Best Silver for Stacking
Stacking silver is one of the most rewarding ways to invest in precious metals. The low cost of silver bullion compared to gold and platinum make it easy for investors to build a sizable collection without breaking the bank.
You have quite a few options as you search for the best silver for stacking. Silver bars are a classic choice; their low premiums make them an easy way to stack on a budget. However, silver rounds and coins are also popular options. Buying multiple fractional coins from around the world is a great way to add diversity to your collection.
In today’s Bullion Academy guide, we’re taking a look at the best silver for stacking. Along the way, we’ll also explain the concept of stacking silver, as well as some tips to help new stackers gain their footing in the world of silver stacking.
What is Silver Stacking?
Before we get into the best silver for stacking, we need to take a closer look at the basics. What is silver stacking? Silver stacking refers to the process of deliberately building a large collection of silver bullion coins, bars, or rounds over time. Stackers generally look for the cheapest possible silver products to build their portfolios.
Over time, silver stackers build such a considerable collection of silver coins, bars, and rounds that they profit quite a bit when the value of silver increases.
But for many stackers, silver stacking is about more than just profit. A whole culture has sprung up around silver stacking, and stackers from around the world love to share their tips and tricks with others.
How does Silver Stacking Work?
How do you start stacking silver? To stack silver, all you need to do is look for silver products with low premiums. When you pay a premium on a silver product, you’re effectively getting less pure silver for your cash. If your goal is to get as much silver as you can, you’ll want to find the best silver for stacking.
This means looking for coins, rounds, and bars with a high percentage of pure silver and low premiums over spot price.
How to Find Stackable Silver
We’ll take a look at the best silver for stacking later in this guide. But for now, we should discuss how to find stackable silver. When we talk about stackable silver, we really just mean silver that you can buy without breaking the bank. The cheaper the silver, the better it is for stacking!
Comparing Silver Costs
The first step in how to find the best silver for stacking is to compare the cost of different silver products. This is pretty easy. Some investors make the mistake of buying from the first bullion dealer they come across. We don’t recommend this strategy.
Instead, compare premium costs across multiple different silver dealers. Some companies like Hero Bullion offer competitive prices and free shipping on select silver products, which might be a great deal for silver stackers.
Even if we’re not your pick, we recommend taking a look at our in-stock silver deals to find the best silver for stacking on the market.
Premiums Vs. Silver Melt Value
That’s all fine, but how do you actually compare silver prices? As we explained earlier, the cost of a silver product involves two different figures: melt value and silver premiums. The melt value of a silver coin, bar, or round refers to how much your product is worth in pure silver. To determine melt value, convert your silver product to troy ounces and then use the current spot price of silver to figure out how much it’s worth in fine silver.
But if you’ve spent even an hour looking through silver products, you already know that silver never really sells for melt value alone. Instead, silver bars and coins are usually sold for melt value plus a premium over spot. Premiums help silver dealers make money, and they cover the cost of production, storage, and transport for your favorite silver coins or bars.
Understanding the difference between melt value and premiums can help you identify the best silver for stacking. Because premiums don’t actually go toward pure silver, high premiums might suggest that a product is not good for silver stacking.
Buying the Best Silver for Stacking
Once you’ve compared prices, it’s time to buy some of the best silver for stacking. Most dealers like Hero Bullion offer several convenient ways to pay. If you’re really trying to save money while building your silver stack, carefully read the fees associated with different payment options.
At Hero Bullion, we offer a 4% discount if you choose to pay with check, wire, or e-check. This can lead to huge savings on the best silver for stacking – especially if you choose to buy lots of silver at one time.
We also always caution new silver stackers to pay attention to the shipping procedures of their favorite dealers. Some dealers might not take care when packaging and shipping your products, which can lead to damaged coins or rounds appearing at your doorstep. Hero Bullion’s careful shipping procedures help our customers ensure that their products arrive undamaged after purchase.
Top Silver Products to Stack
Now that we’ve got the background out of the way, it’s time to take a look at the best silver for stacking. We’ve split this section of our guide into three parts: silver bars, silver rounds, and silver coins.
While silver bars are generally considered the best silver for stacking because of their low premium costs and high liquidity, we find a growing number of hobby stackers who prefer the classic look of a silver coin or the unique design of a rare silver round.
Silver Bars
Silver bars are the classic answer you’re likely to find when you ask a stacker about the best silver for stacking. These products offer a refined but antique look, and their low premiums make it easy to build your stack quickly without breaking the bank on unnecessary fees.
Let’s take a look at 2 of the best silver bars for stacking: the Germania Mint 1 Kilo Cast Silver Bar and the Walking Liberty 1 oz Silver Bar.
