Silver bullion coins are coins that are minted by sovereign states and have a silver purity of at least .999 silver. They are a legal tender of the country that produces them. Most commonly, they are 1 troy oz coins. Some of the most popular are the American Silver Eagle, Canadian Silver Maple Leaf, Mexican Silver Libertad, Austrian Silver Philharmonic Coin, British Silver Brittanias and many others. Silver bullion coins are a favorite investment due to their easy identification, trusted status and beauty. They always carry a premium over the melt value of silver. The number of a particular bullion coin issued in a given year affects the size of the premium attached to that coin. Coins minted in larger numbers tend to have lower premiums than those with lower mintages which naturally have higher premiums.. Silver bars are most commonly issued in 1, 10 and 100 troy ounce sizes. Because silver bars never circulated as money, wear and tear is not an issue, thus making their silver content almost perfectly uniform. They have the advantage of having their silver purity and content printed on them, making them easier to trade.   Silver bars Silver bars are most commonly issued in 1, 10 and 100 troy ounce sizes. Because silver bars never circulated as money, wear and tear is not an issue, thus making their silver content almost perfectly uniform. They have the advantage of having their silver purity and content printed on them, making them easier to trade.   1000 oz bars The 1000 oz size is very unique in a few respects. It is known as a "good delivery" bar that is deliverable on Comex. This means that professional investors and institutions will accept it readily in a trade. Do not consider buying 1000 oz bars unless you really know what you are doing and have a very specific reason for doing so. If you have a reason, you will know it, if you do not know of a reason, than you probably do not have one and should forget about these bars. They are extraordinarily heavy and very difficult to handle and store. One advantage may be that a thief would have a very difficult time trying to remove any of these bars, even one, from your premises.   100 oz bars A good choice as a long term investment where you do not expect to need to sell your silver in small amounts. These bars sell very close to "melt" value (the value of the silver when it is melted), which makes them inexpensive relative to other sizes and forms of silver, but, which also means that you will get less than "melt" when you sell them. They are bought and sold for the value of their silver content and nothing else. There are no manufacturing costs involved. They are about the size of a house brick, pretty heavy (never drop one on your foot!), stack well for easy storage, but also make a nice target for thieves.   10 oz bars A very popular size, 10 oz bars are approximately 4 in. X 2 in. X 1/4 in.. They do carry a small premium over spot when sold and are produced by a variety of companies, such as Engelhard, Johnson Matthey, Northwest Territorial Mint and Amark. A notable 10 oz bar is the very popular Wall Street Mint bar, which sports a vivid image of the NY Skyline, with the twin towers prominently displayed. They are a beautiful and historic bar.   1 oz bars A good choice as a medium to long term investment, allowing sales in small amounts, as needed. Prices for 1 oz bars are based primarily on their silver content, with a small premium for manufacturing and transportation costs. These prices are widely available. Silver bars are extremely liquid and very easy to sell when desired. They stack nicely, are very compact and are, therefore, very convenient to store and transport.   Silver rounds Also known as privately-minted silver rounds, this form of silver sells at a small markup above spot. The price includes a very small premium for manufacturing and transportation costs. They are minted for investment purposes and usually have little or no collectibility or rarity value. When buying, look for a hallmark stating silver content and purity. They are usually minted of fine (.999) Silver. The hallmark will help you get the best price when you decide to sell. An ideal investment in pure silver, silver rounds are highly liquid and carry almost no risk except price risk. Silver rounds are not legal tender coins.   90% (junk or survival) Silver U.S. coins minted prior to 1964 were composed of 90% silver and 10% copper. The main reason they are known as survival coins is the fact that they are legal tender coins. Also, because people remember when they circulated as money, they have the advantage of being easily recognized as money. If the need arises to use these coins in everyday transactions, Americans will feel comfortable accepting them as paymnent for goods and services. Additionally, because they are denominated in convenient amounts, they will work well in trade.   This is the cheapest form of investment silver. Their price is based primarily upon the silver content of the coins. Fortunately, a given face value of any coin, whether a quarter or a dime, yields the same silver content. Because $100.00 face value in dimes contains the same silver content, 71.5 troy ounces, as $100.00 face value of half dollars, the calculation is the same for the different denominations.   A full bag contains $1,000 face value of dimes, quarters or half dollars. A bag of dimes contains 10,000 coins; a bag of quarters 4,000 coins; and a bag of half-dollars 2,000 coins. When minted, a $1,000 face value bag contains 723.4 ounces of silver. Due to wear, however, a bag of circulated coins yields approximately 715 troy ounces; therefore, to calculate a price, multiply the weight (715 troy oz.) by the spot price of silver. For a half-bag, the face value is $500.00 and the approximate silver content is 362.50 troy ounces. For a one-tenth bag, the face value is $100.00 and the approximate silver content is 71.50 troy ounces. For a roll of dimes, the face value is $5.00 and the silver content is 3.50 troy ounces. For a roll of quarters, the face value is $10.00 and the silver content is 7.00 troy ounces. For a roll of half-dollars, the face value is $10.00 and the silver content is 7.00 troy ounces.   One additional consideration is important. Half dollars are generally more in demand than quarters or dimes so they carry a premium on their price. Also, the older half dollars, such as Barbers and Walking Libertys, carry a premium over their newer counterparts. the Franklins and the Kennedys. Among quarters, the same preferences apply between oldest and newest.   Silver dollars