FourNinesFine

I'm in this for the long game, so I'm hoping that I won't be stung that badly, if and when I chose to cash in any of my silver. How bad can it be, assuming that I'm already resigned to the fact that I'll lose whatever premium I originally paid? Unless the floor falls out of the silver market completely.
All that said, with premiums what they are ... I have quickly come around to the fact that gold is a better (smarter?) fit with my long-term investment ambitions and I just need to come to terms with the fact that it will mean stacking coins with a much smaller diameter than I'd originally intended. 😆
But I can't promise I won't stack any more silver... there's just something about those goddam Maple Leaves...
Thanks @FlorinCollector, I really appreciate the feedback.
FNF.

I'm in this for the long game, so I'm hoping that I won't be stung that badly, if and when I chose to cash in any of my silver. How bad can it be, assuming that I'm already resigned to the fact that I'll lose whatever premium I originally paid? Unless the floor falls out of the silver market completely.
All that said, with premiums what they are ... I have quickly come around to the fact that gold is a better (smarter?) fit with my long-term investment ambitions and I just need to come to terms with the fact that it will mean stacking coins with a much smaller diameter than I'd originally intended. 😆
But I can't promise I won't stack any more silver... there's just something about those goddam Maple Leaves...
Thanks @FlorinCollector, I really appreciate the feedback.
FNF.

I know it's not much, but thanks to these little beauties, my first ever gold stack now stands at a mighty 0.47ozt and I couldn't be more thrilled. Here's to bringing many more of their siblings into our shiny little family in the future.
 

 

Do I need to check everything I have bought off you?😁

I know it's not much, but thanks to these little beauties, my first ever gold stack now stands at a mighty 0.47ozt and I couldn't be more thrilled. Here's to bringing many more of their siblings into our shiny little family in the future.
 

 

I know it's not much, but thanks to these little beauties, my first ever gold stack now stands at a mighty 0.47ozt and I couldn't be more thrilled. Here's to bringing many more of their siblings into our shiny little family in the future.
 

 

I know it's not much, but thanks to these little beauties, my first ever gold stack now stands at a mighty 0.47ozt and I couldn't be more thrilled. Here's to bringing many more of their siblings into our shiny little family in the future.
 

 

I know it's not much, but thanks to these little beauties, my first ever gold stack now stands at a mighty 0.47ozt and I couldn't be more thrilled. Here's to bringing many more of their siblings into our shiny little family in the future.
 

 

I know it's not much, but thanks to these little beauties, my first ever gold stack now stands at a mighty 0.47ozt and I couldn't be more thrilled. Here's to bringing many more of their siblings into our shiny little family in the future.
 

 

I know it's not much, but thanks to these little beauties, my first ever gold stack now stands at a mighty 0.47ozt and I couldn't be more thrilled. Here's to bringing many more of their siblings into our shiny little family in the future.
 

 

I know it's not much, but thanks to these little beauties, my first ever gold stack now stands at a mighty 0.47ozt and I couldn't be more thrilled. Here's to bringing many more of their siblings into our shiny little family in the future.
 

 

I know it's not much, but thanks to these little beauties, my first ever gold stack now stands at a mighty 0.47ozt and I couldn't be more thrilled. Here's to bringing many more of their siblings into our shiny little family in the future.
 

 

I know it's not much, but thanks to these little beauties, my first ever gold stack now stands at a mighty 0.47ozt and I couldn't be more thrilled. Here's to bringing many more of their siblings into our shiny little family in the future.
 

 

I know it's not much, but thanks to these little beauties, my first ever gold stack now stands at a mighty 0.47ozt and I couldn't be more thrilled. Here's to bringing many more of their siblings into our shiny little family in the future.
 

 

Personally, I prefer modern bullion coins like Krugerrands, Maple Leaves, Philharmonics, and Kangaroos.
One benefit of such coins is that they have the metal in question ("fine gold", "fine silver"), and the metal content ("1 oz", "1/2 oz", "1/4 oz") clearly stated on the coin itself, and some of them also the purity. This makes it very clear what exactly it is, and it requires less knowledge in a potential buyer to understand what they are getting.
Historical coins don't have any of that, and you need to be familiar with it in order to know what it is and how many grams of gold or silver it contains.

Hi, @FourNinesFine
I will tell you what I am thinking about stacking silver. It is the same answer for the question asked by @Bigmarc in April 2021 in another very interesting topic on forum:  "How much silver to hold? " see https://www.thesilverforum.com/topic/46885-how-much-silver-to-hold/?tab=comments#comment-500609.
 
