Silver or Cash???

[rondog]

Oh, try to stick with .999 bullion of some sort, like the 1 oz. rounds or bullion bars. The bars come in sizes from 1/2 oz. to 100 ounces. I'd personally avoid any "collectibles" like rare coins with values based on numismatic or collector ratings, but things like Silver Eagles, Maple Leafs, or any of the other coins produced by various governments are good, although they usually have a higher premium. Old US silver coins are good too, but those are only 90% silver, they're not .999, so they're priced different, but they're a definite in the market.

Avoid any silver that's kinda shady looking. People have been known to melt down 90% coins and cast their own bars, often with a slug of steel or lead in the middle, and try to pass those off as ".999 pure silver bars". So deal with a reputable shop and avoid that BS. Avoid pawn shops unless you know they have a stellar reputation. Many of them take great joy in boning unsuspecting suckers.

There's also a lot of "Commemorative" or "gift" coins/rounds/bars out there with Happy Birthday or some other stuff on them, there's all kinds of that stuff. Also most mining and processing companies made rounds and bars. Basically, if it's marked ".999 fine silver" on it and it looks professional, it should be the real stuff. Doesn't really matter what the subject matter is on the item, that has no meaning, just the ".999 fine" marking matters.