset or as an industrial product.

These .999 fine silver one-ounce silver bars (1 oz bars) are an alternative to one-ounce silver coins (1 oz silver coins) or rounds, and offer some great savings versus the 1 oz silver coins for sale, such as the American Eagle bullion coin or Maple Leaf 1 oz coin (.999 fine silver coins). Silver coins tend to have higher premiums than silver bars. Unless you are extremely experienced and well-versed in numismatics or coin collecting, we recommend staying away from silver coin investments and instead sticking with silver bars.

1 oz silver bars are easy to store, as they are small and stackable. 1 oz silver bars are also easy to transport, as they are light in weight and can be securely sealed in protective packaging. Overall, 1 oz silver bars are a popular choice for investors due to their low premiums over spot price.

What is the weight of a silver bar?

1 Oz Silver Morgan Bars

When getting started investing in precious metals such as silver or gold, be sure to know that the weight is provided in Troy ounces as opposed to standard ounces. Precious metals and gems are not weighed in standard ounces. Instead, they are weighed in what is known as Troy ounces (t oz & oz t).

The word Troy, in Troy ounces, comes from the 16th-century town of Troyes, France, which was a central trading hub that standardized the weight of silver to 480 grains of barley. Since Troyes was a trading place at an international level, drawing people from all over the civilized world, they needed to create a unified standard weight for trade.

A single Troy ounce silver bar (one-ounce silver bar), properly weighed in Troy ounces as is often rightfully assumed in the precious metals industry, should weigh 0.0685714 pounds, 0.0311035 kilograms, 1.09714 standard ounces, or 31.1035 grams.

This makes Troy ounces nearly 10% heavier than a standard ounce, or 2.754 grams heavier than a standard ounce. The actual weight of the pure silver content in the item will then depend on the silver millesimal fineness.

Anything less than a Troy ounce of silver (i.e. bullion) is referred to as fractional silver.

Be extremely cautious when purchasing silver bars, and make sure the seller is not cheating by offering products weighed in standard ounces as opposed to Troy ounces.

What is the purity of the silver bar?

When referring to the purity of silver, or the silver standards, this is known as the millesimal fineness. In the silver bullion bars, there are three levels of millesimal fineness to consider: .9999, .999, and .925. Whereas there may be other levels of silver purity, these are the silver standards for the vast majority of one-ounce silver bars.

Only the .9999 and .999 fineness silver bars qualify for a self-directed precious metals IRA (individual retirement account).

.9999

“Four Nines,” also known as 9999, or .9999, is a silver with 99.99% pure silver. These bars tend to have a slightly higher premium than other bars. You may hear someone say, “Four Nines, Fine.”

If given the option to invest in .9999 or .999, the likelihood is that the .999 will have a lower premium and provide around the same return.

Of course, if you are presented with a .9999 and a .999 one-ounce silver bar for the same low price, go with the .9999.

.999

“Three Nines,” also known as 999, or .999, is a silver with 99.9% pure silver. These bars are usually the best deal when it comes to calculating the amount to purchase and then the amount to resell later for the most profits. You may hear someone say, “Three Nines, Fine,” or, “If it’s nine-nine-nine, you’re fine-fine-fine!” The difference between the three-nines and the four-nines is not enough of a difference for investors to concern themselves with. Both the .9999 and the .999 are investment-grade and are both nearly 100% pure silver.

.925

Sterling silver, also known as 925, or .925, is 92.5% pure silver and is generally used for silver jewelry or silver accessories purposes. Sterling silver has the advantage of being a harder, more durable, metal. However, some silver bars comprised of sterling silver millesimal fineness are available on the market.

Coin Silver & Others

Coin silver is another type of silver that is usually around 90% pure silver, and this is what makes up most junk silver today. These silver bars are from junk silver coins and collectibles, which are usually U.S. currency, such as pre-1965 Roosevelt Dimes or pre-1965 Washington Quarters. They likely do not include currencies such as eagle design coins, British monarch or Queen related coins, or Canadian Maple Leafs, for example.

There are several other levels of silver purity in the precious metals industry. However, it is not likely that you will purchase a coin silver bar, or any other level of fineness aside from the silver standards .9999, .999, or .925.

Types of 1 oz Silver Bars

There are two main types, or categories, of 1 oz silver bars consisting of poured and minted silver bars. These can be generic or brand-name silver bars. A number of companies will try to sell one over the other.

For instance, they may suggest a hand-poured silver bar is artisanal so they tack on a higher premium. Or, they may declare a name-brand minted bar is limited by its serial number, so it will be worth more if there are fewer numbers of them.

Don’t buy the hype - avoid the high premiums and gimmicks!

In our extensive experience, 99% of the time, when it comes time to sell your silver bullion bars, the people buying your silver bars are likely to only offer around the melt value, or the spot price, at the time of the new sale, as opposed to other subjective factors.

In order to make the most of your silver investment, only buy silver bars for their silver content with low premiums, and not for other speculative features such as whether it is poured, minted, generic, brand name, or what art or serial numbers it may have.

