Should I Invest in Antique Silver?

Should I Invest in Antique Silver?

Investing in antique silver is an interesting option. And while some people may consider buying this type of silver to be risky, it can be a good choice of investment that pays off well over the years. 

There are many reasons why investing in antique silver can be rewarding. For example, by purchasing old pieces made from sterling silver, you will have not only the physical metal itself but also an heirloom piece that your children and grandchildren might cherish someday. Additionally, antique silver adds value to any coin collection due to its scarcity. Thus, making it appealing for investors who specialize in rare coins or even those who only collect U.S Coins! 

Ultimately, there are several reasons why investing in antique silver is an excellent idea:

Although prices of precious metals like gold and silver are on the rise, there remains plenty of opportunities to buy antique silver at an affordable price. Especially true if you are willing to get involved with smaller auction houses that typically have better deals.

One of the main benefits of investing in old sterling silver pieces is that they are purer than modern .925 sterling silver pieces due to stricter laws and regulations regarding purity levels in recent decades. 

For example, most American coins in the 19th century contain 90% or more fine silver, while modern ones only contain 40%. The current price for one ounce of fine silver is $27.00. This means you can make a profit by simply purchasing early 20th-century U.S Coins!

If you purchase fine silver bars or rounds instead of coins, it helps protect your investment against any laws that may arise in the future, which would prevent U.S citizens from owning gold or silver bullion. It’s certainly something to consider because it’s happened before, during periods of economic crisis, when precious metals were heavily taxed for being ‘luxury’ items.

Investing in antique silver requires little research into individual coins and bars. It is also a safer option than investing in gold or other precious metal commodities because of the low price of silver currently.

Virtually all old silver pieces look great and add style to any room where they are displayed! Whether you prefer original Victorian candlesticks, old English tea sets, unique pocket watches, or graceful vases, you can rest assured that your antique silver will never go out of fashion. This will ensure it always has an appreciable value so that one day your children and grandchildren might be able to enjoy it as much as you did!

Investing in rare coins not only adds value to any collection but can act as an investment into our nation’s history. For example, early U.S Coins were minted before 1776 and made a great keepsake of the birth of our nation. In addition, you can choose from a variety of rare coins with different designs that are appealing to any taste!

Another good way to invest in antique silver is through vintage jewelry. As America became more affluent during the 1920s-1960s, manufacturing boomed, allowing for better quality items to be made. Thus, each decade has its distinctive style and design, which allows you to choose a timeless look that never goes out of fashion. 

Furthermore, jewelry pieces with classic stones like diamonds or pearls will always have value regardless of how production costs rise over time because they will never go out of style!

Conclusion: 

There is no doubt that investing in antique silver is one of the best things you can do to protect your wealth against inflation and economic crisis! Furthermore, it adds value to any collection or is simply a nice decoration for the home (especially if they are pieces made by one of America’s most prestigious silversmiths like Reed & Barton). 

After all, who wouldn’t want their children and grandchildren to inherit old sterling silver pieces that will only go up in value?

What is the difference between Sterling Silver and Fine Silver?

There is no difference. The only thing that defines the quality of silver is its purity. >Fine< silver happens to be 99.9% pure (or higher) and costs more than sterling. 

Sterling silver is an alloy consisting of at least 92.5% pure silver with other metals for hardness, durability, tarnish resistance, and so on. 

Sterling silver always contains at least 6 grams of pure silver per linear foot or 1 oz per 6 cubic inches. This also means it will tarnish faster than fine silver, which has a much smaller amount of impurities in its alloys. 

Fine sterling can contain up to 7.7% copper, while fine (99%)silver alloy must not contain any copper. 

Fine silver is 99.9% pure, while sterling silver consists of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% alloy (copper, nickel, iron), making it harder than fine silver but more resistant to scratches and corrosion. 

Fine silver costs significantly more than sterling because of its purity; thus, it is sold by weight or volume rather than length or area. 

For example, if you were selling wire, both sterling and fine would be the same price per foot/meter as they are both 92.5%. The only price difference would arise if another metal was added for effect, such as strength or color (e.g., gold-plated). 

If you were selling sheet silver, however, you would pay more for fine silver as it is harder to produce. 

So, in conclusion, there are no differences between sterling silver and fine silver other than purity. They are both 92.5%, but the remaining 7.5% is what makes all the difference when it comes to price, strength, durability, etc.

What is the safest way to buy silver?

The safest way to buy silver is via a reputable dealer that specializes in 999 silver rounds, bars, and coins. 

These are the least expensive options available for gaining exposure to physical silver investment. There are different types of silver products available depending on what you want. 

Standard minted rounds, bars, and coins are all widely traded with prices based on the current spot price of silver (also known as live silver price). The majority of these products do not offer any collectibility or potentially higher value like rare vintage pieces do. 

