A-Mark Silver Bars
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Madison Mint Silver Bars
Silver bars are the second most popular choice for bullion investment, next only to gold bars or gold bullion coins. This is due to the fact that while silver is equally valuable as gold and can be used as an effective hedge against economical instability, it is considered somewhat ‘inferior’ to gold, and thus is allotted a lower price-range than the far more precious yellowish metal. Like gold, silver is resistant to corrosion can be stretched or hammered into very thin pieces without degrading. Silver is also far denser than most other metals, allowing one to possess a relatively substantial amount of silver in pure form in easy to carry rounds (such as bullion coins) or nuggets (such as silver bars and ingots), making the transport of what is literally ‘cold-hard cash’ easier. Being accepted globally as a liquid asset and trading medium silver, like gold, can be used to pay for anything or exchanged for a large sum of currency depending on the current purchasing price of the metal by weight making it extremely handy. In the world of bullion investment, bars are preferred over coins for larger investments, and due to their relatively large size and the fact that they are rarely, if ever moved outside of a secured vault save for purchases or sales, most silver bars lack any sort of aesthetic design compared to the more fanciful silver bullion coins. However, due to the workability of silver and the sheer beauty of the metal, a rare number of silver bars have been minted that do happen to possess some aesthetic design – and due to this seeming break from the norms, these bars are highly sought-after by collectors and investors.
Beautifying Money – The Art of Silver Bars
Today, a small number of mints specifically create silver bars with an artistic flourish, and interest in the procurement and collection of artsy silver bars have gone up, to the point where they are almost as popular as the more commonplace silver bullion coins. However, as with all unique commodities, it is those items that carry a distinct history that is more valued. In this respect, the Madison Mint silver bars belong to exactly that kind of commodity. Made sometime in the latter days of the Roaring 60’s to the latter 1970’s by the now defunct and practically obscure Madison Mint of the United States of America, these silver ‘art bars’ as they are called have become collectors’ items that have far exceeded their normal price as bullion, especially with the ever-broadening interest in precious metal investment that has caught much of the world by storm these days.
The Madison Mint was a privately owned minting company that reached the zenith of its production during the ‘70’s over which very little information regarding its history remains extant; what remains however are large numbers of high-quality .999 fine silver bars with highly detailed and tooled designs that have as of late become all the rage in collectors’ circles and even numismatic organizations[1]. Perhaps one of the earliest mints to ever include some manner of aesthetic improvement upon the drearily plain-faced silver ingot, Madison Mint’s broad spectrum of design and infallible eye for detail, coupled with its undeniable reliability with regards to silver purity have made their silver ‘art bars’ some of the most sought-after and well loved collectible investment materials.
Madison Mint’s specialized silver art bars featured a stunning array of themes and designs ranging from the historical, the sentimental, to the downright whimsical[2]. Among their most prized pieces are the 1976 bi-centennial celebratory presidential profile silver bars which feature the bust of 37 American presidents beginning with George Washington, and ending with Gerald Ford[3]. Aside from historical pieces, Madison Mint’s silver art bars also feature everything from depictions of nearly every dog breed, to historical depictions of various model cars[4]. Every Madison Mint silver art bar weighs a seeming trifle at 1 oz of pure .999 fine silver. Stuck in a distinctive mirror-finish to bring out the utmost in detail, some of these silver bars are now bullion rarities, and there are pieces that are worth far more than their initial value originally was, heedless of its silver content and is a true testament to time and its ability to make even seeming baubles valuable treasures.
Madison Mint Silver Bars - References:
[1] http://www.manta.com/c/mm6mwy3/madison-mint
[2] http://www.thesilverxchange.com/madison_mint.asp
[3] http://www.rivercitycoins.com/silversets/PresCameoSB.html
[4] http://cngw.homestead.com/oldartbars.html
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