Best Silver Coin Size to Buy

 

What Is the Best Silver Coin Size to Buy?

Buying silver coins is one of the most popular ways to invest in silver. Silver coins feature beautiful designs, the backing of sovereign governments, and tighter buy-sell spreads compared to other investment types. But for new investors, picking the right silver coin can be an overwhelming and confusing process.

For many stackers, the biggest choice in investing isn’t which coin to buy – it’s which size is best. Silver coins can vary in weight from one gram to one kilogram, although there are a few notable exceptions that exist outside of this range. With so many options, picking the right silver coin weight may seem tricky.

Luckily, we’ve got your back. On this page, learn more about the best silver coin sizes to buy. 

Popular Silver Coin Weights

So, what’s the best silver coin size to buy? The most popular silver coin weight is one troy ounce, but silver coins are also sold in other weights ranging from just one gram to as large as one kilogram. Each coin weight offers investors a few notable benefits and drawbacks, so the best size of silver coin to buy ultimately depends on your personal preferences, investing goals, and budget.

Typically, we recommend that investors diversify their silver portfolios with a variety of different weights. Adding weight variety to your silver collection gives you more flexibility, as smaller silver coins are easier to quickly liquidate than massive kilogram silver coins. 

Below, we’ll take a closer look at the advantages (and disadvantages) of five of the most popular silver coin weights:

• 1/2 Troy Ounce
• 1 Troy Ounce
• 5 Troy Ounce
• 10 Troy Ounce
• 1 Kilogram

1/2 Troy Ounce 

Although silver coins can be minted in weights as small as one gram, the smallest coin you’ll typically find for sale weighs 1/2 troy ounce. Half-ounce silver coins are particularly common among divisible coins, or silver coins that can be broken into two smaller, fractional pieces. 

Buying a 1/2 troy ounce silver coin is a great way to save money while buying silver, especially when the spot price of silver is high. 1/2 oz silver coins are also fantastic gifts, since they’re cheaper than full 1 oz coins and still come fitted with high-quality designs and highly pure silver bullion. 

This affordability comes at a cost, though, because many 1/2 troy oz silver coins are sold at high premiums over melt value. Expect to pay an additional premium when you buy 1/2 troy ounce silver coins. Is this added cost worth the novelty and liquidity that 1/2 troy oz silver coins offer? The choice is yours!

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular 1/2 troy oz silver coins on the market:

• 1/2 oz Silver Lunar Dragon Coin

1 Troy Ounce

One troy ounce is by far the most popular size of silver coin in the world. The spot price of silver is typically quoted in troy ounces, and just about every mint on the planet produces coins weighing one troy ounce. The world’s best-selling silver coins weigh one troy ounce, and you’ll never have trouble finding a buyer for this size of silver coin.

That’s the major upside of buying one troy ounce silver coins. It’s always easy to buy and sell a one troy ounce silver coin, since it’s the world’s standard and most popular silver coin weight. Since nearly every mint produces a one ounce silver coin, you’ll also maximize your options when you buy this size. 

On the flip side, you’ll usually save more money on premiums if you choose to go bigger than one troy ounce. The premium you’ll pay for a silver coin generally reversely correlates with the coin’s size. In other words, the larger the coin, the lower the premium. While silver coins weighing one troy ounce are common, they don’t usually offer the value you’ll find on bigger investments.

Some of the most popular 1 oz silver coins include:

• 1 oz American Silver Eagle
• 1 oz Canadian Silver Maple
• 1 oz Mexican Silver Libertad
• 1 oz British Silver Britannia

5 Troy Ounce

Silver coins weighing five troy ounces are also very popular among investors, although they’re not quite as common as one troy ounce coins. Five troy ounce silver coins are also less common than silver rounds of the same weight, making them a hard-to-find investment in some markets. 

You’ll save money buying a 5 troy ounce silver coin, at least where premiums are concerned. Premiums tend to be lower in this silver coin weight class compared to coins weighing one troy ounce or less. However, certain 5 ounce silver coins are limited in mintage, which can lead to higher premiums compared to other weights.

Overall, 5 troy ounces is an ideal weight for silver coins if you’re looking to strike a balance between the ease-of-sale associated with 1 troy oz silver coins and the low premiums of larger pieces.

Popular 5 oz silver coins include:

• 5 oz Mexican Silver Libertad
• 5 oz America the Beautiful Silver Coins

10 Troy Ounce

10 troy ounce silver coins are also popular among investors, and coins in this weight class offer a range of benefits to investors. First, 10 oz silver coins are sold by many of the world’s leading mints, including the Mexican Silver Libertad, the Perth Mint, and the British Royal Mint. In other words, you won’t have any trouble finding a high-quality 10 oz silver coin for your collection.

