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Feb 13
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If you’re interested in investing in silver, taking the time to learn about the different types of physical silver available on the market is crucial. All silver is not created equal, and the silver price you pay should reflect the true value of whatever type of silver you’re buying.
Silver coins are a popular first silver investment since they are affordable, easy to store and fun and interesting to collect. However, there are many different types of silver coins on the market, and they contain vastly different amounts of real silver.
US silver dollars for example contain 90% silver and 10% copper. The last silver dollar coins minted during the 1970s however contain only 40% silver and 60% copper nickel.
Sterling silver items are another case where the amount of silver they actually contain should be reflected in the silver price. Sterling silver is not "pure" silver, it is actually 92.5% silver. Many investors make the mistake of confusing sterling silver with pure silver, and unscrupulous sellers often price sterling silver as if it was pure.
If you wish to invest in pure silver, the best option is to buy bullion silver, or pure silver coins or bars. Bullion silver coins and bars are 99.9% pure silver, which is the purest silver you are likely to find.
Most bullion silver is physically marked for purity. If you have doubts about silver labeled "pure" or bullion, have the silver content verified before you pay a silver price that reflects bullion purity.