MSN: Gold and Silver Investing Guide

Above, the entrance to the National Money Show in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A few years ago, the National Money Show was held in Phoenix, Arizona. This was great for two reasons: first, it was not too far from home and, second, there is no sales tax on gold and silver in Arizona.

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about the sales tax in New Mexico. The state charges sales tax on gold and silver coin purchases.

MSN posted an investing guide that discusses what states that don't have a sales tax on coin purchases.

They begin it with:

Gold and silver investment strategy: As gold and silver prices climb, more investors are stepping into the physical precious metals market, as people are looking for stability during uncertain times. With gold trading above $5,100 per ounce and silver above $82 per ounce as of Tuesday, for many buyers, the surprise isn’t the spot price, it’s the sales tax.

A the old saying goes: Buyer beware!

To read more, go here. 

Legal Ways To Reduce Taxes On Precious Metals

Above, 1964 Kennedy Half dollars. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With silver rising in the spot price market, collectors and investors have to be mindful of what the Internal Revenue Service wants during tax reporting time.

Economic Times posted an article how to reduce one's tax burden on precious metals.

They posted:

IRS tax rules for silver and gold: 

Silver’s surge past $90 an ounce has grabbed attention as gold climbed toward $5,300 in 2025 and 2026. Demand tied to the green economy, including heavy silver use in high-efficiency solar panels and the fact that EVs require roughly twice as much silver as gas-powered cars, has helped drive the rally, as per a report. 

How the IRS Taxes Silver and Other Precious Metals: The 28% Collectible Tax Rule Explained

But taxes can take a large share of those profits. The IRS treats physical precious metals differently from stocks, and profits may be taxed at rates of up to 28% or more.

Silver is a capital asset, meaning any profit from selling it must be reported on Schedule D of your federal tax return, as per the Yahoo Finance report.

Many investors assume holding silver for more than a year qualifies for the same long-term capital gains rates as stocks. However, the IRS classifies physical metals such as silver bars, rounds, and coins as collectibles.

If silver is held for one year or less, profits are taxed as ordinary income, which can be as high as 37% depending on your tax bracket.

If it’s held longer than a year, the gain is still taxed at your ordinary income rate but capped at 28%.

The article then goes on to tell how the tax burden can be reduced.

To read the full article, go here. 

SILVER STACKERS SWARM BULLION DEALER AS WAR ERUPTS!

SILVER STACKERS SWARM BULLION DEALER AS WAR ERUPTS! by Yankee Stacking.

Summary:

In this video my bullion dealer is swamped by both buyers and sellers of silver and gold as war erupts!  The lines grow quickly and the parking lot fills as silver buyers come from all across the state to see my bullion dealer!   A big drop in the spot price of silver and gold draws people in when the coin shop first opens and Tim can't leave until after 5:30 in the evening!  Is the war with Iran going to suppress the price of silver and gold or are we about to see a massive spike in the spot price of precious metals.  Silver usually goes down with the stock market on geo-political events, but this drop in spot price was a buying opportunity for these stackers.  Watch and see customers buy bullion from Tim Marschner of the Coin and Stamp Shop in what could be the beginning of a major war-driven volatility!  I also ask customers if President Trump's actions in Iran are "America First"!  These are unprecedented times requiring us to stack precious metals.  Protect yourself from out-of-control governments, evil central banks, and the failing US dollar's grip as the world's reserve currency.  Make sure you build a stack of silver rounds, silver bars, silver coins, and gold coins as essential barter and wealth preservation!

 

Which Coins Contain The Most Silver?

Above, a 2023 American Silver Eagle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Gold and silver have been "on a tear" in their respective spot prices during these past few months.

Silver is a lot more affordable to the average American citizen. Before investing, one should look into which coins contain the most silver content. American Silver Eagles contain exactly one troy ounce of .999 fine silver.

CBS News posted an article on this question.

They begin it with:

When precious metals hit new price milestones, investor attention tends to focus on the headline-grabbers. Right now, that's gold, as the price of gold has been on a swift uphill climb over the past few months. In turn, it has hit surprising new thresholds — including a brief stint above $5,600 per ounce — and is now hovering at about $5,166 per ounce. But the price of silver has been on a tear of its own, making it a good option for investors who want exposure to precious metals without tying up quite as much capital in a single purchase.

And that's where certain types of silver coins, in particular, can offer big value to investors, especially in today's market. These small silver assets are tangible, widely recognized and come in sizes that feel manageable to a wide range of investors. You can buy one silver coin at a time, build a stack gradually or choose larger-format pieces if you're comfortable moving more money per purchase. In a precious metals market where prices can swing quickly and dramatically, flexibility matters.