Another thing to keep in mind with either poured or minted silver bars is their stackability. If space in a vault, safe, or elsewhere is limited, different sizes and brands of silver bars may not stack well with one another.

Poured Silver Bars

Poured silver bars, also known as cast silver bars and sometimes as ingots, are made by hand pouring molten silver into a mold or cast, letting it cool and set to the given shape, and this creates a unique bar. Each poured silver bar has slight natural differences in shape and condition, but the weight and purity should remain the same as maintained by the refinery.

An easy way to recognize poured silver bars is by noticing a structural softness with orange peel textured patterns on the surface and with round edges.

Minted Silver Bars

1 Oz Silver Geiger Bars

Minted silver bars, sometimes known as pressed bars, are pressed and stamped from a sheet of silver. Each shape and inscription is sharp and precise, the edges are clear-cut, the surface is tidy without serious errors, and the overall appearance of a minted silver bar is clean. Each piece in a series of minted silver bars looks identical, and the weight and purity remain the same.

An easy way to recognize minted silver bars is by noticing the precise structural soundness with clean surfaces and straight edges. Mints enjoy putting their name and logo on these minted silver bars or any other silver object they sell or trade. All one-ounce silver bars sold by Money Metals Exchange include stamps of the bars’ weight, purity, and the silver refiner’s insignia.

Who makes the best 1 oz silver bars?

There are many brands that make high quality silver bullion bars. Companies from all over the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Britain, Italy, Austria, and more, make silver bullion bars. Although many government mints make their own silver bars, there are a number of mints that do not. A couple of the mints that do not make their own silver bars include the US Mint and the Austrian Mint.

The most popular 1 oz silver bars are produced by the Royal Canadian Mint, the Perth Mint, and the Sunshine Mint. The Royal Canadian Mint produces approximately 50 million 1 oz silver bars annually. The Australian Perth Mint produces approximately 10 million 1 oz silver bars annually. The U.S.-based Sunshine Mint produces approximately 5 million 1 oz silver bars annually. As a word of caution, we recommend avoiding Chinese silver bars altogether. In contrast, Geiger silver bars, known for their distinct designs and security features, are highly regarded in the precious metals community.

Here is a portfolio of some of the companies and refineries that have or currently mint, pour, or refine silver bars, in no particular order:

  • Money Metals Exchange

  • Sunshine Mint

  • Elemetal

  • Highland Mint

  • Asahi Refining

  • Johnson Matthey

  • Australian Perth Mint

  • Royal Canadian Mint

  • OPM Metals

  • Republic Metals Corporation

  • ITALPREZIOSI S.P.A.

  • PAMP Suisse / MKS PAMP SA / MMTC

  • Geiger

  • Valcambi

  • MintID

  • Engelhard

  • Pyromet

  • SilverTowne

  • British Royal Mint

  • Scottsdale Mint

  • Argor Heraeus

How to Store 1 oz Silver Bars

There are many ways a collector or investor can store silver. Of course, there are also better ways to do that than others. Consider things such as safety, security, and short and long-term costs.

Home Safe

A home safe can be purchased for a reasonable price while keeping your precious metals and 1-ounce silver bars safe and secure from thieves or losses. Try to get a safe that can be bolted onto concrete to increase security from theft.

Money Metals Depository

Keep Your Sound Money Safe

With Money Metals Exchange, silver investors and collectors can store their silver bars with confidence in this state-of-the-art facility and operations based in Eagle, Idaho, USA. Our white-glove secure storage services provide top-tier protection and peace of mind for our customers. This special care is offered at extremely competitive, low prices, and ensures all of your stored precious metals are safe.

The Money Metals Exchange Depository consists of only UL Class 3 vaults and all of our protected inventory is fully insured by Lloyd’s of London.

How to Buy 1 oz Silver Bars

The best way to buy one-ounce silver bars is through a reputable company you trust that offers bullion with as low of premiums as possible while maintaining consistently high company standards.

Money Metals Exchange has maintained an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and received thousands of 5-star reviews from investors and collectors all over the United States after starting in 2010.

You can make purchases on the Money Metals Exchange website or by calling to speak with one of our friendly customer service representatives or helpful precious metals experts at 1-800-800-1865.

Money Metals Exchange offers quick, easy, and secure shipping and handling services.

How to Sell 1 oz Silver Bars

Money Metals Exchange pays competitive pricing for precious metals of all types, including your one-ounce silver bars. There may even be times when Money Metals Exchange will pay higher than melt value on your 1-ounce silver bullion bars!

You can get your silver bars sold on our Money Metals Exchange website or by calling one of our friendly customer service representatives or helpful precious metals experts at 1-800-800-1865.

Silver Bars Available:

1 Troy Ounce silver (approximately 2" long x 1" wide x .125" thick)

5 Troy Ounce silver (approximately 2.5" long x 1.5" wide x .25" thick)

10 Troy Ounce silver (approximately 3.5" long x 2" wide x 0.25" thick)

100 Troy Ounce silver (approximately 6" long x 3.25" wide x 1" thick)

1000 Troy Ounce silver (approximately 13" long x 4.75" wide x 3.5" thick)