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Context in Global Rankings
• United States: 8,133 tonnes (22% of global reserves).
• Germany: ~3,352 tonnes.
• Italy & France: ~2,400–2,500 tonnes each.
• China: Officially ~2,304 tonnes, but possibly closer to 3,000–4,000 tonnes if hidden reserves are included. My estimate is China actually owns 5K tonnes and USA owns 9K tonnes.

DeficitHawk says

Whether the payback is enough recoup our investment before it exterminates us in another question...

The price of silver is once again at an all time high. It is currently at $55.55. it was at $55.71 earlier today. It's previous all time high was back in October with a price of $54.50.

The previous two times it set record highs were in 1979 and 2011. Those times it spiked up and then went back down pretty quickly. It seems to be holding above $50 an ounce.

I have a jar with a couple hundred dollars worth of old "junk" (pre 1965 90% silver) coins that I had planned on cashing in when silver peaked over $50 an ounce. Here we are and I am not sure if I should cash in. If I took the cash (+/- $10K) what would I do with it?

Onvacation says

I have a jar with a couple hundred dollars worth of old "junk" (pre 1965 90% silver) coins that I had planned on cashing in when silver peaked over $50 an ounce. Here we are and I am not sure if I should cash in. If I took the cash (+/- $10K) what would I do with it?

Role the dice on this one. It is crazy that its holding at such a high amount. The two previous times I think were from market manipulation, this one people are buying it all up and we have a debt crisis. Even gold it at all time high.

Onvacation says

If I took the cash (+/- $10K) what would I do with it?

Invest it in your sailboat? Wait for it to crash and replace with silver eagles? HODL?

Maga_Chaos_Monkey says

Invest it in your sailboat?

Sailboats aren't investments.

If I had invested all of the money I put into sailing over the last 4 decades I would be a decamillionaire.

Onvacation says

Sailboats aren't investments.

Unless they help you save money like you live aboard it as a primary residence, or you save money using it for a vacation versus staying at an expensive resort.

Or you get your 6-pack captains license and make money using it as a charter boat.

Silver broke $60 an ounce today.

Onvacation says

Silver broke $60 an ounce today.

I wonder who is buying up silver, and if it is the younger generation who have non traditional ways of investing. Central banks in Russia and Saudi Arabia have been buying a lot of silver this year.

Silver prices have surged in 2025 mainly because of tight supply, strong investor demand, and expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts. The metal has doubled in value this year.

Key Drivers Behind Silver’s Rise in 2025
• Structural Supply Deficit
• The silver market is in its fifth consecutive year of deficit, with a shortfall of about 95 million ounces in 2025.
• Mine production has been declining for a decade, especially in Central and South America, due to closures and resource depletion.
• Stockpiles at the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell to their lowest since 2015, intensifying scarcity.
• Investor Demand & Safe-Haven Appeal
• Economic uncertainty, trade tensions, and inflation concerns have driven investors toward silver as a hedge against currency devaluation.
• Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are expected to hit record holdings next year, amplifying demand.
• A “silver squeeze” in October highlighted the lack of available physical metal, pushing prices sharply higher.
• Federal Reserve Policy Expectations
• Anticipation of rate cuts by the Fed has boosted demand for precious metals, since lower rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets like silver.
• Investors are betting on a more dovish Fed stance, which supports silver alongside gold.
• Industrial Demand
• Silver is critical for solar panels, electric vehicles, semiconductors, and AI components.
• China’s surge in solar installations has further tightened supply.
• Even with slight declines in some industrial sectors, the green energy transition keeps silver demand elevated.

AD says

• Industrial Demand

I think industrial demand is the key driver of the recent silver price spike.

Traditionally silver and gold were used for money, jewelry, or was just hoarded because it is valuable and represented all of the labor it took to mine and refine it. Precious metals have been melted and reformed for millennia. For the most part they were not lost just changed forms.

Gold is like that. it gets melted and formed into new jewelry, coins, and bars. Even the tiny amounts (cumulatively not tiny) used in electronics are worth recovering because of gold's high value. Gold accumulates.

Silver gets used. It is the most reflective and conductive of the metals. it doesn't corrode and has antimicrobial properties. It has countless industrial uses in addition to it's "Money" value. The cost of recycling it often far exceeds it's market value. Silver gets used up.

There is plenty of silver and gold in the world if you want to invest the capitol and labor to get it.

Onvacation says

Silver gets used.

One of the biggest uses of silver was film photography. The introduction of digital cameras did affect silver prices for a while.

The only certainty is that the dollar will go to zero because the Federal Reserve exists.

This means that silver will go to infinity in dollar terms. But silver will still be worth about the same it always was worth. An ounce of silver will buy a meal in a decent restaurant.

It's an excellent store of value. Doesn't really go up or down. That's why we should use it for money once again.

yet, AI states this