Junk Silver Bags

Investing in bags of junk silver is not as popular or as well known as buying silver bullion coins or silver bullion bars. But this type of silver investment can be quite profitable. When spot silver hit a high of $50.00 per ounce in 1980, these bags were fetching in excess of $35,000 apiece.

Most junk silver bags (consisting of circulated silver coins) contain $1000.00 face value in pre 1965 silver coins. In other words, a junk silver bag of dimes will contain 10,000 circulated dimes (either Roosevelt or Mercury dimes). A junk silver bag of quarters will contain 4,000 circulated Washington quarters. A junk silver bag of circulated half dollars will contain 2,000 circulated Walking Liberty, Franklin or 1964 Kennedy halves. All of the above are 90 percent silver coins.

A full bag of junk silver contains 715 troy ounces of silver which can be costly (valued at $12,870,00 with spot silver at $18.00) and hard to store (about the size of a bowling ball and weighing 55 pounds). For these reasons half bags, quarter bags and tenth bags of junk silver coins are popular and available from many dealers.

Other options for investing in a bag of silver coins are available from larger dealers, some of which include:

Circulated and uncirculated silver dollars consisting of 1000 Morgan Silver Dollars (1878-1904,1921) or Peace Silver Dollars (1921-1935). Each bag of circulated silver dollars contains 765 troy ounces of silver, 780 troy ounces for uncirculated silver dollar bags;

Circulated and uncirculated 40 percent silver Kennedy halves (1965-1969). Each bag of 2000 Kennedy halves contains 300 troy ounces of silver. With spot silver at $18.00, each bag would have a value of $5400.00;

Circulated bags of 80 percent Canadian silver coins (dimes, quarters, half dollars) which were minted from 1920 until 1967).

Bags of silver coins such as those above are very liquid. That is, they are widely recognized for their value and can easily be turned back into cash or exchanged for other precious metal investments. In addition to major dealers, you may be able to find bags of pre 1965 silver coins at coin shops, coin shows, dealers' websites, or auctions featuring coins and other precious metals.