I've purchased online from sdbullion & Gainesville coins - they tend to have lower premiums & I've had no 'issues' (my gainseville order last summer took a while to arrive, though demand was high at the time). Recently, I'm purchasing from a local shop b/c I don't want to risk having a package of bullion in the mail if the mail stops... Looking at the gold/silver ratio & speculated derivatives, I think silver has more 'room to run', though it is also a less dense store of value (good for barter though bad for storage) & more volatile. I'd recommend a mix of both. 90%/constitutional/junk silver (US coinage pre-1965(?)) is probably the least expensive way to get fractional coinage to use in case barter is necessary. American silver & gold eagles have higher premiums, though they also command the highest sell price. Personally, I try to avoid coins with the queen on them though that limits my options. Bars are more easily counterfeited than coins/rounds & tend to command a lower bid, so I tend to stick to rounds/coins. I'd be cautious of eBay/Craigslist purchases - if it seems to good to be true it probably is & the amount you'd potentially save may not outweigh the risk of getting screwed.

I've purchased online from sdbullion & Gainesville coins - they tend to have lower premiums & I've had no 'issues' (my gainseville order last summer took a while to arrive, though demand was high at the time). Recently, I'm purchasing from a local shop b/c I don't want to risk having a package of bullion in the mail if the mail stops... Looking at the gold/silver ratio & speculated derivatives, I think silver has more 'room to run', though it is also a less dense store of value (good for barter though bad for storage). I'd recommend a mix of both. 90%/constitutional/junk silver (US coinage pre-1965(?)) is probably the least expensive way to get fractional coinage. American silver & gold eagles have higher premiums, though they also command the highest sell price. Bars are more easily counterfeited than coins/rounds & tend to command a lower bid, so I tend to stick to rounds/coins. I'd be cautious of eBay/Craigslist purchases - if it seems to good to be true it probably is & the amount you'd potentially save may not outweigh the risk of getting screwed.