When I first started stacking silver I “created my luck” by knowing exactly what kind of silver I wanted to buy.
I intuitively knew what kind of silver I wanted to purchase because I knew the exact reason why I was buying silver in the first place.
Silver stackers, collectors, and enthusiasts typically buy junk silver and confederate coins for barter, silver bars for wealth preservation, and sovereign coins, numismatic coins, and silver rounds for barter, wealth preservation, or collectability.
Some people also purchase silver objects and jewelry for the esthetic interest or intrinsic value. Some people even purchase silver shot to create silver-based art.
| Types of Silver | Common Reason to Stack | Common Goals |
| Junk Silver | Barter | Direct exchange for goods Generational wealth Inflation Hedge |
| Confederate Coins | Barter | Direct exchange for goods Generational wealth Inflation Hedge |
| Silver Bars | Wealth Preservation | Generational wealth Inflation Hedge |
| Sovereign Coins | Barter Wealth Preservation | Liquidate to FIAT Direct exchange for goods Generational wealth Inflation Hedge |
| Silver Rounds | Barter Wealth Preservation | Liquidate to FIAT Direct exchange for goods Generational wealth Inflation Hedge |
| Numismatic Coins | Wealth Preservation Collectability | Trade with collectors Generational wealth |
| Silver Shot | Melt Resale | Create and sell silver objects or art |
| Silver Objects | Melt Collectability Resale | Liquidate to FIAT Generational wealth Speculation |
| Jewelry | Aesthetic Resale | Generational wealth Liquidate to FIAT Generational wealth Speculation |
Knowing why you want to buy silver is the step to understanding what kind of silver you should buy. Once you know why you want to buy silver, we can have a deeper look at the kind of silver adapted to your specific goals.
I am going to explain the different types of silver you could buy along with common reasons why people stack each type of silver.
This article will therefore help you to decide what kind of silver you should buy.
Buy Junk Silver For Barter
Confederate coins or junk silver consist of circulated and uncirculated coins containing silver. These coins consist of .10 cents, .5 cents, and .25 cent coins pre-dating 1965 in the USA, and 1967 in Canada.
| Junk Silver | |
| Reasons to Stack | Barter Direct exchange for goods Generational wealth Inflation Hedge |
| Common Goals | Direct exchange for goods Generational wealth Inflation Hedge |
| Advantages | Small denominations Recognizable by everyone Face value Easy to liquidate |
| Disadvantages | Not pure silver |
Surprisingly, junk silver typically is not stacked as a collectable, but for barter.
Confederate coins are excellent for barter because they are small denominations containing high percentages of silver making them easy to exchange for small quantities of goods.
If, in an SHTF situation, you wanted to buy two tomatoes with a form of currency, you would need a small quantity of universally recognized value to exchange.
Having junk silver makes it easy to trade in these circumstances. A .25 cent silver coin could get you a few tomatoes.
However, if you only had a 10 oz bar of silver, you would only be able to buy very large quantities of tomatoes. Nobody wants random shavings of a silver bar.
Confederate coins are also legal tender that have face value.
Using junk silver to barter is considered a great way to continue to use a recognized, yet still intrinsically valuable currency in a hyperinflationary scenario.
Keep in mind that these coins typically are not pure silver. If your goal is to stack the most concentrated amount of silver possible for wealth preservation, you may be more interested in bars or in coins.
Buy Silver Bars to Preserve Wealth
Silver bars typically consist of large quantities of silver in a bar format. These are what you would typically imagine in a central bank.
| Silver Bars | |
| Common Reason to Stack | Wealth Preservation |
| Common Goals | Generational wealth Inflation Hedge |
| Advantages | Practical for long term storage Lower premiums compared to coins Look cool |
| Disadvantages | Often cost a higher initial investment Harder to liquidate More difficult to verify purity Not as recognizable as face value coins Not always purchased by all dealers Not useful for barter |
You can find silver bars in 1 oz, 1 kilo, or even 5 kilo bars.
Although some small denominations can be used for barter (for example 1 oz silver bars), in most cases, silver bars are only used to preserve wealth.
Since bars contain such large and dense quantities of silver they are not practical to use in barter for everyday items.
However, silver bars can be practical to barter for large items such as a car or home in an SHTF.
The upside about silver bullion bars is that they typically have lower premiums compared to coins or other manufactured forms of silver.
