Precious Metals Education Center

Precious Metals Specialists at Money Metals Exchange field lots of great questions from customers who are new to buying physical bullion online. One of the biggest is "What should I buy?"

Just about all bullion investors worry about counterfeits. Those concerns are magnified when someone is buying for the first time.

Casual investors looking for a recommendation on what type of silver to buy will often hear the same answer from a typical coin dealer, that being, "well Morgan Dollars, of course." But sadly, accumulating these historic U.S. silver bullion coins often ends up being a big mistake.

We regularly take calls from Money Metals customers who have been bamboozled and taken for a ride by one of the many rare coin (or numismatic) dealers and their extortionately high prices. Generally it's the same sad tale.

The decision to invest in precious metals is a wise one, and silver bars are a good way to diversify your investments. They represent a tangible asset and can be an important way of protecting — and increasing — your wealth.

To determine a silver coin’s value, you need to know a few things about your coin: the actual silver weight (ASW), the fineness of the coin, and the weight in grams.

Despite its use to denote second place in sporting competitions, silver is an excellent first choice when it comes to investing in precious metals. Silver has been used as currency since about 600 BCE. In fact, the oldest coin ever discovered was crafted between 610 and 600 BCE and was made of electrum - an alloy of gold and silver.

Silver dimes offer an affordable way to accumulate physical silver. Each dime contains just 0.0715 troy ounces of actual silver content, meaning the price per coin is rather modest. And buyers get something that is both trusted and recognizable, because it is an official US coin.

Investing in silver quarters is a great way for investors to get started with silver. There are three main quarter dollar coins which have been minted by the US Mint in 90% silver; the Liberty Head “Barber,” the Standing Liberty, and the Washington quarters. The US Mint issued silver quarters from beginning in 1792 to 1964 in separate periods of production.

Silver coins can make a great long-term investment, provided buyers do not overpay for high priced and illiquid collectibles. Silver is a great way to truly diversify your portfolio and it offers protection in the event of a financial crisis. And, it is a hedge against the devaluing US dollar. Silver has proven to hold its purchasing power over time.