Client communications are a priority for us. If someone calls, we have live people answering the phone and ready to provide service. If you need support by email or by live chat, we respond promptly. This is, of course, good business as it makes for happy customers!

However, it is great for another reason. A big part of what we do is provide timely and useful articles and podcasts you can use to stay current on developments which impact the metals markets and your investments. It helps us immensely to know what our clients are thinking about and what questions they have.

Here are a few good questions we’ve seen recently, along with our responses…

Question: What is the best buy currently – bars or sovereign coins?

Answer: Whether it is sovereign coins or bars that represent the “best buy” will depend on what is important to you. In terms of silver, bars (and 1-ounce silver rounds) offer the lowest overall cost per ounce. If “best buy” means “lowest price,” these are the way to go. You can’t go wrong buying the maximum number of ounces for the least amount of money, provided you are getting a quality product made by reputable mints and refiners.

On the other hand, coin premiums are at cycle lows and there is a floor of sorts beneath them. Sovereign mints, unlike private mints and refiners, are not responding to weaker sales by reducing minting charges. Based on our experience, we do not expect them to change course. That likely means coin premiums aren’t headed much lower than they are right now.

People who prefer buying official, legal-tender coins for their recognizability and popularity should consider grabbing some now.

Customers who want to speculate on coin premiums, might also want to exploit today’s conditions.

In recent years, we’ve seen premiums on the silver American Eagle at more than twice the current level. Chances are that will happen again the next time demand spikes, giving returns on those items an extra boost.

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