Silvertowne Silver Bars
Buying Silvertowne silver bars is much like buying any other silver bar. Their primary uses are either as a store of value to hedge against inflation, or as a “commodity investment”, or both. Since they are not immediately collectible (see below for a note on the future prospects of some bars becoming collectible), their price will never rise much above spot. Therefore, only buy them as an investment if you believe the actual price of silver is due to skyrocket in the near future.
Silvertowne bars are well made out of .999 fine silver, so they are valuable as a store of worth and an asset which can be liquidated fairly easily. Their weight is sometimes fractionally above their nominal weight, though never below. As with all silver, you should weigh it when it arrives so that you can report problems and get an exchange quickly should that prove necessary.
There is a possibility that some Silvertowne bars might eventually become collectible, since they have unique and sometimes eccentric designs, such as Moses’ Tablets of the Law or an old time miner leading a pack mule. However, predicting whether any of these bars will ever gain a premium much above spot is a very difficult task, and buying them in the hopes that they will eventually double or triple their premium above spot value is a gamble, to say the least.
Silvertowne silver bars can be purchased directly from Silvertowne itself, or from secondary sources such as APMEX (the American Precious Metals Exchange, found on the Internet at www.apmex.com). Silvertowne is noted for its integrity and reliability, and items will be received quickly and well packed when purchased through their website. However, the same is equally true of APMEX, with the additional fact that you can buy other products you might want at the same time. The two purchasing choices are basically equal.
It should be noted that although Silvertowne silver bars are made out of .999 fine silver and may arrive in pristine condition, some buyers report that they are received in a damaged condition – nicked,
scratched, gouged, and battered, with rounded-off corners. This seems to only be the case with some examples of the bars, but it is still a caveat that potential buyers should be aware of.
Further, Silvertowne silver bars do not come with any kind of protective sheath – the bare silver bar is all that is received in a Silvertowne bar purchase. The bars may be tarnished upon receipt because of this, or they may bear burn marks from the pouring process. If you want to protect your bars with a layer of plastic, you will need to arrange encapsulation yourself, since Silvertowne does not provide it.
The Story of Silvertowne Silver Bars
Silvertowne is a success story of the precious metals world, having begun in the years immediately following the Second World War as a souvenir shop that included a jewelry counter, and which has since expanded into a silver and gold business which has even supplied the planchets (blank coins) used by the U.S. Mint to strike its five ounce America the Beautiful series – a meteoric rise indeed.
The firm, located in Indiana, both sells bullion coins (mostly American, though some international coins are also on offer) and mints their own silver bars, rounds, and medallions. They also have a custom service which engraves rounds or medallions to order, though that is of no concern to those who are seeking for silver bars as an investment or a store of value.
The silver bars produced by Silvertowne appear in the usual sizes, though there are a huge variety of themes. Every conceivable image, from the American flag to the crucified Christ, appears on Silvertowne silver bars, in an attempt to make them more marketable. Christian themes appear on many of the bars, making them particularly appealing to those who have a strong interest in religious matters.
The business has existed for over six decades, so it is likely to continue to be a good source for silver into the future as well. The fact that planchets have been ordered from Silvertowne by the U.S. Mint indicates the rise in the company’s fortunes as well as the high quality of the products they produce.
Characteristics of Silvertowne Silver Bars
Silvertowne silver bars are typical modern silver bars made with the latest methods. They are crisp and well made, with the exception of the occasional damaged bars which are described above. These bars come in the weights that many manufacturers use, although they tend towards the smaller end of the scale and you may not be able to locate a 1,000 ounce silver bar from this source.
These bars do not come with any kind of protective sheath, so they may arrive in a tarnished state and require some cleaning to look their best. Burn marks, scrapes, and other marks from production can also be found on some of the bars.
One ounce, five ounce, and ten ounce silver bars are the typical sizes offered by this company, but there is also a fifty ounce silver bar (poured) as well. The poured silver bar is predictably rougher and more irregular and “lumpy” than the smaller bars which were struck with die, and bears a serial number as well as the Silvertowne name in fancy, looping script. It is generally available for several dollars over spot per ounce.
The smaller silver bars come in such a bewildering variety of designs that many pages could be used to describe them. These bars are made with a good deal of precision, however, and the weights – 1 troy ounce, 5 ounces, 10 ounces – are reliable and full. The designs which are currently in production include Christmas scenes, such as angels, teddy bears, Santa Claus, holiday bells, and so on; religious themes, including the Ten Commandments and Christ on the Cross; Native American imagery; Easter, Father’s Day, Patriotic (including, rather amusingly, both United States and Confederate flags in the form of silver bars); and dozens of other themes for popular activities, holidays, events, and anything else that lends itself well to depiction on a silver ingot.