Bars are typically cheaper because they are lumps of silver in raw forms. Silver bars typically do not have any fancy finishes or designs lowering their cost to produce.
Most people who purchase silver bars have the goal of re-converting it back into FIAT currency at some point.
Bars can be practical if you do not need access to your money right away, believe silver preserves wealth, and may possibly increase in value over time.
Just keep in mind that some dealers may not buy back silver bars due to the risk of their core not actually containing silver.
Silver bars are not as recognizable as coins, and can be harder to use (and carry) in everyday situations.
Buy Silver Coins For Easy Liquidation
Sovereign coins are created by government-controlled mints and typically have a face value. These coins are highly recognizable and are very easy to liquidate back into FIAT currency.
Silver rounds are coins that are created by private mints. These coins cost less than sovereign coins but are sometimes considered less recognizable than sovereign government minted coins.
| Silver Coins | |
| Reasons to Stack | Barter Direct exchange for goods Generational wealth Inflation Hedge |
| Common Goals | Direct exchange for goods Generational wealth Inflation Hedge |
| Advantages | Small denominations Recognizable by everyone Face value Easy to liquidate |
| Disadvantages | Sovereign coins are more expensive than rounds Sometimes less recognizable vs sovereign coins Rounds do not have any face value |
Overall, sovereign coins and silver rounds are the first place most beginners start their stacking journey.
I personally started my stacking journey with 40% rounds and 60% sovereign coins and have no regrets based on my personal goals of stacking for barter (silver rounds) and wealth preservation (sovereign coins).
Buy Numismatic Silver Coins For Collectability
Numismatic coins are collectable coins minted by governments or private mints. These coins typically have low mintages making them more rare. Numismatic coins may also have key dates and special artwork.
| Numismatic Coins | |
| Reasons to Stack | Wealth Preservation Collectability |
| Common Goals | Trade With Collectors Generational Wealth |
| Advantages | Collectable Intrinsic value |
| Disadvantages | Very high premiums Often bought back below purchase price May or may not increase in value vs spot price due to high initial premium cost |
Numismatic coins typically are not recommended for beginners unless your goal is specifically to collect coins or speculate on their possible future value.
I saw a really cool gold dragon coin minted by the Canadian mint, but decided not to purchase it.
It was 45% over spot which is a huge markup in my opinion. I was just starting my stacking journey at the time.
I’m glad I didn’t let myself get distracted by shiny objects (literally lol) and stayed the path of my goals. I managed to purchase the same amount of gold for only 20% over spot that same month.
Buy Silver Objects & Jewelry For Speculation
Some people purchase or inherit silver objects including jewelry, antiques, candle holders, pots, pans, and decorative items.
Silver objects may be used as family heirlooms with sentimental value, or to preserve generational wealth.
| Silver Objects | |
| Reasons to Stack | MeltCollectability AestheticIntrinsic Value Resale |
| Common Goals | Liquidate to FIAT Generational Wealth Speculation |
| Advantages | Sentimental Value |
| Disadvantages | Often purchased at melt (low buy back) |
Silver objects are not useful for stacking if you are looking to barter or preserve wealth since these items are often only purchased back at melt.
Buy Silver Shot to Create Silver Objects
Silver shots consist of silver casting grain, or scrap silver in pellet form. Silver shot is typically obtained from refineries.
| Silver Shot | |
| Reasons to Stack | MeltResale |
| Common Goals | Create silver objects Create silver coins Create silver art |
| Advantages | Easy to melt |
| Disadvantages | Low value Not made for anything other than melt |
Most people who buy silver shot are going to melt it and use it to create poured silver artwork, coins, or objects.
Silver shot is not used as an investment vehicle.
I can’t tell you what to do, but hopefully this article helped you understand what kind of silver you should buy based on your personal goals.
My goals consisted in barter and wealth preservation when I first started out. So I bought 40% rounds and 60% sovereign coins.
Check out the other guides on our site for more:
- 10 Types of 1 oz Silver Coins (Ranked)
- Should you Buy Silver Bars or Coins?
- Can You Get Silver Without Buying It? (Free Silver)
- How to Avoid Gold & Silver Scams
- Why Stack Gold & Silver?
- Are Silver Bars Traceable?
- Can Silver Change Color?
- Can You Take Silver on a Plane?
That was my goal, but what is yours? Just be sure to find out before you go to a dealer, or else they will tell you your goals based on their own 😉
