American Hartford Gold is a privately held gold dealer founded in 2015 and based in Los Angeles, CA.
Products:
The company sells silver bars, including 10 and 100-ounce bars from various hallmarks.
Shipping:
All orders include free shipping, insurance, and tracking.
Payment Options:
The company accepts wire transfers and checks.
Other Services:
American Hartford Gold offers a price-match guarantee and a buyback program. Investors can also get up to $2,500 in free silver on qualifying purchases.
Augusta Precious Metals is a family-owned business in Tarzana, CA, that has been in operation for over 50 years.
Products:
Some popular silver bars offered by the company include 10 and 100-ounce bars from various hallmarks.
Shipping:
The company offers free insured shipping.
Payment Options:
The company accepts wire transfers for any amount and personal checks for up to $50,000.
Other Services:
All clients meet with a Harvard-educated economist. All purchases and products come with price protection. Also, the company offers a 100% money-back guarantee within seven days of purchase for new customers who buy premium precious metals.
Goldco is a privately held precious metal dealer that was founded in 2006 and is based in Woodland Hills, CA.
Products:
Some investment options include silver bars in varying sizes from a range of hallmarks.
Shipping:
The company does not charge for shipping.
Payment Options:
Goldco accepts checks, cashier’s checks, and wire transfers.
Other Services:
Goldco offers financial articles and resources to educate investors about precious metals and IRAs. Their website provides free educational resources in blogs, eBooks, videos, and a live price tracker. Also, fees are waived for the first year, and new investors receive 10% back in silver coins. Finally, the yearly storage cost is reimbursed in like-value silver when investors make a $25,000 minimum purchase.
Goldline is a precious metal dealer that was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA.
Products:
Goldline offers a large selection of silver products to invest in. Some options include two-ounce MapleFlex, 10-ounce, one-kilogram, 100-ounce, and 100-gram Valcambi bars.
Shipping:
Orders are shipped for free.
Payment Options:
Goldline accepts wire transfers.
Other Services:
Goldline offers a seven-day price guarantee program for purchases over $10,000. Also, the company provides educational resources to new investors who want to learn about the precious metals industry and how to get started with investing.
Lear Capital was established in 1997 and is located in Los Angeles, CA.
Products:
Some silver investment options through Lear Capital include 10 and 100-ounce bars.
Shipping:
The shipping prices vary based on the products, weight, and shipping location.
Payment Options:
The company accepts wire transfers and checks.
Other Services:
Lear Capital offers a library of educational resources regarding precious metal investing. The company also has no-fee buyback and price-match programs. Also, the yearly storage cost is reimbursed in like-value silver when making a minimum purchase, and investors receive more like-value silver for every additional $25,000 investment.
Noble Gold is a precious metal brokerage firm in Pasadena, CA, established in 2017.
Products:
Noble Gold offers IRS-approved silver bars to invest in. Some options include five-ounce Highland Mint, 10-ounce Republic Metals, one-ounce Rand Refinery, and 100-ounce Republic Metals bars.
Shipping:
The shipping prices vary based on the products, weight, and shipping location.
Payment Options:
Noble Gold Investments accepts wire transfers.
Other Services:
The company offers a buyback program and a free investment kit to educate investors on physical assets. Noble Gold Investments also offers Survival Packs, which are pre-selected precious metal bundles. The company’s experts select a blend of precious metals for each Survival Pack tier. Finally, the company offers segregated storage.
Oxford Gold Group is a precious metal company based in Los Angeles, CA, that was founded in 2017.
Products:
Some silver assets offered by the company include one to 100-ounce and PAMP Suisse bars.
Shipping:
Oxford Gold Group offers free shipping.
Payment Options:
The company accepts wire transfers.
Other Services:
The company offers a comprehensive investment guide and additional informative videos and articles on how to invest in physical assets. Also, Oxford Gold Group offers buyback and no-fee liquidation programs.
Regal Assets is a California-based precious metals dealer that was founded in 2009.
Products:
Some of the silver investment options offered by the company include 10 and 100-ounce bars.
Shipping:
The shipping prices vary based on the products, weight, and shipping location.
Payment Options:
The company accepts wire transfers.
