When investing in precious metals is there a preference? Rounds typically more expensive than bars from what I've researched. Just purchasing to have some precious metals in hand.

Good question, I was just looking at some 10th oncer coins today

If you are talking rounds and not coins... Generally, The smaller the weight the more the premium over spot price. 10 one ounce rounds will be more expensive than a 10 ounce bar..

I will add that Gov. issued coins will have a higher premium over spot than bullion (rounds and bars)... A one ounce coin will cost more than a one ounce round or bar

Whatever is cheapest at the time of purchase that is within your budget.

Imo, stay away from coins or bars sealed in capsules or plastic wrapped cards. There are many fakes showing up on the market. If you can't physically examine the item; weigh, measure, or otherwise test it, be suspicious.

Buy only from established dealers. The slight increase in premium is worth the price. Stay completely away from Ebay, Facebook Market Place, etc..

I do not disagree with waggler completely but many dealers sell on ebay like money metals, bullion exchange etc. these are brokers and i buy bullion that have been essayed at .999% pure foolproof probably not but i have no way of weighing a troy ounce or testing it as far as 1/10 ounce or other fractions they are mixed with copper to make a dollar size coin or bar so how do you measure that MHO

I don't know about investing in bullion .
I buy proof coins and sets directly from the US MINT!
Some coins are lower mintage , or just more desirable than others , and the price can double or triple in just a couple years.
It's never a sure thing, but held long enough, they go up in value.
I buy more for my kids and grand kids , as my age is not going to last forever.
They have something to hang on to, and they will gain value over time.
The silver is 99% pure silver gold is the same.

I was comparing some coins vs. bars. The coins were about $6 over spot where as the bars were around $4 over for ten ounces of silver. The coins were .9999 and the bars were .999, making the coins purer. Does the difference in purity offset the difference in cost? These coins are from the Australian mint.

No, the difference between 9999 and 999 doesn't offset the cost. The .9999 rounds you were looking at, were they Canadian Maple Leafs?

Ten ounce bars will generally be cheaper than 1 ounce rounds if they are both generic.

4 and 6 dollar premiums for generic silver is too much. Look for a better source.

1/10th ounce fractional silver is not mixed with copper. They are .999.

US pre 65 coins are mixed with 10 percent copper. It needed to be otherwise the metal in the coins would be too soft and would not stand up very well to circulation.

These were Australian Koalas. They were on the money metals web site. The sources close to me only have coins and they were $10 over spot, hence the internet looking. Steven you have any suggestions of sources for precious metal buying? Just wanting to cash in fur money for precious metals, that's why I'm only looking at silver and not gold.lol.

Ok. Koalas tend to be pricey, they are a beautiful coin and carry a hefty premium.

Just for educational purposes in the industry rounds refer to generic silver not minted by a government mint. Silver minted by government mints are called coins, they are actual currency like a quarter or dime and carry a face value. The Koala's face value is 1 dollar. Government minted silver cost more than generic.

There are lots of opinions about where to purchase bullion. SD Bullion and JM bullion are two reliable sources. Free shipping if over 200 bucks. Another place I've been really liking is Minot Coin and Bullion in Minot ND. He will have some flash sales that are pretty attractive and will ship. I haven't had him ship to me yet as my daughter lived there until recently and she'd pick they up for me. You have to watch his youtube channel or facebook page to find out what the sale is. I believe a week or two ago he had Canadian Maple Leafs for 2.5 over. Very reasonable.

I prefer to buy face to face with a cash transaction.

What kind of sources to you have close to you? Coin shops should carry generic silber and have reasonable pricing. If you'd like PM me the names of the local stores and I can do some research.

It's an industry where costs are all over the place and one has to do some legwork to get good pricing. Building relationships is a necessity for best pricing.

Should be able to buy 10 ounce bars pretty easy for 2.5 to 3.0 over

if your buying for investment only, the cheapest you can get don't worry about shape or what's on it..

Obviously your buying with cool factor in mind too, so buy what you like.

I go in stretches where I stack to stack (cheapest .999 I can get) then I'll go a while and buy pretty or cool stuff. I'm a sucker for a cool design on a round or star wars or disney. Big fan of ASE too.

Just need to remember that at the end of the day it's worth melt, no matter how cool it looks. Can't guarantee getting those premiums back if you need to sell

When it comes to BULLION, an ounce is an ounce. Don't overpay

After collecting for decades, we are only going to get 10oz bars or larger for silver anymore. Rounds, proofs, rounds in collector boxes get pretty bulky after time. Gold is still compact enough to not make a difference.

Agree, but for those starting stacks, it's more painless to grab a few oz at a time. An oz per paycheck doesn't cause a blip on finances and eventually adds up.

I'm thinking a guy should have some 10th ouncer gold coins to trade for ammo , flour , jerky, water , axe , ...........

Gold heading for another record close today and silver up significantly....