Today there’s a lot of interest in precious metals as a hedge against economic uncertainty. The answer to the question: ‚How much is silver worth?‘ can help you decide if investing in coins or bars of this precious metal is right for you and those you must provide for.

Gold and other valuable metals rise and fall in value according to various economic and social conditions that exist worldwide. It’s important to understand these forces and their effects, just as you would want to understand how the stock market operates and why stock prices move up and down. Metals are traded – bought and sold – on the commodities market; they are tangible assets rather than shares of ownership in corporate entities.

Bars, or ingots, are one way of buying metals. Investors also trade in coins. Coins vary in value according to the weight of precious metal they contain. They also may have added value if they’re rare, in very good condition, or have some historic background. For instance, a Roman coin or a Spanish doubloon recovered from an important shipwreck will be worth more than the intrinsic value by weight.

An ounce of silver is not like an ounce of sugar or flour. Troy ounces are used for this measurement; this is an ancient measuring system developed in medieval France and still used today. There are twelve troy ounces to a troy pound, and bars are made in 100 to 5,000 troy ounces. A troy ounce is a little heavier than the ounce used to weigh foods.

The commodities value of this metal changes from moment to moment. The price is influenced by supply and demand, changes in other commodities, and the relative prices of world currencies. When the dollar is ‚weak‘, in that investors have less confidence in the world reserve currency, precious metals rise in price. Investors buy, hold until the price rises significantly, and then sell to make a profit.

Of course, there are other measures of worth than the commodity market. Some advisers say that, in times of emergency, people would have a hard time buying food or other necessities with ingots of gold, for instance. They say having a hoard of coins makes more sense, since they are a familiar form of exchange and merchants are more likely to accept them. If the main reason for having silver is for emergency use, ‚junk-silver‘ might be the most valuable investment.

Junk-silver is simply American dollars, half-dollars, quarters, and dimes made before 1965. These coins are 90% pure. The coins have no other value, being neither in mint condition or rare. However, a 1964 dollar is worth more than $10 now and might be worth even more if paper money becomes devalued. Having a supply of junk-silver can mean added security for you and your family in hard times.

Therefore, the true value depends on the reason you are collecting the metal. An investment for trading is one thing, an emergency hoard another, a carefully-selected coin collection still another.

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