Other Services:
Regal Assets also offers pre-packaged assets at varying investment tiers. The company also offers a buyback program and segregated storage. Finally, investors are not charged any fees for the first year.
A silver bar can also be referred to as silver bullion. It is a piece of highly concentrated silver of up to 99% purity. Bullion comes in the form of coins or bars. Unlike yesteryears, today, it is primarily used for investment purposes.
Banks moved to purely fiat currencies because of the limited supply of silver and its high prices. Now, it is not being used as currency anymore but as a form of investment, industrial use, and a store of wealth.
Silver Bar Sizes
Silver bars are available in a variety of sizes. Most of their sizes are based on troy ounces. Nonetheless, some mints offer them in grams. Still, there are imported bars that are sized in metric units. Common silver bar sizes in the market are one, five, ten, and one hundred ounces. Certain mints and non-government manufactures and refineries make other standard sizes that include:
1-ounce Silver Bars: Common and ideal for small-scale investors.
5-ounce Silver Bars: A step up, offering a balance between affordability and investment value.
10-ounce Silver Bars: A popular size, offering a substantial investment while still being portable.
20-gram Silver Bars: It is equivalent to approximately 0.7 ounces for those preferring metric measurements.
50-ounce and 100-ounce Silver Bars: Larger sizes for more serious investors.
1-kilo Silver Bars: A metric size equivalent to approximately 32.15 ounces, popular in the international market.
1,000-ounce Silver Bars: The largest standard size, suited for significant investments.
Types of Silver Bullion Bars
There are a variety of silver bars in the market today if you are interested in investing. The most popular ones amongst most investors are the minted ingots. Ingots start as long-cast silver bars that are fed into a stamping press.
The stamping press is computer-controlled. As a result, each bar is precisely cut by weight and size. Additionally, the press stamps a unique design on each ingot. While some have exciting designs, others only have essential standard markings. So, this type is the most preferred given its precision and weight, purity, and metal content in each bar.
Investors and collectors also prefer the alluring hand-poured and cast bars. As a result, most refineries continue to use traditional techniques when creating silver bars.
Even though not all hand-poured or cast bars lack flair, various U.S refineries pride themselves on producing hand-stamped and hand-poured silver bars with designs; hence, there are no two silver bars in the same series that look similar.
Regardless of the type of silver bar you purchase, you should check that it is refined to a purity standard of .999 or .9999 silver content. Additionally, many silver bars have an assay card that authenticates each product and verifies purity, weight, and content.
Silver Bar Manufacturers
Silver bars have been manufactured for years. Some silver bars have been manufactured by two very old but popular companies, Johnson Matthey and Engelhard. They are no longer in operation, though. As a result, their silver products are in high demand because of their rarity. They have unique designs, plus their historical value makes them the most desired bars by collectors.
On the other hand, new silver manufacturers include the following:
NTR Metals
NTR Metals was established in 2004 and dealt with the refining of various metals for pawnshops and jewelers. The company serves customers throughout the world. It is worth noting that the company is based in the United States.
PAMP Suisse
PAMP Suisse is another metal refining company that has managed to build a good reputation over the years. The company was established in 1977 and has been consistent in producing high-quality metal bars throughout its existence. It deals with the refining, assaying, and minting of gold. Additionally, it also produces platinum, palladium, and silver bullion products.
The above-mentioned companies manufacture silver bars of varying sizes and designs. They are among the most trusted and reputable companies to get quality products from. Just recently, Australian and Canadian companies began producing silver bars, as well. The Royal Canadian Mint, for instance, is a stunningly crafted silver bar with impressive designs.
Several other companies produce silver bars, including
A-Mark
Asahi
Atlantis Mint
Geiger
Highland Mint
OPM Metals
Perth Mint
Scottsdale Mint
Sunshine
Valcambi
Why Invest in a Silver Bar?
Owning or investing in precious metals like silver bars can reduce the risk of other investments like paper currency and stocks.
The value of paper money has been on an all-time decline. This has worsened, especially when governments are printing more money in the wake of the economic downfall caused by COVID-19. On the other hand, precious metals, such as silver bars, have remained relatively stable and may help guard your portfolio against inflation.
