# Help - I'm ready to buy gold or silver



## PreparedRifleman73

Hey everyone. After extensive research, I feel I am ready to add physical gold and/or silver to my portfolio. I want to make an initial purchase of $2,500. I've really been eyeing up APMEX 1oz silver rounds ($1.59 over spot) and 1/2oz gold rounds.

*Where is a good place?*
I've been browsing APMEX. Anybody have any suggestions?

*Bullion, Rounds, Junk?*
I've been looking a lot at bullion bars and rounds. Tips?

*Gold v Silver*
Gold is great and I think is going to be a lot more relevant in the event of monetary collapse of the dollar. But, I can just fill my safe with so much more silver at the same price. What are your thoughts? Perhaps a mix?

Thanks!


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## db2469

I have both gold and silver: some golden eagles of various weights plus the .999 pure 1 oz.
Buffalos.....plenty of silver eagles and "junk" silver coins....I find that Gainsville Coins has better prices than Apmex..


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## Woody

I cannot afford gold so have been storing any extra wealth I can into silver eagles. A mix of both would be better but we do what we can. I already have a bunch of ‘junk silver’ so just need to buy what I can as my hedge against inflation.

I have been using AMPEX also but will check into Gainsville coins.


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## BlueShoe

Don't let the person selling you tell you what to buy at the time of purchase. They'll try to sell what they make more spiff off of. 

For possible spending in a post-fan world and as well retaining value, junk silver is probably what you want in silver. Dimes, Quarters and some halves should be fine. I believe they buy things like Morgans and Walking Liberties at junk price and resell at numismatic suggested prices.
For absolute wealth storage, gold serves that purpose in smaller amounts with higher value.


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## BillS

I like this site:

http://www.providentmetals.com/

I've bought and sold with them in the past.


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## invision

To be honest IMO... If your just starting out and $2,500 is your starting budget, mix it between pre-1965 dines and quarters and silver eagles ONLY... For 3 reasons... 1) this is for SHTF, silver will be traded more than gold at first IMO - because it is cheaper than gold. If your needing to trade, say you need some type of supply - some seeds, labor, etc - it will be easier to trade than gold... The item you need may not be worth the cost of gold you have in hand and how would you make change easily. Giving up an 1/8th ounce gold coin when a dime and 2 quarters would work makes no sense to me... 2) the starting budget IMO is to low to also include gold as an initial first prep - please don't take offense cause absolutely none is meant. In that same statement, once you have your initial silver purchase then you can do purchases where 25% goes to silver and 75% goes to gold... Even if it is just a 1/8th gold coin at purchase. 3) Finally, if you look at historical trends silver has out performed gold over last 10 years... 

The way I started was this way, except I already owned 3 krugs (1-1oz, 2-1/2 oz).. I bought "junk silver" - even making the mistake of buying war nickels too but that was only 1 time.... Then when I had my goal in face value for dimes and quarters, I added some 90% halves... Then I added silver eagles... Now I add silver at 30% and gold at 70% of each months purchase...


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## db2469

I agree with the post before me OR you can buy a 1 oz gold buffalo and about $800 worth of silver...that way you have some of both if the SHTF before you could buy more....then more silver when money allows...if possible, another buffalo would be nice further down the road..


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## partdeux

Does the gold coin "brand" matter?


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## FrankW

Maybe alittle if you are looking at a post SHTF world. for acceptance. 
Most people will abhve no experience and aceptrance is going to be a hurdle. No reason to make it harder by using "off" brands.

That is why I also prefer actual coins over rounds. even though the rounds are significantly less above spot.
That premium you pay you will always get back on selling IMO


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## Domeguy

*Junk silver . .*

I get all my junk silver from Provident . . unless i can find it cheaper locally (which doesn't happen very often) i think the silver coins will be the best teotwawki, easy to keep and trade, with a set value. and no question about what it is . .!!


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## db2469

Domeguy said:


> I get all my junk silver from Provident . . unless i can find it cheaper locally (which doesn't happen very often) i think the silver coins will be the best teotwawki, easy to keep and trade, with a set value. and no question about what it is . .!!


Maybe...but how many people that you trade junk silver to would know the value of it in terms of the silver weight and what WOULD be the value of silver in a teotwawki world? They might be more apt to detemine it's value to be the coin's face value and that wouldn't be good..


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## Viking

Actually for the money Mercury dimes are a good investment, they have a high silver content, but silver quarters, fifty cent pieces, older silver dollars, double eagle silver are affordable in consideration of the prices of gold, even in this present down market in gold. Here's my feeling about saving precious metals, and that is if the Federal Reserve Note is eliminated and another monetary system is put in place, precious metals will more than likely still have the intrinsic value to purchase the new currency. On the other hand the US Dollar may get you laughed at if used to purchase the new currency. As to a TEOTWAWKI world, who knows what value silver and gold coinage will have and that is why one would do well to have a balance of coins and barter stores plus skills that could be used as trade.


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## Dakine

As a hedge on hyper inflation, monetary changes like "new" dollars, or who knows what other kind of shenanigans there are all kinds of options. Gold, Silver and foreign investments.

I have read this a couple times and I strongly recommend it.

http://www.silverbearcafe.com/private/10.08/tshtf1.html

This is the experience of one person who survived the economic collapse in Argentina.

