Buy Silver Bars

Silver bars provide a straightforward way to own physical silver and can offer lower premiums per gram than many silver coins, particularly at larger sizes. When choosing a silver bar, important considerations include the size and weight of the bar, the premium above the silver price, VAT and how you intend to store your silver.

Browse our silver bars below, including options for UK delivery, or explore our VAT-free silver bars held in bonded storage in Zurich.

Why buy silver bars?

Silver bars allow you to buy physical silver in a simple bullion format, with their underlying value primarily determined by the quantity of silver they contain and the prevailing silver price.

Bars are available in a range of weights, making them suitable for different budgets. Larger silver bars will generally have a lower premium per gram than smaller bars or individual silver coins because manufacturing costs are spread across a greater quantity of metal.

The trade-off is flexibility. Several smaller bars can be sold individually, whereas selling a larger bar means selling a greater proportion of your silver holding at once.

If you are considering other forms of physical silver, compare our silver coins or explore our wider range of silver bullion.

Which size silver bar should I buy?

The right silver bar size will depend on your budget and the balance you want between lower premiums and flexibility.

Smaller bars have a lower individual purchase price and allow a holding to be divided into smaller units. Larger bars generally provide a lower premium per gram but require more capital for each individual purchase and sale.

Physical Gold stocks silver bars in a range of sizes, including 1oz, 100g, 500g, 1kg and 5kg bars, subject to availability. (Physical Gold)

When comparing silver bars, consider:

• the total price of the bar;
• the amount of pure silver it contains;
• the premium above the underlying silver value;
• VAT;
• how easily you want to divide your holding when selling; and
• the amount of physical storage space required.

For a larger investment, a combination of bar sizes may provide a balance between cost per gram and flexibility.

Silver bars or silver coins?

Both silver bars and silver coins provide direct ownership of physical silver, but they have different characteristics.

Silver bars will generally offer a lower premium per gram, particularly at larger sizes, making them worth considering for buyers whose priority is acquiring a greater quantity of silver.

Silver coins are available in smaller individual units and can provide greater flexibility when selling. Qualifying British legal-tender coins such as Silver Britannias also benefit from Capital Gains Tax exemption for UK residents.

Silver bars do not benefit from this CGT exemption, so tax treatment may become an important consideration for larger holdings.

New or best value silver bars?

Physical Gold stocks both new and Best Value silver bars, depending on availability.

New bars allow buyers to choose a particular product or refiner. Best Value bars place greater emphasis on obtaining investment-grade silver at a competitive premium rather than choosing a particular brand, design or age.

For investors primarily interested in the underlying silver content, Best Value silver bars can therefore be worth comparing with newly produced bars.

Pre-owned bullion may show signs of handling or age, but this does not change the quantity of silver contained in the bar.

Understanding silver bar premiums

The price of a physical silver bar is normally higher than the underlying value of the silver it contains. The difference between the metal value and the price of the bar is known as the premium.

Premiums reflect costs including refining, manufacturing and distribution, as well as product availability and market demand.

Larger bars generally have lower premiums per gram than smaller bars because the manufacturing cost represents a smaller proportion of the overall value.

When comparing bars, looking at the price per gram or ounce of silver can therefore provide a more useful comparison than looking only at the total price.

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