Easy access to your investment is worth consideration when considering which type of product to purchase, as there may be times between now and when you wish to sell where there could be a shortage of this popular type of product.

Type & Price: Spot Silver and Premiums

The spot silver price is the current live price for one troy ounce of .999 fine silver. Other products made with silver, valued in proportion to the spot price, will fluctuate as well. 

Since most products purchased through a reputable dealer fluctuate with spot, they sell at what’s known as premiums instead of the melt value (purity level) + current market prices for fabrication costs. 

These premiums can vary significantly depending on the form and quantity you’re looking to purchase, so it pays to shop around for different options because there could be huge savings by shopping around or even investing in higher quantities than needed right away. 

When purchasing silver bullion, the ounce is king.

Quantity: Ounce vs. Multiples of Ounces

The most common form of silver product sold by dealers is silver rounds and bars. These are produced in 1 troy oz sizes, also known as one-ounce silver products. 

Coin dealers offer fractional size options to increase your premium cost. But this isn’t necessary when other investment vehicles are just as accessible, with the full legal tender for adding smaller amounts of silver to your portfolio without bulking up too much on numismatic value versus spot metal price. 

Note that weight measurements can vary depending on what type you’re looking at, so be sure how many ounces each weighs before investing if it matters to you over prices per ounce.

Quality for Investment: Purity & Spot Prices

Although there are private mints that produce silver products in .999 fine purity or higher. The most common type sold by reputable dealers is .999 fine silver. These bars, rounds, and coins are made with “coin grade” silver which can sometimes be measured below .999 pure but will be stamped, as being at least .999 per federal laws that require it on all product markings. 

It’s one thing to own silver, but if your investment isn’t what you believed it was, then why buy this type of product? Bars are cast per piece, so they’re considered unique issues, just like a proof coin would be. 

Rounds are milled, machine stamped, only one time on production. So they’re considered unique pieces, as well, but coins are minted with identical strikes, so they’re not classified the same. Even though there may only be a few thousand similar one-ounce silver rounds or bars, these can still have collectible value for both precious metal content and scarcity in addition to being legal tender. So it pays to look into this when investing.

Is it safe to buy gold and silver on eBay?

You may have heard that there are scams on eBay. You should be aware that coin dealers are among the most frequent victims of these scammers. The best way to avoid being scammed is by buying only from reputable sources! The best source for ancient coins is an established coin dealer. Who has a brick-and-mortar store, not just an eBay store? I would suggest avoiding anyone who sells mostly or exclusively on eBay – unless you know they are reputable because you have done business with them in the past.

Be especially wary if someone offers an amazing deal, such as “gold coins for $299.” That’s impossible (the gold value alone of such a coin would be over $600). If someone is selling it for a tiny fraction of the actual price, they are either lying about the value or are part of a scam.

There are good reasons to buy from eBay – convenience, lots of payment options including PayPal, and lots of sellers. On the flip side, there are negatives as well:

Low prices often indicate stolen coins. eBay prohibits listing items known to be stolen.

High prices may indicate counterfeit or doctored coins

Many sellers have no idea what they are selling, so don’t provide accurate descriptions

Fraudulent practices by shill bidding. Scammers create false bidding wars to drive up prices on desirable items. The buyer thinks it is a competitive auction, while in fact, no one else was bidding. And the seller is only raising the price.

Buyer protection policies are far weaker than when selling an item yourself on eBay – when buying from existing eBay sellers, you can file disputes with PayPal if necessary. Not so when dealing with someone who uses eBay only as an online store.

Emperor Caracalla Denarius (RIC 195)

If you decide to buy on eBay, I recommend you shop with established sellers who have plenty of positive feedback. If they don’t provide good descriptions or pictures, then ask them for more pictures or information before bidding. 

Be especially wary of any listing without pictures – no matter how cheap it sounds! There are markets where cameras were rare, so coins never had pictures taken – but if you don’t know the seller and they’re not a dealer, it is safer to avoid those markets.

If the price looks too good to be true, then it probably isn’t real. 

If something doesn’t look right to you, it’s better to avoid it. For example, if someone tells you that this 100BC Roman silver coin is worth $10k or more because “it has Nero on it” (this happened), then steer clear! 

By the way, despite what many uninformed people believe about ancient coin collectors, there are no special discounts for buying bulk lots of cheap junk coins.

Also, beware of COA’s (certificates of authenticity), especially if they are included with the auction or sent via email. 

Some eBay coin dealers will create COA’s for any coin to sell, so these COA’s mean nothing. 

Others have access to papers from grading companies they can include when selling coins through their eBay stores. But again, those papers do not automatically mean the coin is valuable or genuine!

I hope this helps! Remember, if the deal sounds too good to be true, then it probably isn’t real. If something doesn’t look right, then it’s better not to bid.