This is also the silver coin weight class where premium savings really start to take off. You’ll pay a much smaller premium per troy ounce when buying 10 troy oz silver coins compared to smaller weights. Especially if you’re a committed silver stacker, these savings can quickly add up over time. 

On the flip side, buying ten troy ounces of silver is a considerable investment, especially when silver prices are high. If you’re working with a limited budget, these coins may be out of your price range. Additionally, coins weighing 10 troy ounces pose a liquidity problem, especially if your total portfolio is limited in size. It can be tough to part with ten troy ounces of pure silver at one time, which is a major reason why we recommend diversifying the sizes of coins in your collection.

The most popular 10 troy oz silver coins in the world are:

• 10 oz Australian Silver Kookaburra Coin
• 10 oz Canadian Silver Grizzly Bear Coin
• 10 oz British Tudor Beast Coins

1 Kilogram

1 kilogram is typically the largest silver coin size available to retail investors. Many mints produce coins weighing a kilogram, although many 1 kilo silver coins are limited in mintage and may carry shockingly high premiums over spot price when compared to smaller versions of the same coin.

Kilogram silver coins are very popular for a couple of reasons. First, kilogram silver coins are often sold at smaller premiums compared to coins that weigh less. If you’re a dedicated silver investor, buying silver by the kilogram can be a great way to save money. Additionally, kilo silver coins often feature beautiful artwork, with some coins even featuring hand-etching. 

The downsides of buying kilogram silver coins are pretty clear. Buying a kilo of silver is expensive, especially as silver prices continue to climb. For new or limited-budget investors, kilogram silver coins may be simply too costly. Some kilo silver coins are minted in limited numbers for collectors, making them even more costly. Additionally, kilogram silver coins pose a distinct liquidity problem, since finding a qualified buyer for a kilogram silver coin can be tricky. 

Popular kilogram silver coins include:

• 1 Kilo Mexican Aztec Calendar Silver Coin
• 1 Kilo Australian Koala Silver Coin
• 1 Kilo Australian Kookaburra Silver Coin

Figuring Out the Best Silver Coin Weight For You

What’s the best silver coin weight for your portfolio? There’s no single right answer to this question. The right silver coin size to buy depends on your own personal preferences, goals, budget, and the availability of your favorite coins in your desired weight classes. 

What to Consider When You Consider Investing

The best silver coin for your portfolio depends on three main factors:

1. Investing Goals and Preferences
2. Budget
3. Availability

Below, we’ll take a closer look at how these three factors should play into your decision-making process as you figure out which size of silver coin you should buy next.

Investing Goals and Preferences

Investing goals vary from person to person, and your own goals can help you decide which size of silver coin is right for you. Are you a stacker trying to save as much money on premiums as possible? Or are you a collector who searches for hard-to-find silver coins from mints around the world? Maybe you’re trying to add some weight diversity to your portfolio, or even a combination of all of these goals.

Preferences also play a role in the ideal investments for your portfolio. Some investors like the feeling of large silver coins, while others prefer the diversity and ease of sale associated with smaller pieces. At the end of the day, think about what your goals and preferences are. Only you can decide which investments are best for you.

Budget

Budget is another important consideration when you’re trying to decide between different silver coin sizes. Some investors are working with multi-million dollar retirement funds, while others dedicate just a few dollars every paycheck toward their investment portfolio. No matter what your budget, there are silver coins out there for you.

While small silver coins are obviously cheaper to buy, larger coins can help investors cut down on premiums. Over a long enough timeline, the difference in premiums can amount to several ounces of “free” silver. When you’re working on a limited budget, though, liquidity should also play a role in which coins you decide to buy, and the high liquidity of smaller coins like one troy ounce pieces can also be helpful. 

Availability

Finally, consider the availability of your favorite coins in the sizes you prefer. Not all coins are available in kilogram weights, so diehard fans of certain silver coins may tend to go for smaller weights that are more highly available. Certain 10 oz and kilogram silver coins are also limited in mintage, making them harder to find – and more expensive to purchase.

Final Thoughts: What’s the Best Silver Coin Weight to Buy?

What’s the best silver coin size to buy? There’s no right (or wrong) answer to this question. Silver coins range in weight from one gram to one kilogram, and each coin weight offers its own benefits and drawbacks. When shopping for your next silver coin, consider your investing goals and preferences, budget, and availability to determine the best size coin for your portfolio.

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