Finally seeing the light with my gold holdings! Silver stack next?

• •Been a long-time lurker here, but felt compelled to share some positive vibes today.
• •My portfolio was barely six figures then, but I knew I wanted some serious diversification beyond the standard stocks and bonds.
• •Gold just made sense to me after poring over countless historical analyses – both as an inflation hedge and a safeguard against market volatility.

Been a long-time lurker here, but felt compelled to share some positive vibes today. After years of painstakingly building my gold IRA, I'm finally seeing some significant gains that are making all the research and patience feel incredibly worthwhile. When I first started diving into this about ten years ago, I was fresh out of grad school and had just landed my professor gig at VCU here in Richmond. My portfolio was barely six figures then, but I knew I wanted some serious diversification beyond the standard stocks and bonds. Gold just made sense to me after poring over countless historical analyses – both as an inflation hedge and a safeguard against market volatility.

Fast forward to now, and my gold IRA is sitting right around the $350k mark. With the recent run-up in gold prices, that 10-year investment horizon is really paying off. I remember a few friends and even some colleagues questioned my "old-school" approach with precious metals when everyone else was chasing tech stocks, but I stuck to my conviction. The research was clear for me: a portion of my wealth needed to be outside the traditional financial system, and physical gold through a reputable IRA custodian was the chosen route. I admit, there were times, especially during some of the flatter periods, when I wondered if I was missing out. But holding strong, doing my due diligence, checking the global economic indicators… it’s really paid dividends. Pun intended, I suppose.

Now, I'm starting to think about diversifying within the precious metals space. Specifically, I'm looking at silver. My initial focus was purely on gold for its status as a monetary metal and its long-term store of value. But with the industrial demand for silver, especially in green tech, it feels like it has even more upside potential in the coming decade. I've been reading a lot about the supply/demand imbalances. I never really invested in silver coins before, always viewed it as a lesser cousin to gold, but I'm thinking of allocating about 5-10% of my current portfolio into physical silver, perhaps through a mix of coins and bars held in a similar IRA structure.

For those of you who have been stacking silver coins for a while, especially in an IRA, what are your thoughts? Any specific types of coins or refineries you prefer? Are the premiums for silver eagles still worth it, or should I look more internationally for better value? I’m based in Richmond, VA, so I'm also curious if anyone has recommendations for reputable dealers in the Mid-Atlantic region for larger silver coin purchases. Always appreciate the collective wisdom here!