Are Your Silver Bars .99999 Pure?

Two APMEX silver bars in front of a patterned background.

What is the Millesimal Fineness of APMEX Silver Bars?

APMEX branded silver bars and silver products from the 9Fine Mint are .999 fine.

Are There Any 99.999% Pure Silver Products?

While the Royal Silver Company has issued a 99.999 fine Andean Cats silver coin, these were only produced in 2012. There are some available on various secondary markets, but they are priced close to $600.

The Royal Canadian Mint produces 99.99 silver products, and these are the exception to the rule. Among many silver bars and rounds on the market, the most common purity we encounter is .999 fine.

Why is .999 Pure Silver the Standard for Investment Grade Silver?

This level of purity is both IRA-eligible and an industry standard. The 1997 Taxpayer Relief Act allowed for precious metals to be included in IRAs and defined the purity of that silver as 99.9%.

Some of our most cost-effective ways to get into silver include our .999 fine secondary market 100 oz silver bars. These combine a higher weight and secondary market advantages to offer investors a low premium over spot.

There is debate about the difference between .999 and .9999 silver, but one thing is certain: 100.00% silver would be too soft to use in jewelry, coinage, or other applications. The alloy strengthens silver and ensures the product it is made into has durability and lasts a long time.

The greater the alloy, the stronger the silver bar. Similarly, we use sterling silver for household applications like mirrors, place settings, candelabras, and more because the 7.5% alloy makes these products resilient and strong enough for regular use.

What is the Difference Between .999 and .9999 Pure Silver?

The primary difference between 99.9% or .999 and 99.99%, or .9999 pure silver is the method of refinement. There are two standard ways of refining silver- the Moebius system and the Thum Balbach system.

The chief difference between these systems is that electrodes are disposed vertically in the Moebius system and horizontally in the Thum Balbach system. Silver refined using the Moebius system usually has a purity of .999, but on occasion it may be .9999 pure.

Determining which system to use for refining silver considers the kind of impurities present in the silver anodes.

Regardless of the millesimal fineness of the rounds or bars that you buy, a 1 oz silver bar will contain 1 troy ounce of silver. The lower the relative purity of silver in your bar, the greater its overall weight will be.

For instance, the 1-ounce silver American Eagle weighs 31.103 grams. Your silver Eagle does not have an extra .103 grams of silver in it. It is 0.331% alloyed to make it durable and strong to ensure its beauty and value are preserved for generations to come.

Quick Guides to Investing

Step 1:

Why Buy Physical Gold and Silver?

If you are concerned about the volatility of the stock market, you’re not alone. The extreme highs and lows of the stock market often lead investors towards safe-haven assets, like bullion. Historically, the Precious Metals market has an inverse relationship with the stock market, meaning that when stocks are up, bullion is down and vice versa.

Step 2:

How Much Gold and Silver Should You Have?

This question is one of the most important for investors to answer. After all, experts suggest limits on how much of any types of investments should go into a portfolio. After deciding to purchase and own Precious Metals and considering how much money to allocate, one can then think about how much and what to buy at any point in time.

Step 3:

Which Precious Metals Should I Buy?

With the frequent changes in the market and countless Precious Metal products available, choosing investments can be difficult. Some want Gold or Silver coins, rounds or bars while others want products that are valuable because of their design, mintage or other collectible qualities. Also, collectors may shop for unique sets and individual pieces for their collections.

Step 4:

When to Buy Gold & Silver

After considering why, how much, and what Precious Metals products to buy, an investor’s next step is when to buy them. This decision requires an understanding of market trends and the impact of economic factors on precious metal prices.

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