There use to be a standard where silver and gold was stored by the government to increase the value of the US dollar.  This is the reason the dollar became the "gold standard".  However, the government has sold off much of its stores, and for many years now no longer uses this technique to increase our currency's position.

In this silver investing and inflation interview video with David Morgan and Mike Maloney of GoldSilver, they cover in depth these details, and what you can do about it to protect your self against the upcoming crisis.

Interesting notes:  Gold should be worth $2400(back in 2006) because of inflation conditions.  Silver has been as high as $50 an ounce, and is in less supply than gold, and is believed to be under valued.

Below is the GoldSilver.com 10 minute video of what is going on behind the scenes and what you can do about it.

Silver investments and the US economy.

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10 Roosevelt 90 Silver Dimes 1953 s Read    US $20.70

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Investing in a safe is necessary if you plan to keep physical silver. With its high value, and often untraceable as an asset, it is important to get a safe to ward off would be robbers. Having a safe, especially large ones, is an often good enough deterrent for home burglaries and thieves.

Not only that it is important in case of a fire. Even though it is metal, if it is burned, the metal will oxidize, and reform into something unidentifiable. It immediately will lose up to 25% of its value, and any intrinsic value is gone.

So, when looking for a safe it should be fire proof, and have a combination dial lock. It is important to memorize your safe combo. Otherwise obtaining the numbers is next to impossible. It would involve contacting the safe manufacturer, showing proof of purchase, and waiting for them to mail you the number. So be smart about the lock combo.

To recap, a safe is a wise investment to protect your silver. Make sure it is fire and burglar proof, and has a strong combo lock.

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The unique thing about the Stacker is it has interlocking machined edges that allow you to "stack" your bars together, kind of like legos.  Not only does this provide ease of storage, but it looks sharp, and provides easier transport and storage of your silver.

These bars are ISO - 9001 certified.  This, along with the trademark lion head engraved on the bar provide for an easily identifiable piece of silver, for easier identification and trust in purchasing.

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Scottsdale STACKER® 10 Troy oz Silver Bar 999 Bullion    US $330.00

Scottsdale Stacker 10 Troy oz Silver Bar 999 Bullion    US $330.00

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What is silver bar collecting?  Is there really people that do this?  Yes.  Beyond investors who buy and hold silver, speculating that they can resell the precious metal for more in the future, there is a lesser known group of enthusiasts who collect silver bars, for fun and profit.

With the typical silver bars, the pamp suisse, and default bars with simple inscriptions of 999 and a certificate of authenticity, are the more beautiful bars.  These have fine carvings of Buffalos, Indian Heads, Maple Leafs, and many others.  Everything from Coca-Cola to marijuana leaves.

Some of these bars are made by well known mints, such as Canada's or America's Mint, but many are manufactured by private individuals, or private mints, such as the Sunshine Mint.

The only warning. Some deceptive sellers will sell bars that are "art bars" or "copy" or "replica". Do not purchase these. If they are selling way below market value, be suspicious and cautious. If unsure ask the seller or get a second opinion. Legally, they can sell the replicas, but it is illegal for them to claim it is real silver if it is not.

If you see these real silver bars, snatch them up because they will always hold their value of at least the current market price for silver, but above and beyond that they have what is known as intrinsic value.  Intrinsic value is the collectible value of the bar, which other collector's are willing to pay more for based upon rarity or the story behind the bar.

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RARE MORGAN Tribute ★ 1 10th oz Ounce Silver BULLION Round ★ PURE 999 Fine Bar    US $18.95

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STRICKLAND 1 OZ 999 SILVER BAR RARE OLD BAR    US $68.89

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999 5 1 TROY OUNCE SILVER INGOT BAR ROUND MONTANA 1889 1989 RARE SET 5 OZS    US $450.00

ENGELHARD 1 TROY OZ SILVER BAR 999 FINE PURE SILVER RARE VINTAGE    US $30.45

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Silver is a white metal, that comes about from mining the earth, and is usually recovered by mining companies as they mine for other products such as gold and copper.  Silver is important as a precious metal, and also as an industrial, functional, and fashion(jewelry) metal.

In its crudest form silver comes in either nugget, or flake form.  Flakes are the smallest, and must be recovered with special methods, chemicals, and processes such as extraction and smelting.  Nuggets are a larger form of the silver, and are also collectible as they are the natural form that they came out of the earth.

When the crude, raw piece of silver is prospected, it is then separated from other precious metals, and shipped to other industries for further processing in industrial needs or made into investment form.  This process involves the silver being heated up to extreme temperatures and melted into bullion.  Bullion is different forms such as coins, clad discs, bars, and so forth, but is most often associated with bars.

The different industrial uses include dentistry, electronics(but copper is preferred because of tarnishing), jewelry, and the making of mirrors.

Coins are the most collectible, desirable, and more.  They are the easiest to liquidate, but the more expensive to obtain.