So, I've done copy/paste on here to answer at your very good questions about silver. My calculations from April are still pretty accurate even in after one year, at that moment the silver spot price was £18.42/g, very close to £19.04 at the time of typing. I didn't check again the silver prices at dealers to update everything, but this is the idea:
 
" I believe the real potential of silver is in spot price, not in premium. So, now I am stacking only low premium silver, very easy to sell near spot price (1000g,  500g bars, old british currency, and scrap ). I sold already all high premium coins and I've converted all in sovereigns and another silver low premium.
Why? Because in next future the industrial demand will generate a rise in spot price and my stack's value will increase and I will do profit only waiting. The shiny silver coins ( now at spot + 60-95% ) will lose from their high premium when the spot price will be high. The market demand will be for cheap silver, not for expensive coins. 
I can't understand why people are interested to pay now for a silver 1oz coin £28 - £35, equivalent at £18.42 spot price + 52% to +95% premium, when the same metal can be bought easy at 0 to 30% premium in a different shape. I am not talking about numismatic or collectible products. This is another story, I don't know this game, I am talking only about pure stacking.
About quantity... Depends on your style of life, your age, your plan of retirement, depends on what you want to give to next generation. But a minimum one is around 15kg silver and equal value in low premium gold in your stack.
This is my opinion, I am not a guru in PM, but I prefer to stay safe, speculating only the spot price and ignoring high premium products. 
 
Let's imagine a scenario, using today's spot price £18.42/oz silver and a future potential spot price x2.5 = £46.05/oz silver.
 
John bought today from a dealer 1 kg bar, paying £790.62, VAT and shipping included. This is £24.58/oz, +34% premium.
Jane bought today 32oz (app.1 kg) silver Royal Arms and she paid £1129, VAT and shipping included. This is £35.28/oz, +91.5 premium.
After few years, the spot price is £46.05/oz = £1480.7/kg and it is time to sell. 
John will sell quick 5% over spot, having in hand £1554.7. His pure profit is £764/kg.
Jane will struggle to sell at 30% over spot, but because the spot is so high, she will accept finally only 10% over spot, having in hand £1628.7. Her pure profit is only £499/kg.
It is a difference of £265/kg between John and Jane. If the stack is 15kg, the difference is £3975.
 
But let's talk about Bob. He bought today 1kg scrap silver at spot price. He paid £592. He sold his silver in the same day as John and Jane at spot price, having in hand £1480.7. His pure profit is £888.5.
Position in this game:
1. Bob:   £888.5 profit/kg;
2. John: £764 profit/kg;
3. Jane: £499 profit/kg.
 
This is rough, because in reality, Bob was able to buy more scrap than John and Jane, using the same money.
If we are talking about the same money invested, the difference is huge.
 
Let's compare now only Bob and Jane, to be more visible this difference.
Jane paid £1129/kg for Royal Arms and Bob used the same money, buying 1.9kg scrap silver.
Jane is selling after years at £1628.7 with profit £499.
Bob is selling after years at £2813.3 with profit £1684, with a difference between them of £1185.
If the stack is 15kg, the difference of profit between Bob and Jane is £17775.
 
This is the reason I am trusting in spot price, not in premiums.
I hope my explanation was clear enough for all new stackers. I know, it is difficult to see the real potential of scrap. But from scrap to treasure it is only a little step.😊 When you will see here scrap silver at spot price, do not hesitate and buy quick!😁
Happy stacking, guys, happy stacking! "
Kindest regards,
Stefan

Enjoy the journey, you may take a wrong turn sure we all have, it's all about learning and hopefully here your journey will be fruitful!

Well, I never knew that. And I've been wasting all my money on bulk toilet rolls and hotdogs! In all seriousness, I will be checking my local one next time I'm there.

Hey Shep,
It's a good and valid question and I'll try and be honest in my reasoning. Just be gentle with me if what I say doesn't tally with conventional wisdom (or makes me sound nutty). As I say, I am brand new to this.
I think the easiest way to explain my thinking is just in terms of 'time'. I see gold as a means of providing long-term wealth insurance, and when I say wealth, I just mean converting what I have from FIAT into PM - I am not a 'wealthy' person.
So with gold, I'm looking at what it could mean to me either in retirement or in handing something to my children. Which means I can just add to the stack sequentially over the years, topping up in whatever quantities I can afford.
With silver, it's more about more immediate protection. Having a means of currency / barter that is outside of the traditional banking system, but in denominations and with a value that is much easier to use for smaller transactions. Plus...assuming the 'end-times' don't arrive any time soon, it's something that I'd be happy liquidating in line with any of the 'spikes' that may occur in the silver price in the future. As stated, once I hit my (arbitrary) target of 100oz silver, I'd be looking to rethink.
That's it really. As I say, I'm really only just dipping my toe and looking to balance the near future with the long-term future.
And for what it's worth, I find silver more aesthetically pleasing - but that's by the by. 
Thanks for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it.
FNF.