I think it is extremely relevant because it is recent and he makes good points, but I also think it's worth noting that it's NOT relevant to a US economic collapse because, and no slight or insult meant to our friends in Argentina, but the rest of the world can continue tomorrow and nobody would ever know they were gone. Unless I've missed something, the US, EU and China are a 3 legged stool. Cut off any one of the other legs and the whole thing crashes, and that is global.

The reason I mention that is because unless you're very well off, investing in overseas banks and storing currency in overseas banks may not be as beneficial during that collapse it's supposed to be a hedge against as good food, water, weapons, training, etc.

I'd rather have 2 AR's and 2 AK's and 10 mags each and 1000 rounds each, shelter, food, water and medical supplies in front of me, than $1,000,000 in a Swiss bank during a collapse. If there's no grid, how exactly does it help me? It's a long walk, and then a longer swim to go try and withdraw my money... IF it even exists anymore. In a global collapse, who knows? maybe their legislative body passes a self defense law and seizes any foreign funds?? now where's your money???


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## 21601mom

Just wanted to thank everyone who posted info here. All of it was helpful as I made my FIRST PM purchase!


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## Dakine

Congratulations and well done!


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## Immolatus

db2469 said:


> I agree with the post before me OR you can buy a 1 oz gold buffalo and about $800 worth of silver...that way you have some of both if the SHTF before you could buy more....then more silver when money allows...if possible, another buffalo would be nice further down the road..


I'd agree. One oz gold and the rest silver.
As for where to buy, buy locally at a store for cash which ensures your privacy if you are concerned with that. If thats not possible then there are tons of online dealers.
Technically (please someone correct me if I'm wrong, and in certain states this is being overturned) you are liable for capital gains taxes on pm's as an investment. Seems unlikely that you would be caught for this, but if you buy online with a credit card, this leaves a clear paper trail for all to see (meaning the eyeRS).
I'm not a real fan of junk for barter (which only has meaning for post SHTF- for investing its a different story) as your average Joe is less likely to know/understand its actual 'value' in silver than say an ASE. Jmho.



21601mom said:


> Just wanted to thank everyone who posted info here. All of it was helpful as I made my FIRST PM purchase!


Congrats!


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## PreparedRifleman73

Thanks everyone! Very helpful. I just made a major purchase today on a tankless water heater...which is the money i had earmarked for precious metals. But, we will get some soon.


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## 21601mom

I picked up a few rolls of silver eagles from Provident Metals. they should be in next week. Thanks again for all the info to guide me with that purchase! 

i'm now thinking about getting an ounce of gold, particularly when the price dips a bit. Provident only has a few gold buffaloes in stock. Does the year matter, e.g. are newly minted 2013 coins more valuable than a 2011 or 2012 coin? My thought is no, since the value is in the metal, but I want to ask some independent sources before I make a purchase. Thoughts?


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## db2469

21601mom said:


> I picked up a few rolls of silver eagles from Provident Metals. they should be in next week. Thanks again for all the info to guide me with that purchase!
> 
> i'm now thinking about getting an ounce of gold, particularly when the price dips a bit. Provident only has a few gold buffaloes in stock. Does the year matter, e.g. are newly minted 2013 coins more valuable than a 2011 or 2012 coin? My thought is no, since the value is in the metal, but I want to ask some independent sources before I make a purchase. Thoughts?


You're right, the year doesn't matter if you're buying gold for the reasons most of us here are...if you're a coin collector then it might make a difference...


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## invision

There are two ways to look at buying Gold and Silver coins...

The first is to be used as "commodity money" - which the intrinsic value can be partially or entirely due to the desirable features of the object as a medium of exchange and a store of value. Examples of such features include divisibility; easily and securely storable and transportable; scarcity; and hard to counterfeit. When objects come to be used as a medium of exchange they lower the high transaction costs associated with barter.

The second is "numismatics value" - Modern numismatics is the study of the coins of the mid-17th century onwards, the period of machine struck coins. Their study serves more the need of collectors than historians and it is more often successfully pursued by amateur aficionados than by professional scholars. The focus of modern numismatics lies frequently in the research of production and use of money in historical contexts using mint or other records in order to determine the relative rarity of the coins they study. Varieties, mint-made errors, the results of progressive die wear, mintage figures and even the socio-political context of coin mintings are also matters of interest.

So - If you have a 2013 Silver Eagle and a 1996 Silver Eagle - for those who are buying the coin for "commodity value" they only see it as an ounce of silver at or slightly over current spot prices. Yet, for the numismatic buyer - they can see teh 1996 Silver Eagle actually "valued" more than the 2013 due to a wide variety of reason - number made, mint-made errors etc. 

Hope that helps!


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## newcommer

*Gold and silver*

Provident I think is cheaper than any of the company's that sells Gold and Silver. Also you should by some fractional coins also 1/4 1/2 Oz coins easier to use when you buy and you don't get back a lot of worthless $ bills in change when you make a transaction.


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## LincTex

Dakine said:


> I have read this a couple times and I strongly recommend it.
> 
> http://www.silverbearcafe.com/private/10.08/tshtf1.html
> 
> This is the experience of one person who survived the economic collapse in Argentina.


My friend FerFAL wrote that. 
It's too bad they didn't give him credit!!!


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