by Mike Gleason, Silver Seek:
Precious metals markets are ticking lower this week amid an ongoing summer lull in investor demand.
The upshot of soft market conditions for gold and silver is favorable buying opportunities for bargain hunters. Not only are spot prices down, but so are premiums on popular bullion products available through Money Metals.
Over the past three years, premiums on Silver Eagles have been especially elevated due to the U.S. Mint’s chronic failure to keep up with demand. There may be some relief in sight as the notoriously mismanaged U.S. Mint has suddenly doubled Silver Eagle production. Silver blanks are now readily available from the government’s sole-sourced supplier as minting demand has declined.
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That has led to a big drop in premiums, especially for those wishing to sell their Silver Eagles. This could get unpleasant for those who ignored our warnings and opted to purchase these U.S. Mint silver coins only several months ago when premiums reached as high as 75% over the silver spot price.
Poor planning practices at the U.S. Mint, including an apparent refusal to stockpile extra silver blanks during periods of market slack, mean the outlook for future production remains uncertain.
The internal problems at the U.S. Mint – combined with the lack of virtually all private mints in the United States being willing to deal with the bureaucracy that comes with being a federal contractor – point to perpetual turmoil and volatility in both production levels and premiums on American Eagle bullion coins, particularly those minted of silver.
At Money Metals, we’ve long been disappointed in this situation and have vocalized this to our customers and the public. It’s a particularly damning fact that other sovereign mints across the world rarely experience the problems that constantly plague the U.S. Mint and its product line. That’s why we constantly urge investors to shy away from purchasing Silver Eagles, in particular.
Investors who want to acquire low-premium silver are wise to favor the products of other sovereign mints or privately minted rounds and bars instead.
Meanwhile, despite less buying interest and little attention from the mainstream media, the fundamental reasons for acquiring precious metals continue to grow. Inflation risk, credit risk, geopolitical risk, de-dollarization, mining supply deficits, and the potential for a meltdown in the banking system, just to name a few.
Money in the bank isn’t what it used to be. Accounts denominated in today’s fiat currency units are depreciating thanks to negative real interest rates. In many cases, checking and savings accounts don’t even earn a nominal yield despite a string of rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.
Also of great concern is that today’s banking system is being weaponized to enforce ideological agendas. Dissenters from prevailing orthodoxy on matters of politics, culture, and healthcare now risk being “debanked” – having their accounts cancelled for committing wrongthink.
Former President Donald Trump had his Florida bank accounts closed in the wake of his disputed 2020 election defeat. He was also blacklisted by Deutsche Bank for political reasons.
Democrat Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has been censored on social media and had his non-profit organization threatened with bank account closures, apparently at the behest of the Biden administration. Kennedy is charged with the thought crime of spreading vaccine misinformation.