I'm not addicted thankfully 😬
I buy because I like a design 
I buy because the price is good
I buy because I'm bored 
I buy because the wife bought a new handbag and I feel left out
I buy incase/hope the price goes up
I buy because the price comes down
I buy because I haven't bought in 2 days 🥳
Point being all my decisions are logical 👆😵‍💫

Hey Shep,
It's a good and valid question and I'll try and be honest in my reasoning. Just be gentle with me if what I say doesn't tally with conventional wisdom (or makes me sound nutty). As I say, I am brand new to this.
I think the easiest way to explain my thinking is just in terms of 'time'. I see gold as a means of providing long-term wealth insurance, and when I say wealth, I just mean converting what I have from FIAT into PM - I am not a 'wealthy' person.
So with gold, I'm looking at what it could mean to me either in retirement or in handing something to my children. Which means I can just add to the stack sequentially over the years, topping up in whatever quantities I can afford.
With silver, it's more about more immediate protection. Having a means of currency / barter that is outside of the traditional banking system, but in denominations and with a value that is much easier to use for smaller transactions. Plus...assuming the 'end-times' don't arrive any time soon, it's something that I'd be happy liquidating in line with any of the 'spikes' that may occur in the silver price in the future. As stated, once I hit my (arbitrary) target of 100oz silver, I'd be looking to rethink.
That's it really. As I say, I'm really only just dipping my toe and looking to balance the near future with the long-term future.
And for what it's worth, I find silver more aesthetically pleasing - but that's by the by. 
Thanks for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it.
FNF.

Hello,
I joined TSF this week, following my first PM purchase - 20oz of silver (20x 1oz coins, split beetween Brits and Maples).
My invsting strategy (such that it is) is to channel the majority of my 'discretionary' monthly funds into silver 1oz coins until I've amassed my first 100oz and then potentially look at some low-weight bars etc. to build a hopefully liquid silver portfolio.
On top of that, I was planning to channel some 'bulk' funds (less regularly) into gold, with a view to diversifying the portfolio some, and maximising the wealth protection / future-proofing aspect that gold allows due to its lower premiums and non-VAT status.
My question then, is why do Sovereigns seem so popular, over and above 1oz gold coins?
(Acknowledging that this could be a fallacy, but this is at least how it seems to me when I read / hear people discussing it.)
My assumption is that sovereigns are more liquid? The reason I ask, is that I'm sure it's a sensible rule of thumb to get the most 'oz' for your money - at the lowest premium. On that basis, the 1oz coins seem to come out on top on both counts.
I'm ruling out 0.5oz coins as an option because the premium for these jumps right up.
So if I were looking to make my first, modest foray into gold stacking, should I be looking at Sovereigns or 1oz? Or is it simply dealers choice?
For clarity, I'm obviously looking at bullion, not proof.

Thanks in advance.

FNF.

Sovs tend to be extremely liquid, easy to sell here and on ebay and by a dealer

Grade C are ok if are at very low premium (1-3%). When you will sell them, you will sell at pure spot. 
If your coins are looking as new, you can expect to sell them up to 5% even on forum, where people are very sensitive with premium paid.
About capsules, for bullion sovereigns are not necessary to be air-tite or screw type best quality. Can be push-fit regular from Ebay or Amazon. Are still doing a great job.
 

Hey Shep,
It's a good and valid question and I'll try and be honest in my reasoning. Just be gentle with me if what I say doesn't tally with conventional wisdom (or makes me sound nutty). As I say, I am brand new to this.
I think the easiest way to explain my thinking is just in terms of 'time'. I see gold as a means of providing long-term wealth insurance, and when I say wealth, I just mean converting what I have from FIAT into PM - I am not a 'wealthy' person.
So with gold, I'm looking at what it could mean to me either in retirement or in handing something to my children. Which means I can just add to the stack sequentially over the years, topping up in whatever quantities I can afford.
With silver, it's more about more immediate protection. Having a means of currency / barter that is outside of the traditional banking system, but in denominations and with a value that is much easier to use for smaller transactions. Plus...assuming the 'end-times' don't arrive any time soon, it's something that I'd be happy liquidating in line with any of the 'spikes' that may occur in the silver price in the future. As stated, once I hit my (arbitrary) target of 100oz silver, I'd be looking to rethink.
That's it really. As I say, I'm really only just dipping my toe and looking to balance the near future with the long-term future.
And for what it's worth, I find silver more aesthetically pleasing - but that's by the by. 
Thanks for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it.
FNF.