Saturday, November 12, 2011

Info You Need to Know When You Buy Junk Silver Coins for Investment Purposes

By Glen Phillips


The first thing you need to realize is that when you buy junk silver coins, you're buying a worthy investment. They aren't as pure as 99.9% silver coins but definitely not deserving of the word, "junk." In fact, if you're lucky enough to find U.S. dimes, quarters, and half dollar coins that date back to 1965 or earlier, the silver content is about 90%. That's close to pure silver and therefore carries considerable weight.

For those who are unable to buy 99.9% silver coins, here's a great alternative. There are actually quite a lot of these "junk" silver coins floating around like the 1964 Kennedy half dollar, Barber head quarters, Mercury dimes, and Standing Liberty quarters. Here are some tips and reminders to help you identify which silver coins you should watch out for.

1. Nothing can be done properly without some degree of knowledge. Going in blind will mean the possibility of buying the wrong type of silver coins, or wavering over whether or not you should complete a transaction. Someone could come and snatch up the junk silver coins if you show indecisiveness, and that would mean a lost opportunity for you. To assist you in your search look for U.S. minted coins minted in 1964 or earlier. If you concentrate on these silver coins, you'll have an easier time focusing on a long term investment plan instead of getting caught with too many unnecessary details.

2. To calculate the silver value of the coins that you have, you can multiply the silver content of each coin by the current spot price of silver. This goes back to limiting your junk silver coin collection until you become familiar with the market trends. For example, Kennedy half dollars contain 0.36169 ounces of silver while mercury dimes contain 0.07234 ounces. Suppose you decide to buy silver junk coins in the form of Kennedy half dollars and the market price of silver is $40 an ounce; this means that the silver value per coin is $14.47.

3. You'll also notice once you start making the rounds that prices for the junk silver coin are commonly based on a multiple of the face value of the coin. Confused? At first, it can be difficult, but here's an example: if a silver dime is selling at a face value of 30, you would multiply the face value of the dime (.10) by 30 to arrive at $3.00. One tip would be to ask the coin dealer to explain how he calculates his rate. If he has nothing to hide, he will explain it without hesitation.

4. As a buyer, you should also know that the face value quoted typically applies the same to dimes, quarters, and half dollars; however, it's common for the face value quote of silver dollars to be higher. This means that whether you are purchasing half dollars, quarters or dimes, it will always be in reference to the "prevailing" face value which in turn is based on the silver price.

5. Now that you have an idea of how the market works, you can start looking at potential junk silver coin bargains. You can buy junk silver coins in smaller lots or in bulk, such as $100 and $1,000 face value bags. A bag of Kennedy half dollars in $1,000 face value bags at 30x face value will cost you $30,000 to purchase. Consequently, for an increase in face value rate to 30.5, you'll receive a $500 profit on your investment.

Finding the best coin dealer in Atlanta means conducting your due diligence so that you find a coin dealer with whom you're comfortable. If you're unable to find a coin dealer locally that you're comfortable with, don't hesitate to go online to find a reputable coin dealer from whom you can buy junk silver coins. Just remember to calculate the silver value of the respective coins prior to buying junk silver coins so that you can approach your purchase with reasonable expectations.




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