Buying Silver Bars Online
When it comes to buying silver bullion, investors frequently turn to silver bars as a primary option. Why would investors choose silver bullion bars over silver bullion coins? While each investor’s opinion is their own, there are common factors that push many toward silver bars, including:
- Variety of styles: cast bars, hand-poured bars, minted ingots
- Affordable pricing: silver bars have lower premiums over the spot price of silver than silver bullion coins
- Countless options: not only are bars available in various styles, but also countless weights ranging from 1 Gram and 1 Troy oz to 1 Kilogram and 400 Troy oz
If you’ve been considering silver bars, JM Bullion has an immense selection of bars available to purchase. Below you can learn about the different types of silver bars, the reasons behind the popularity of different weights, and find out some fun facts about some of the most popular designs.
Types of Silver Bullion Bars
As alluded to above, there are varying styles of silver bars for sale that you’ll come across as you look to invest. Minted ingots are a popular choice among investors for numerous reasons. A minted ingot starts as a long cast silver bar which is fed into a stamping press. This computer-controlled press will precision cut each bar to an exact size and weight, and then stamp a design into the bar. Some minted ingots have exciting designs, while others bear only important markings. Minted ingots are a top pick for investors because of the precision involved and the assayer’s guarantee backing the weight, purity, and metal content of each bar.
On the other hand, investors and collectors alike may find the allure of cast or hand-poured bars too much to pass up. Countless refineries still use these traditional techniques to create bars with little flair to the design, but the same purity and value as any other silver bar. Now, it’s important to realize that not all cast or hand-poured bars lack flair. Refineries such as the Atlantis Mint and Monarch Precious Metals in the United States pride themselves on producing hand-poured, hand-stamped silver bars with designs that ensure no two bars in the same series look exactly the same.
Regardless of the type of silver bar you purchase, you can rest assured that the refinery producing it uses .999 or .9999 pure silver content. Most silver bars, though not all, come with an assay card that authenticates the individual product and verifies its weight, purity, and content.
Which Size is Your Size?
Silver bars come in a wide array of sizes. There’s no wrong choice to make when buying silver bars. The most popular weights tend to be 1 Troy oz and 10 Troy oz. There are numerous reasons behind this, including the variety of designs and styles available in these weights, as well as the affordability of silver in each weight. Additionally, smaller silver bars such as these are easier to store and resell when needed. However, there is also value in buying larger silver bars such as 25 oz, 50 oz, 100 oz, and even 400 oz bars.
Generally speaking, the premium for silver goes down as the size of the bar goes up. Buying a singular 400 oz bar can be more affordable for a bulk purchase than buying 400 individual 1 Troy oz bars because of the premium per ounce of each bar. Just remember, smaller bars offer affordability in the moment and flexibility, while larger bars make it easier to make larger investments per purchase. When selecting a silver bar by weight, it is entirely up to the individual’s preference and goals when buying silver.
Popular Silver Bar Designs
You’ll find no shortage of fun, impressive designs available on the silver bars for sale at JM Bullion. Our catalog includes some of the finest designs in the world, as well as some lesser-known options which offer an ideal combination of pure silver and collectible design appeal. The following are some of the most popular silver bar designs available:
- PAMP Suisse Fortuna: The obverse design depicts the Roman goddess of Fortune and is a staple of the Swiss refiner. Today, PAMP is recognized as the world’s leading bullion brand and the Fortuna design is known to investors everywhere as a symbol of PAMP’s success.
- Geiger Edelmetalle: Geiger, like PAMP, has a wide variety of silver bars available. Perhaps its most popular is one of its newest, the Geiger Original Series. Silver bars in this collection range from 1 Gram to 5 Kilograms and include the popular Schloss Guldengossa design depicting the German refiner’s headquarters in Leipzig.
- SilverTowne: Originally a small coin shop in Winchester, Indiana, today SilverTowne is one of the largest private minting operations in the United States. Its most popular silver bar design features the corporate logo depicting an individual known as the “Prospector.” This lonesome figure features on the obverse of various bars from SilverTowne leading his donkey to what he hopes will be his next big find.
- Asahi Refining: This brand is new to many North American investors, but the facilities it owns are nothing new. Asahi Refining is based in Tokyo, Japan where it was founded in 1952. In December 2015, Asahi purchased the North American refining and assaying facilities of Johnson Matthey as the latter company exited the precious metals industry after more than 150 years. Asahi produces silver bullion bars in popular 1 oz, 10 oz, 1 Kilogram, and 100 oz weights with its corporate logo and assayer marks.
Buying Silver Bars from JM Bullion
When you’ve found the right silver bar for you, we can help you with any purchasing questions. Our customer service team is available to you at 800-276-6508, online using our live chat, and via our email address.
