This is an excellent point. It brings up the fact that some items are widely known and instantly recognized. ASE, Krugerrand, Maple Leaf, Philharmoic, Kookaburra, even Panda are widely recognized. So it comes down to everyone's own situation, locale, and their end game plan. Bars are excellent for getting "more silver per dollar/pound/euro/yen". But some coins carry a premium because they are instantly recognizable, especially in an emergency situation where one is trying to book passage on a train/boat/plane away from hostile territory.