(Clint Siegner, Money Metals News Service) Bid and ask premiums for 90% silver U.S. coins are perhaps the most volatile of any among retail bullion products. At the recent peak of retail buying demand in 2023, ask premiums for these older, circulated dimes, quarters, and half dollars went north of $15/oz over spot.
Today, dealer inventories are overflowing, and those ask premiums are south of $1/oz.
For people planning to buy silver, those coins are worth a look. There are a few good reasons to own some 90% silver, sometimes referred to as “junk” silver, or pre-1965 silver.
The best reason is the simplest. These coins are the cheapest way to buy silver at the moment. Investors can hardly go wrong buying at the lowest possible price per ounce.
Another reason is that low premiums present an interesting opportunity to speculate on the premiums in addition to the metal itself. If and when there is another big surge in buying demand for these coins, premiums will invariably be higher.
Some savvy investors took advantage when premiums were sky high in 2022 and 2023.
They sold the 90% silver coins for as much as $9/oz in bid premium. They turned around and bought lower premium silver, such as 100 oz or 1000 oz bars – increasing the number of ounces in their holding.
Silver dimes, quarters, and half-dollars might also help investors mitigate the risk of a correction in silver prices. Right now, premiums are low because surging silver prices have resulted in more selling than buying. If there is a correction in the price, we are likely to see that trend reverse.
The premiums on 90% silver are traditionally the quickest to bounce when demand outstrips supply. The silver price rose and fell during the COVID years. Rising premiums offset some or all of the drops in the metal’s price during that time period.
It’s also worth considering that the supply of 90% silver U.S. coins only shrinks over time. The U.S. Mint made the last of those coins in 1964.
In recent months, these coins have been shipped to refiners to be melted. The silver can be converted into 1000 oz bars and sold at a profit.
The shrinking stock of these coins means there is an upward pressure on premiums over time – particularly when silver buying demand is strong.
These coins will always be popular when people are buying silver. They are official, government-issued, and that inspires trust. And they come in small units, which appeals to buyers who want something suitable for barter in their stash.
A silver dime, for example, is worth a little over $3. That could be the right size to trade for a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread, should the paper dollar collapse.
Investors just need to know that 90% coins are often not beautiful. Many of the coins in a bag will be quite worn, and others may be tarnished. Most other coins, rounds, and bars will look like newly minted silver. The aesthetics of 90% coins are how they earned the moniker “junk” silver.
But for most people, the silver they buy is going into their safe. They aren’t collectors, and they aren’t planning to put the coins on display. These folks will likely be quite happy they decided to buy 90% silver when premiums were so low.
