Silver Eagles vs. Generic for My IRA - Thoughts?

Ruth Perez

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Silver Eagles vs. Generic for My IRA - Thoughts?

ruth_perez📊Growing (50-100k)

about 2 months ago

Key Takeaways

•Okay, so I'm trying to optimize my holdings in my Gold IRA and running into a bit of a dilemma.
•I've got a decent chunk, about $60k right now, allocated to precious metals – mostly gold, but I've been eyeing some more silver to diversify.
•My question for those with more experience is: Silver Eagles (ASEs) vs.

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Okay, so I'm trying to optimize my holdings in my Gold IRA and running into a bit of a dilemma. I've got a decent chunk, about $60k right now, allocated to precious metals – mostly gold, but I've been eyeing some more silver to diversify. My question for those with more experience is: Silver Eagles (ASEs) vs. generic 1oz silver rounds/bars for an IRA? Specifically thinking physical silver, not paper. I'm a government employee here in Albuquerque, and this IRA is basically my pension supplement, so I'm playing the long game – thinking 15-20 years out.

On one hand, ASEs are recognized, government-minted, and probably have better liquidity if I ever needed to sell quickly. The premiums, though, are something else. I just saw some at a local coin shop going for like $8-10 over spot, which feels pretty steep when spot is already doing its thing. For an IRA where I'm trying to maximize my exposure to the underlying metal, those premiums really eat into the silver ounces I can acquire.

Then you have the generic rounds and bars. Much lower premiums, sometimes just a few bucks over spot. I could get significantly more silver for the same cash. My concern, though, is how easy they are to sell when the time comes, especially within an IRA custodian framework. Do custodians treat them differently? Is there a big difference in the bid/ask spread compared to Eagles? I'm not planning on handling them myself; they're all securely stored with the custodian.

Has anyone here had experience buying generics for their IRA and then selling them? Any horror stories or surprisingly positive experiences? I'm trying to decide if the lower premium on generics is worth any potential hassle or discount on the back end. Really appreciate any insights!

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6 comments

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Best Answer▲ 19 upvotes

charles_lewis💎Premium (500k-1m)

Interesting take. I've heard the opposite from a few people though — would love to see some actual numbers on this.

Comments (6)

dorothy_lopez💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor•about 2 months ago

Dude, I was in this EXACT same boat a few months ago! Had about the same amount and was staring at the Silver Eagles vs. generic bars. Honestly, for the IRA, I ended up going with a mix, leaning heavier on the generic. My thought process was just pure weight for the dollar since it's staying in storage anyway. But I did grab a few tubes of ASEs for "just in case" I ever wanted to take delivery of something more recognizable.

steven_mitchell🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 2 months ago

Interesting dilemma! When you say "generic," are you talking about rounds/bars from well-known refiners like Engelhard or Johnson Matthey, or more like lesser-known mints/private labels? Just curious what specific types of "generic" you're comparing the Eagles against.

donald_nelson💎Premium (500k-1m)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 2 months ago

Honestly, with only $60k right now, I'd probably lean more towards maximizing my gold allocation first. Silver is great for diversification, sure, but if you're talking about optimizing for a retirement account, the long-term track record and stability of gold just feels like a stronger foundation for that kind of money. You can always add silver down the line once your gold base is more substantial.