Investing in precious metals is a smart thing to do. After all, they won’t lose value like stocks do, and their bubble will never burst like the real estate market. That’s why so many people are buying both gold and silver bullion.

So, which one is better for you?

Gold bullion – specifically, gold coins that are backed by the U.S. government, like the gold American Eagle coin – gets a lot of attention. However, don’t discount the value of silver bullion. In some cases, silver bullion can actually be a much better investment than gold bullion.

How?

In order to put a value on your precious metal collection, you have to figure out what it would sell for. As flashy as gold is, there are a limited number of people who can actually afford to buy it. Your gold American Eagle coin collection might be striking to look at, but if you ever need to sell it, you likely won’t have a sea of buyers to choose from – simply because they can’t afford it.

But since silver bullion is cheaper than its golden counterpart, it is easier to sell. The prices of silver keep climbing, but they’re not so astronomically high that the “Average Joe” can’t afford them. If you ever really had to unload your silver collection, it would be much easier to do.

Plus, some silver has historical significance – meaning that it’s something that collectors want to get their hands on. In fact, one of the most famous coins in the world is the silver dollar. Depending on how old yours is, a silver dollar is almost like a tiny time machine.

By looking at the quality and the picture minted on it, your silver dollar can tell you exactly what America was going through when it was created.
In fact, many silver dollar buyers are willing to pay much more than market value for a decent silver coin collection, simply because of the history attached to each one!

As an added benefit, you can opt for American Silver Eagles – the silver equivalent to the gold American Eagle. Like their golden counterparts, American Silver Eagles are backed by the U.S. government, meaning that their value is much higher than the average silver coin.

But that’s not all that silver bullion is good for! Most people don’t know it, but silver also has a high manufacturing value.

In fact, your silver bullion collection can fetch you a pretty penny in industrial circles. Gold isn’t used in manufacturing, so by having it, you’re eliminating a group of buyers right off the bat!