To read more, go here. 

Gold and Silver Suffer Historic Selloff

Above, Morgan and Peace silver dollars. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Silver and gold dropped in price last Friday. This is making investors wonder what's going to happen next. 

This may be a short-term correction or, possibly, a long-term trend.

According to CoinWeek:

Gold and silver prices suffered one of their sharpest single-day declines in decades on Friday as markets reacted to shifting expectations around U.S. monetary policy and a rapidly strengthening dollar.

The selloff accelerated after President Donald Trump confirmed Kevin Warsh as his nominee to lead the Federal Reserve. The announcement eased concerns about political pressure on the central bank and triggered a broad repositioning across global markets.

Silver Hit Hardest

Silver experienced the most severe losses. Spot prices fell roughly 28% to near $83 per ounce, while silver futures dropped more than 31%, marking the metal’s worst trading day since 1980.

The scale of the decline reflects how crowded the silver trade had become. After weeks of rapid gains, leverage among short-term traders amplified the downside as prices began to fall, forcing liquidations and margin-related selling.

Silver is still way over double in spot price from what it was a year ago, so I doubt it is time to panic. Silver was at $28.92 per ounce on January 1, 2025 (Source: CBS News).

To read more, go here.

Gold and Silver Hit New Records

Above, an 1889 Morgan silver dollar (BU). Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yesterday, gold and silver hit record highs.

MSN reported:

Jan 20 (Reuters) - Gold climbed to another record high on Tuesday, scaling the unprecedented $4,700 an ounce milestone as escalating geopolitical tensions boosted safe-haven demand, while silver also broke above $95 for the first time.

Spot gold gained about 2% to $4,757.33 per ounce by 01:52 p.m. ET (18:52 GMT), after reaching a record high of $4,765.93 earlier in the day. U.S. gold futures for February delivery settled 3.7% higher to $4,765.80/oz.  

Spot silver slipped 0.3% to $94.38/oz, after hitting a record $95.87 earlier. The white metal added about 147% in 2025 and has gained more than 32% since the start of 2026.

To read more, go here. 

Greenland Talk Driving Gold and Silver To New Highs

Above, silver Kennedy half dollars and Morgan silver dollars. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It appears that more talk concerning President Trump's call to take over Greenland is driving the price of gold and silver to new highs. 

Kitco News reported: 

Jan 19 (Reuters) - Gold and silver hit ​record highs on Monday, driven by a flight to safety after U.S. President Donald ‌Trump warned of extra tariffs on some European countries in a dispute over Greenland.

Spot gold jumped 1.5% to $4,662.85 per ounce by 1121 GMT, after scaling an all-time high of $4,689.39.

U.S. gold futures for February delivery advanced 1.6% to $4,668 per ounce.

Trump threatened several European allies with a series of escalating ‌tariffs on Saturday, unless the U.S. is allowed to buy Greenland, intensifying ​a dispute over Denmark's vast Arctic island.

Elsewhere, spot silver climbed 3.7% to $93.24, after hitting a record high of $94.08. The white metal has risen over 30% so far ‍this year.

To read the full article, go here.  

Why Silver Has Been Surging More Than Gold

Above, a 1923 Peace silver dollar. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With silver surging on the spot market, I am glad that I bought a lot of it while the spot price was in the 20s. Right now, it is around $59/toz.

If one is wondering why silver has hit record highs lately, an article in Bloomberg can provide some insight.

They begin with:

Gold has staged a dramatic rally this year as the US Trump administration’s unorthodox economic policies sent investors and central banks reaching for safe-haven assets. Right now, however, it’s silver that’s stealing the spotlight.

A squeeze in supply of the precious metal had catapulted it to a 100% gain as of early December, while gold was up 60%. Both have been experiencing a surge in demand from investors seeking to hedge against political turbulence, inflation and currency weakness.

Unlike gold, silver isn’t just scarce and beautiful: It also has many useful real-world properties that make it a valuable component in a range of products. With inventories near their lowest on record and investors still scrambling for more, there’s a risk of supply shortages that could impact multiple industries.

 To read more, go here.

Silver Sets New Record At $53/toz.

Above, a 1923 Peace Silver Dollar. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Silver and gold hit new highs in trading on Wednesday.

According to BullionVault:

GOLD JUMPED and silver prices leapt on Wednesday, slashing the 'safe haven' precious metal's value relative to its more industrially-useful cousin to the lowest in a month as the Federal Reserve signalled it's about to re-start buying bonds to ensure "ample" liquidity while global stock markets rose ahead of US politicians voting to end the record-long shutdown of US government services.

