Buy Silver Bars vs Silver Coins    

Many new precious metals investors ask whether it makes a difference whether they purchase silver bars or silver coins. Both have different benefits, and it depends on what your motivation is to buy bullion.

There are several considerations to keep in mind when deciding what to purchase.

1.    Silver is very heavy and bulky.  It may not be as easy for you to store as gold.
2.    If you are purchasing silver within the EU, then you should also consider that VAT is payable. If you do not wish to pay the VAT on your silver purchase, then bullion storage may be a smarter option.

Silver Bars

Silver bars are primarily manufactured by private refineries worldwide. Government mints do not manufacture most silver bars. Some of the most popular silver bars are manufactured by Valcambi, Argor Heraeus, PAMP and Johnson Matthey. Credit Suisse and UBS also produce their own brands of silver bars, which are hugely popular amongst investors. However, UBS silver bars are manufactured by Argor Heraeus and Credit Suisse silver bars are manufactured by Valcambi.

Silver bars come in a range of sizes, from 1 ounce to 100 ounces. The 100 Ounce silver bars are very popular with investors looking to buy larger amounts of silver bullion.

Because of the weight of silver bars and the VAT burden in taking delivery of them, most investors who are purchasing silver bars with the intent of selling them at a later date will simply leave them in storage. This allows them to maintain the purchase VAT free.

Silver Coins

Silver coins are minted by government mints, and all have a legal tender value. Most silver coins are only available in 1 Ounce size. However, investors looking to purchase larger amounts of coins can purchase Monster Boxes of silver coins, which contain around 500 coins.

Silver coins generally have a much nice design than silver bars, and is a nicer option for a gift or for collectors. The most popular silver coins amongst silver investors are the Canadian Maple Leaf coin, the American Eagle and the Austrian Philharmonic.  For silver investors in the UK, the silver Britannia coin is also very popular.