The American Precious Metals Exchange, also known as APMEX, is one of the world’s foremost silver dealers and one of a small handful of extremely well funded, highly reputable companies which the United States Mint allows to purchase silver and gold Eagles for distribution to the public. APMEX is a major presence in the precious metals market, and features a website which sells bullion products not only from the United States but also from most other contemporary gold and silver sources.

It is unsurprising, given its expertise in the field and colossal resources, that APMEX produces its own line of silver ingots and silver rounds as a private mint, as well as selling the ingots, rounds, and coins produced by banks, private mints, and governments worldwide.

Silver rounds, regardless of their source, differ from coins in that they do not bear a monetary value, and thus are clearly distinguishable from coins, which are legal tender minted by a government authority. Although the loathsomely cruel punishments once inflicted on counterfeiters are fortunately no longer on the books – with such penalties as death by torture luckily being a thing of the past – counterfeiting is still a serious crime, which private mints are studious to avoid.

Silver rounds give collectors and investors the chance to acquire pure, fine silver bullion at a low premium. Though these rounds do not have any numismatic value, and are not legal tender, they are still precious metal, and thus a good store of value over time, guarding your resources against inflation. The theory is that if hyperinflation occurs in the future, the value of silver will increase explosively as well, keeping your stored purchasing power high in case of an emergency.

The Details of APMEX Silver Rounds

Like many modern silver rounds, those fashioned and sold by APMEX are beautifully made, struck in the same manner as coins, and given a proof-like deep mirror finish. Alas, this does not give them any numismatic premium, present or future, but it does provide you with an exquisitely lovely item for your collection, which you will undoubtedly enjoy viewing and handling. The larger rounds are encapsulated in plastic to keep them bright and pristine for many decades.

The different sizes of silver rounds bear a variety of images, many taken from older United States currency, and range in weight from fractional silver rounds of 1/10 ounce to 10 ounces. All of the rounds made by APMEX are .999 fine silver (99.9% pure), placing them on a par with most bullion coins in the matter of purity. The rounds available today include:

• The 1/10 Ounce APMEX Mercury Dime Silver Round – this fractional round is made to resemble the “Mercury” dime of the early 20th century (though “Mercury” is actually Liberty in a somewhat masculine depiction). The reverse bears the fasces and foliage of the original as well.
• The ¼ Ounce APMEX Standing Liberty Quarter Silver Round – these extremely striking rounds bear the image of Liberty bearing an olive branch and round buckler, and have the modest covering of mail armor over her bosom which replaced the earlier bare-breasted design that was the scandal of the early 20th century. The reverse shows a flying eagle.
• The ½ Ounce APMEX Walking Liberty Half Dollar Silver Round – the graceful figure of Liberty walking in front of the sun rising over mountains appears on the obverse of this round, while a proud eagle stands on a rock outcropping on the reverse beside a small bush or sapling.
• The ½ Ounce APMEX Patriotic Eagle Silver Round – an in-house design rather than an imitation of an American coin of the past, this silver round shows an eagle clutching a shield and olive branch in its talons, and a ribbon inscribed “Liberty” clamped in its beak. The reverse depicts the word “APMEX” in large letters as well as the company website’s URL!
• The 1 Ounce APMEX Patriotic Eagle Silver Round – this round has the same design as the ½ ounce Patriotic Eagle design described above.
• The 5 Ounce APMEX Patriotic Eagle Silver Round – this large, new round is essentially a larger clone of the two foregoing rounds, as is the 10 Ounce APMEX Patriotic Silver Eagle Round which rounds out the company’s range.

APMEX: a Swift Mushrooming of Success

APMEX appears to be a firm which is in the right place at the right time, and to have seized on the market at the exact time when economic fears have driven up demand for precious metals strongly among the general population. It is a very young company, have been founded in 1999 and first appearing on the Internet in 2003. Scott Thomas, the founder, is still the president of the Oklahoma City firm, which is found in the former Federal Reserve Bank in that Midwestern metropolis.

The huge volume of sales which the company processes every year has given it the necessary economies of scale to produce silver ingots and rounds to be sold with a very narrow margin above spot, rather than smaller quantities which would necessarily be more expensive.

Despite the fact that it only entered the international coin market two years ago, APMEX appears to be an authorized dealer for the world famous Canadian Silver Maple Leaves. As its fortunes continue to expand in an era when ordinary people and top investors alike crave the certain value provided by precious metal, the company’s range of high quality silver bullion products will doubtlessly expand, too.

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