US stock markets opened higher and European bourses hit new all-time records as gold priced in Dollars rallied from $4100 per Troy ounce to hit a new 3-week high at $4180 − a fresh record gold high only a month ago − after New York Fed chief John Williams said it will soon be time "to begin the process of gradual purchases of assets [to] maintain an ample level of reserves" to meet commercial bank demand for liquidity.

With Trump appointee (and White House economist) Stephen Miran also due to speak Wednesday, 'neutral' Fed member Raphael Bostic meantime announced that he will stand down from the Atlanta Federal Reserve at the end of his current term in February, opening another monetary policy spot to nominations from the Trump White House.

Silver had already shot higher, rising above $52 per Troy ounce − also a new all-time high when first reached this time last month − before breaking $53 to trade 9.8% above last weekend's level.

To read more, go here. 

Why Silver Has Been Surging More Than Gold

Silver is now over $51 per troy ounce at COMEX.

This may be a new spot price record for the precious metal.

Why is this happening? MSN posted an article on the reasons why silver has become a hot item.

Then begin with:

(Bloomberg) -- Gold has staged a dramatic rally this year as Russia’s war in Ukraine and the US Trump administration’s unorthodox economic policies sent investors and central banks reaching for safe-haven assets. Right now, however, it’s silver that’s stealing the spotlight. 

A squeeze in supply of the precious metal has catapulted it to a 70% gain on the London market this year, compared with a 55% increase for gold as of mid-October. Both have been experiencing a surge in demand from investors, who value their price stability through periods of political turbulence, inflation and currency weakness.  

Unlike gold, silver isn’t just scarce and beautiful: It also has useful real-world properties that make it a valuable component in a range of products. With inventories at their lowest in years and investors still scrambling for more, there’s a risk of supply shortages that could impact multiple industries. 

To read more, go here.

Silver Over $50/toz.

Silver is now over $50/toz. in COMEX spot price. Where it goes from here is anyone's guess.

It did briefly go over $51 yesterday.

According to Kitco:

(Kitco News) - Gold and silver prices are sharply higher in early U.S. trading Monday, with gold hitting another record high and silver very near its record high set in 1980. Safe-haven demand as the U.S. government remains shut down and a short squeeze in silver are keeping bulls confident and bears unwilling to step in front of a steaming locomotive. The recent bigger daily price moves in gold and silver markets suggest volatility will remain high in the near term. December gold was last up $95.20 at $4,095.80. December silver prices were up $2.398 at $49.63.

Spot silver prices overnight hit the highest level in decades as a historic short squeeze in London intensified, “with a fresh surge in prices adding urgency to a worldwide hunt for bullion that could alleviate the mismatch between demand and supply,” reported Bloomberg. Spot silver climbed as much as 3.1% to near $52.00 an ounce, exceeding last week’s peak, while spot gold surpassed $4,070.00 an ounce to a record high. 

To read more, go here. 

Silver Over $48/toz.

Gold's spot price is now over $4,000/toz. But that's not the big news.

Silver is closing in on $50/toz. spot price. 

Here's the current spot price for silver at COMEX:

Gold, Silver Coins Found In 1715 Shipwreck

Above, silver coins and artifacts on display at the Key West Shipwreck Treasures Museum. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Some divers became millionaires when they discovered a treasure trove of silver and gold coins from a 1715 Spanish shipwreck off the coast of Florida.

The Palm Beach Post reported:

SEBASTIAN, FL — More than 1,000 silver coins and five gold coins worth about $1 million were recovered from a 1715 Spanish shipwreck off the coast of Florida, a shipwreck salvage company said.

On Sept. 30, 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels LLC announced that over 1,000 silver coins known as "reales" were recovered by Captain Levin Shavers and the crew of M/V (motor vessel) "Just Right" off the southeast region of Florida, widely known as Treasure Coast. Five gold coins called "escudos" were also recovered in a separate find.

The company's discovery is part of a "vast fortune carried by the fleet, which was transporting New World riches back to Spain" when a hurricane struck on July 31, 1715, according to a news release. The company said historians estimate that about $400 million worth of gold, silver, and jewels were lost in the storm. 

To read more, go here. 

Even With The Recent Price Surge, Silver Still Appears Cheap

Currently, silver's COMEX spot price is just over $41.00/toz. This is great for those of us who invested in the metal during recent years when it was in the $20s.

Here's the current COMEX spot price:

For those who are curious about silver investing, an article by Mike Maharrey in Seeking Alpha is an interesting read.

