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How Much Is Silver Worth

By Jessica Drury


Today there's a lot of interest in precious metals as a hedge against economic uncertainty. The answer to the question: 'How much is silver worth?' can help you decide if investing in coins or bars of this precious metal is right for you and those you must provide for.

Just like learning about the stock market, understanding how gold and other valuable metals are valued, bought, and sold is necessary to make wise decisions. The difference is that stocks are shares in corporate entities, while metals are tangible assets and are traded in the commodities market. Many people feel that owning units of precious metal is a way to secure the future.

Precious metals are marketed in the form of bars, called ingots, or in the form of coins. There are also jewelry and other items, like sterling silverware table settings. Ingots are valued according to weight, while coins and other items have intrinsic value - the weight of pure metal in them - and may also have added value because of their history, their rarity, or their condition.

The 'troy ounce' has been used to weigh silver for centuries. This system, developed in France during the Middle Ages, sets twelve troy ounces to a troy pound; these ounces are slightly heavier than the ones used to weigh sugar or flour. Ingots range from 100 troy ounces to 5,000.

Prices for precious metals are very volatile. They are affected by consumer confidence in the dollar (the world reserve currency), by politics, by supply and demand, and by the value of other world currencies. If the dollar is 'weak', precious metals will be 'strong'. People who buy these metals for investment hope to be able to buy cheaply and sell when prices are high, thereby reaping a profit.

There is another factor in evaluating the worth of this valuable metal. There is a school of thought that gold might be confiscated by the government (this has happened before.) Ingots of precious metal may also be hard to use as currency in an emergency. For this reason, coins are considered by some the best investment. Merchants will be glad to accept them, especially if paper money is devalued.

'Junk-silver' is what coin dealers call American coins with merely intrinsic value. Their worth is calculated according to the weight of precious metal in them. Dollars, half-dollars, quarters, and dimes dated before 1965 are 90% pure. On troy weight value, a dollar would be worth over $10 on today's market. Some survivalists recommend having $1,500 worth of 'junk' for each member of the family, to be used in case of an emergency to buy necessities.

The value of this precious metal to you depends on what you want it for. As an investment, it's worth is what a troy ounce sells for at any given moment. As a hedge against inflation or the collapse of paper money, having it may mean the difference between life and death, or at least having the means to get what you need in times of chaos.




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