Investing in Silver – are Silver Rounds a Good Way to Invest in Silver Bullion?

Silver bullion rounds are simply another name for silver coins. The term round came about because the silver was shaped into coins and thus was able to be stacked into rolls. This made it convenient for the coins to be handled and shipped. You’ll often see them referred to as silver art rounds because they can be purchased inscribed with a variety of designs ranging from commemorative, religious, military, cars, holidays, weapons, animals, presidents, and even Elvis!

Specifications:

You can buy silver rounds in sizes ranging from one ounce to over one hundred ounces. The one ounce variety is the most popular.
Each silver round coin contains one full ounce of pure silver.
It has a purity of .999 fine silver.
It is not government-backed and has no legal tender status.

Varieties:

Silver bullion rounds are available in both name-brand and generic.

Name-brand silver rounds include the one-ounce private mint produced A-Mark Precious Metals, Wall Street Mint and Sunshine Minting. These silver rounds will display the name or hallmark of the mint that manufactured them.

Generic silver rounds are produced by a variety of small, little-known firms as well as those produced over the years by companies that may or may not still be in business. They typically have a smaller markup than the name-brand silver rounds.

Most Valuable:

Engelhard Silver Prospectors is the one ounce silver round that is most sought after by collectors. It was minted by Engelhard but has not been produced since 1988. This silver round is difficult to obtain and occasionally can be purchased on the secondary market.

Reasons to Buy:

Silver rounds are readily available.
They typically sell for a lower premium than government-backed silver bullion coins.
The value of the rounds is directly correlated to the current price of silver.
Their small size makes them perfect coins for bartering.

Conclusion:

Silver bullion rounds are affordable, easy to store, count, buy and sell. They are an excellent way for the small investor or collector to invest directly in pure silver bullion.