Lastly there are bars.  This is the term most often associated with bullion.  They are almost as easy to liquidate as coins and clad discs, but still hold their value, and have intrinsic value depending on the bars you purchase.  Because they have less intrinsic value than coins, you can purchase the same amount of melt value silver as coins for a much lower price.

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In the case of silver and gold funds, stocks, etc.  this is just trading paper.  If you want to learn about that this is not the place.  This article will cover the basics of investing in physical silver.  Physical silver includes any silver in the form of bullion, nuggets, coins, or bars.

Silver is a good investment as opposed to gold.  It is cheaper, more available, and still as easy to liquidate.  And its returns are usually higher than gold when you look at the numbers mathematically.  Usually silver is pinned closely to the value in gold in the matter that if gold goes up then silver goes up.  Same with when it goes down.  When learning ROI, you will see that the percentage return is greater than with gold.

The first step to invest in silver is the purchasing of silver.  To do this, you will need to buy.  But this is the biggest problems for beginners:  Where do I buy?  Good question.  If you want to buy locally you can go to a pawn shop, coin or jewelry dealer.  Also, look in your classifieds.  Another great way to get silver is by placing a Want Ad letting others know you will buy their silver.  You will get the silver cheaper by doing this but you need to research the current values of silver so you get a good deal.

Online you have many choices: just Google the term "buy silver" and you get MILLIONS of results.  This can be daunting, but no worries.  Here are the best resources for looking for silver:

• Bullion Direct
• Kitco
• Goldline
• eBay
• Craigslist

If you want to buy larger quantities of silver Bullion Direct, Kitco, and Goldline are good choices with Bullion Direct being our favorite.   But remember, its only cost effective if you buy in larger quantites because the fees, handling fees, and shipping will tack on a larger price to the silver.

For beginners we recommend Craigslist or eBay.  With Craigslist it is classified ads and you will be dealing locally.  You will also be able to buy in smaller quantities and can get rare items such as old silver coins.  eBay also provides the ability to buy silver in pretty much in any amount you desire, and allows you to buy in as little of amounts as 1 grain of silver(this is highly NOT recommended however.  Try purchasing in at least ounces, but grams are sufficient if you are budget strapped).  eBay also provides market price values as the format is done in auction style.

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One can not say for sure.  There are always whistle blowers, nay sayers, and conspiracy theorists especially when it comes to currencies, and precious metal commodities.

The biggest theory has to do with the Federal Reserve and their manipulation of the US dollar.  However this does not delve into the conspiracy of silver.

The conspiracy of silver is some say that it is undervalued especially in its relationship to gold.  I will let you draw your own conclusions but here are some relevant points to consider.

Silver mining has declined over the years as gold mining has increased.  Developing countries like China, India and Africa have increased their gold reserves by opening more mines.  Usually silver is ignored as gold is worth more.  In the United States it is more difficult to mine nowadays because of environmentalist groups and the legal system which can tie up mining operation startups for years.  Besides a few new silver operations in southwestern Idaho, most mining operations opening today are focusing on shale, coal, or gold.  Many related companies are moving into solar industries as President Obama's stimulus package provides 1/3 to 1/2 of solar plants to be funded.  No funding has been providing for the expansion of the mining industry.

Silver is not a recyclable resource.  Aluminum can be reused again and again, but silver is usually melted off, or not easily recoverable after it is used.  Plus, it has so many more uses than gold it means its resources are depleting.

More people are hoarding silver, especially because of the uncertainty of the US Dollar, and the global call to detach from the US dollar and attach to the Euro.

Speculators claim silver's real value should be in the $60-80/ ounce range, but I could not confirm this statement, so I will allow you to do your own research and decide for yourself.

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Some reasons to consider buying silver bullion over gold bars include:

1. PRICE - Silver is cheaper at less than $20 per ounce versus almost $1200 an ounce for gold.  Especially for the small investor, it is easier to get in.
2. VALUE - Precious metals really are pinned to the gold market.  Almost always, as gold goes up so does silver, and the same when it goes down.  Not always, but often this is the case.
3. RETURNS - If you look at the Percentage(%) Return On Investment silver outperforms gold.  In 2009 - the present silvers return was approximately 90%(if you bought and sold at the lowest low and the highest high) whereas for 2009 golds return was about 50% if you had bought at the low of almost $800 and sold at the high recently of over $1200.This data means if you invested $1000 in silver and $1000 in gold you would have a return of $1900 in silver and $1500 in gold respectively.
4. SUPPLY - It is no doubt that gold is in short supply, but the fact of the matter is is that silver isn't growing exponentially either in supply.  Silver is used in more industrial purposes than gold, and most of these uses don't allow for recovery of the silver once used whereas gold can often be recycled.  Both silver and gold are being stock piled in the economic crisis.

Both silver and gold bar investments are a good choice, however silver is the winner in returns on investment and the smaller price point to enter the investment marketplace.

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