Silver Hunting: Caveat Emptor

For the past several posts I’ve discussed tips on acquiring silver (start with Silver Hunting for a Less-Than-Ideal Future). To close out the series, I’ll share a few miscellaneous tips I’ve picked up along the way.

All of these may be found online from myriad sources, most of which conclude by warning you that you’ll get ripped off completely, and likely be publicly shamed for it, if you don’t buy their exhaustive guide on the subject, or subscribe (for a “reasonable” fee!) to their newsletter, etc.

I’m just a guy. I may not give you the most authoratative advice here, but I’ll do my best.

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Silver Hunting: Silverware

In my recent essay, Silver Hunting: Coin or “Junk” Silver, I talked about looking for silver coins. Eventually, I realized that I had allowed the configuration of the silver in coins to blind me to a source of silver available for casual acquisition that has been hiding literally in plain sight: silverware.

Our family has always referred to flatware as “silverware.” Other than an heirloom set of silverplate, which I recall getting used only on a scant handful of special occasions, our flatware has always been stainless steel at best. We even called plastic flatware “silverware!”

Secondhand silver: coins, silverware, and an Alaskan state seal medallion (Photo: Mark A. Zeiger).

Secondhand silver: coins, silverware, and an Alaskan state seal medallion (Photo: Mark A. Zeiger).

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