Germania Mint 1 Kilo Cast Silver Bar
This is a great choice for investors who have a bit of money available to spend. It isn’t cheap to invest in a whole kilo of silver at one time. However, larger bars allow stackers to drastically cut down on premiums. You’ll find that premium costs per troy ounce are far lower for our Germania Mint 1 Kilo Cast Silver Bar than many of our smaller bars.
The cast finish on this bar is a fan favorite – and we love the way it looks. On the obverse, you’ll note the Germania Mint’s name and beautiful logo, along with all relevant information for the bar. This includes, of course, its purity (.9999), material (silver), weight, and individualized serial number.
The reverse is almost completely blank, but it does feature a holographic logo of the Germania Mint.
Walking Liberty 1 oz Silver Bar
Continuing our list of the best silver for stacking silver bars is the 1 oz Walking Liberty Silver Bar. This bar features a beautiful obverse image that attempts to replicate the “Walking Liberty” design found on American Silver Eagle coins. Produced right here in the United States, the obverse also includes the bar’s weight, material, and purity (.999).
A textured, repeating reverse design of a square also adds to this bar’s unique look and feel. We’ve had quite a few customers call this bar the best silver for stacking – and we aren’t surprised. Its low premiums over spot pairs with a beautiful design to make the bar an excellent choice for stackers.
Silver Rounds
Silver rounds might not have the same reputation as silver bars as the best silver for stacking, but they offer a couple of distinct advantages. First, silver rounds often come with some of the most beautiful designs in the entire silver industry. Perhaps more importantly, select silver rounds might actually cost less than silver bars of the same weight, making them an excellent choice.
Two silver rounds stick out to us as candidates for the best silver for stacking: the Radial Buffalo 1 oz Silver Round and Any Mint, Any Condition 1 oz Silver Round. Let’s take a look!
Radial Buffalo 1 oz Silver Round
Fans of United States coinage will certainly recognize the brilliant designs on this silver round. It takes its inspiration from the Buffalo Nickel, which was a popular circulation coin from early American history.
Minted with .999 fine silver bullion, the round features a Native American leader on its obverse. As the round’s name suggests, it also includes a radial background – adding a whole new layer of texture and uniqueness to this stackable round. On the obverse, you’ll find the Buffalo, an American icon and symbol for the country’s complex and wild history.
The Radial Buffalo 1 oz Silver Round is one of the best silver rounds for stacking. It offers high quality silver at a minimal premium, which is really the goal of all stacking operations.
1 oz Silver Round – Any Mint, Any Condition
Can’t make up your mind? Or are you just looking for the cheapest silver rounds possible? Our 1 oz Silver Round (Any Mint, Any Condition) is sold at some of the lowest silver premiums you’ll find anywhere. When you order this product, you’ll receive a random silver round from around the world. All of these silver rounds will feature a silver fineness of .999 silver, although the condition of your round may vary.
Not all investors like the element of randomness introduced by AMAC rounds. But some stackers enjoy the idea of buying pure silver at a discount – even if the round doesn’t quite fit your aesthetic.
Best Silver Coins for Stacking
Silver coins aren’t usually considered the best silver for stacking. For years, silver stackers have complained that the high premiums on silver coins like the American Silver Eagle make it tough to build a stack without breaking the bank.
Still, there are a couple options for investors who want to stack silver using silver coins from sovereign mints. Below, we’ll outline two of our favorite discount silver coin options: the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf Coin and 90% Junk Silver.
Canadian Silver Maple Leaf Coin
The Canadian Silver Maple Leaf Coin has been a dominant force on the global silver stacking scene for decades. The coin is usually sold at a lower premium than the American Silver Eagle, and its reputation among collectors is genuinely unparalleled.
Minted with .9999 fine silver bullion, the coin features an obverse depiction of Britain’s current monarch. 2023 is likely the last year that will feature Queen Elizabeth II on this side of the coin; future releases will instead highlight the new King of England, Charles III.
On the reverse, you’ll see just where this coin gets its name. The highly detailed, intricate maple leaf on the reverse of this Canadian coin will turn heads in any silver stack. For some stackers, the extra premium over spot is worth it to stack one of the world’s best silver coins for stacking.
90% Junk Silver Coins
Junk silver doesn’t often come up as a way to invest in silver coins, but it should. Junk silver might be the best silver for stacking. Most of the time, junk silver is sold highly circulated. Expect that most junk silver coins you buy will be in bad condition. The catch is this: junk silver contains .90 fine silver bullion, making it a great discount choice for stackers.
Final Thoughts: Best Silver for Stacking
For new investors, learning how to stack silver can be a difficult task. We’re here to make things easier for stackers who want to get their foot in the door. Our discounted silver products and cheap shipping make us a leading distributor of the best silver for stacking.
Even if you don’t work with us, we encourage you to explore some of the products in our inventory to get a better understanding of how to stack silver with confidence.
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About The Author
Michael Roets
Michael Roets is a writer and journalist for Hero Bullion. His work explores precious metals news, guides, and commentary.