It begins with:

Silver is up an impressive 39.7 percent so far this year, hitting the highest level since 2011. It has broken through the significant $40 per ounce resistance and appears to be on track for a new record high over $50.

Yet, even with this bullish action, silver is still underpriced compared to gold.

As of the morning of September 9, the gold-silver ratio was still over 88-1. This indicates that silver remains a bargain compared to gold.

To read more, go here. 

Silver Is A Better Investment Than Gold (Video)

 A video from TheStreet:

Silver Over $38/toz.

The spot price for silver at COMEX is around $38.00/toz. The spot price for gold is currently at $3,449.70.

For the average person, investing in silver vs. gold is a lot more affordable even at today's silver spot price.

Recently, I took a vacation trip to South Dakota and explored around the Black Hills. I had been there before, in 1990. With that in mind, I was looking forward to seeing if there were any bargains on Black Hills gold. Well, as it happened, in the shops in Deadwood, I only found one that was selling Black Hills gold jewelry. I didn't see any bargains there, needless to say.

Above, Deadwood, South Dakota. I only found one shop selling Black Hills gold there. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in 1990, quite a number of shops in Deadwood were selling Black Hills gold jewelry. They could afford to do so since gold in 1990 was around $386.20/toz. (Source: OnlyGold.com). At today's prices, gold is too expensive for the average mom & pop shop owner to afford. 

Where both gold and silver goes from here is anyone's guess.

Silver Reaches 13-Year High

Above, a 1928 Peace dollar. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

According to Gainesville Coins, gold and silver spot prices have surged.

Silver has reached a 13-year high.

Gainesville Coins reported:

Gold is trading at $3,370.50 (bid) / $3,372.50 (ask) as of July 14, showing a daily gain of $15.62 (+0.47%). The metal has established a trading range of $3,352-$3,375 for the day, maintaining support well above the psychological $3,300 level. Silver demonstrates even stronger momentum at $38.99 (bid) / $39.11 (ask), surging $0.67 (+1.74%) to reach levels not seen since 2012.

To read more, go here. 

Why Silver’s Strong June Could Lead To A Great July

Above, a 64 pound bar of silver at the Key West Shipwreck Museum. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Silver had a great month of June.

The question is, Will it do the same (or better) in July?

It is hard to say, but Barron's takes a look at silver's June performance and what it may mean for this month.

They begin with:

Silver shined in June, returning almost 10% and beating out the returns delivered by the stock and bond markets in Japan, Europe, and the U.S. The momentum could continue as July tends to brings favorable returns for the precious metal.

What’s behind silver’s gain isn’t all that easy to pinpoint. Gold’s monstrous 43% climb over the past year could mean that it has incorporated all the good news, prompting traders to look at other stores of value and safer assets, like silver. Silver could also be benefiting from new applications in solar panels and its essential role in the semiconductor industry as artificial intelligence booms.

To read more, go here. 

Selling Your Silver: DEALERS DON'T WANT IT??

Here's a video that coin collectors, or stackers, should view. 

Here's the video's description:

In this video my bullion dealer Silver Dave of Local Silver Mint shocks me with his claim that more and more local coin shops do NOT want to buy back stackers' gold and silver.  Why did TWO coin shops close to Silver Dave refuse silver sellers when they tried to sell their bullion?  What will happen when the spot price of silver rises dramatically?  What happens when dealers close their doors and won't buy back silver and gold?  Watch as Silver Dave and one of his more vocal customers shares their thoughts on what's coming with stacking silver and gold and the best exit strategy to have with one's bullion.  Are YOU concerned about selling your silver back to a bullion dealer?  Join Silver Dave and I as we dive DEEP on his shocking warning and what to do about it!  Never before has stacking precious metals been as important to do as it is today.  Protect yourself from out-of-control governments, evil central banks, and the failing US dollar's grip as the world's reserve currency.  Make sure you build a stack of silver rounds, silver bars, silver coins, and gold coins as essential barter and wealth preservation!

Be sure to read viewers' comments!

Coins: What Do You Think Is The Biggest Challenge Facing New Collectors Today?

Above, the 2023 National Money Show in Phoenix. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since silver has risen to $36/toz over the past several weeks, my buying of silver coins have tapered off. It appears that I am not the only one doing so.

I have a sizable enough collection thanks to my buying over the past few years. New collectors seem to be not so lucky.

Numismatic News posted a poll question on June 20:

Poll Question: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing new collectors today?

From the June 20, 2025, Numismatic News e-Newsletter, readers shared their thoughts on the biggest challenges new collectors face today.

To read what the responses were, go here.