On the other hand, silver is a limited resource, meaning that its potential to gain value as its demand increases is high. It cannot be recreated on a computer, nor can it be duplicated like paper money. Therefore, as an investment, it may gain you a higher return on investment.
Silver Bar Pros and Cons
Before investing a large chunk of change in silver products, weigh the pros and cons of purchasing this asset.
Pros
Inflation Hedge
The purchasing power of the dollar is likely to decline with time. In such situations, precious metals like silver help investors protect against inflation.
Portfolio Diversification
Investing in silver is a great way to diversify your portfolio and maintain its value in times of economic depression or stock market crash. Silver is inversely correlated with other assets, meaning prices may increase when the cost of other assets decreases.
Stock Market Alternative
Silver prices tend to rise in response to the fall in stock and bond prices. In this case, investing in silver does wonders to safeguard your assets.
Cons
No Passive Income
Unlike stocks and bonds, investing in silver doesn’t earn passive income through dividends. Instead, silver bars appreciate when the cost-of-living increases and the economy undergoes a recession.
High Premium
When buying silver bars, dealers charge a premium above the spot price. This increases the cost of the bar above the actual market price. Moreover, premiums may increase when the demand for silver bars is high.
Secure Storage Fees
It is necessary to store your silver bars in a secure storage vault to prevent theft or loss. Many prefer storing their precious metals at a reputable depository. In either case, you will be paying fees for high-quality safe or depository storage.
Capital Gains Tax
Precious metals are subject to capital gain tax by the IRS. When you want to sell your silver, any profit you have made is taxable. The current tax rate on long-term capital gains is 28%.
Silver Bar FAQ
How to Buy Silver Bars?
You can purchase silver bars at your reputable local dealer or website. However, buying from banks may entail much higher premiums and prices.
What’s The Difference Between a Coin and a Bar?
A silver coin is minted by government entities and sovereign mints. Thus, each coin gets a legal tender attribution from the country it was minted.
A bar, on the other hand, has a purity of 99.9% and can be privately or government minted.
Where Should I Sell My Silver Bullion?
It is advisable to always trade your silver with the same bullion dealer. A good relationship with your dealer may lead to better payment or incentives.
Which Silver Bar Should I Buy?
To know which silver bar is right for you, first understand your primary goals. For instance, you may be looking to invest and diversify your portfolio or for collecting purposes. A bar with a design costs more than a plain one; thus, for investment purposes, it’s advisable to go with the most economical bar.
Also, decide what your budget is. Many dealers are willing to work with you to purchase silver products that meet your goals and budgetary constraints.
Why You Should Consider Buying Silver Bars
If you have not yet made up your mind to buy silver bars in 2022, here are the reasons why you should do so:
High-level stock market – geopolitical tensions that make the stock market decline may lead to a corresponding rise in prices of valuable metals, such as silver. If you buy today and sell later, you may enjoy large returns.
Silver is the best way to diversify your portfolio – Most investors are quick to invest in the stock market due to its quick and attractive returns. However, when the stock markets crash, investors lose a huge portion of their investment. Therefore, investing in silver bars can be a wise idea to diversify your investment portfolio and safeguard your assets in the event of a stock market decline.
A not-so-good global political scenario – The geopolitical tension being experienced in various parts of the world can lead to an economic slowdown in the future. Therefore, it may be best to proactively safeguard your investment now by investing some portion of your funds in silver.
Are Silver Bars Easy to Sell?
Absolutely, there are many places where you can sell your silver bars if you no longer need them. Reputable places are handy, especially in times of financial need. Also, you can check with your reputable local jeweler or industry professionals with a knack for selling silver.
The key is to carry out some initial research and find out the best places for you to sell. Once you have a list of some of the most trustworthy dealers, you can go ahead and sell your silver bars at a rate that will ensure you get good returns.
Final Thoughts
Considering silver is eight times more abundant than gold, it is easy to see why it is a coveted investment and collecting option. Many individuals choose to purchase silver bars as a hedge against inflation and an asset to diversify investment portfolios, such as precious metal IRAs. If you're looking into silver bar investing, consider purchasing these assets from one of the precious metal dealers listed above.
