A troy ounce of silver, 31.1 grams, had an Ask of $50.13 on 3 November 2026, but a 1 oz government coin has typically cost 14.4% more than the silver in it. That is the median premium in Bullion Trading LLC research using 510 days of our own price records since October 2024, which also show the typical new round cheaper than the typical government coin on only 9% of days, and a generic random-brand round on 83%.
Spot is the metal’s benchmark price, the LBMA Silver Price set daily in London; the gap above it pays the mint, wholesaler and dealer. Silver ran to a record $118.45 on 29 January 2026 and was 58% lower on 3 November 2026, and because most of a premium is a fixed amount of dollars, premiums in percent have swung with it.
| Key finding | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 oz of silver at the Ask | $50.13 (Ask) on 3 November 2026 (1 troy oz = 31.1035 g) |
| Typical government coin, median premium | 14.4% (7 coins; Philharmonic lowest at 11.4%, Kangaroo highest at 33.3%) |
| Rounds, median premium | Typical new round 16.6%; generic random-brand round 12.7% |
| Plain 1 oz bars, median premium | 17.0%; PAMP design bars 65% and 87% |
| Days cheaper than the typical coin | Typical round: 44 of 510 days (9%); generic round: 422 (83%) |
| Typical coin’s premium by silver price | 20.0% with silver under $35; 10.7% at $70 to $90 |
What is 1 oz of silver worth today?
As metal, one troy ounce is worth the spot price, $50.13 (Ask) on 3 November 2026. A standard 1 oz coin or round costs spot plus a premium: about $53.44 to $63.66 per ounce of silver at our check/wire prices that day.
The ounce in “1 oz silver” is a troy ounce, 31.1034768 grams by NIST’s conversion tables, about 9.7% heavier than a kitchen-scale ounce. “Fine” means only the pure silver counts: .999 is 99.9% silver, .9999 is 99.99%, and “Ag” is silver’s chemical symbol, so “1 oz .9999 Ag” means one troy ounce of 99.99% silver. The Eagle, for example, must weigh 31.103 g of .999 silver under 31 U.S.C. 5112.
Coins, rounds or bars: which 1 oz silver costs least?
Generic rounds and the cheapest government coins have cost least; branded rounds and 1 oz bars cost more. Since October 2024 the typical government coin's median premium was 14.4%, the typical new round's 16.6% and the typical plain 1 oz bar's 17.0%.
Why medians over two years instead of one day’s prices? The Australian Kangaroo had the highest median of the seven coins, 33.3%, because its premium was far higher through 2025 (a median of 46% from November 2024 to December 2025); we lowered our premium on it on 25 January 2026, and since March 2026 it has been cheaper than the typical coin on 96% of days. Snapshots from 2025 and 2026 would rank it at opposite ends.
Which 1 oz silver coin has the lowest premium?
The Vienna Philharmonic: its median premium since October 2024 was 11.4%, and it cost less than the typical government coin on 93% of days. The American Silver Eagle was the opposite: its median premium was 19.2%, and it cost more than the typical coin on 92% of days. That reflects demand, not metal: the U.S. Mint has sold more than 500 million ounces of Eagles since 1986 (bullion programs). Graded Eagles cost more again; see what the MS70 label buys.
The Chinese Panda is not a 1 oz coin: since 2016 the People’s Bank of China has issued it with 30 grams of silver, and measured on those 30 g its median premium was 38.5%.
1 oz government silver coins
The large price is the check/wire price; the card/PayPal price is listed under it. Prices follow the live spot price.
Counterfeiters struggle to copy the security features: the Maple Leaf’s radial lines and micro-engraved leaf (Royal Canadian Mint), the Britannia’s latent image that “changes from a padlock to Britannia’s famous trident” (The Royal Mint), the Eagle’s varied edge reeding and the Kangaroo’s micro-laser-engraved letter. The designs carry history: Weinman’s Walking Liberty on the Eagle (its reverse changed in 2021 from Mercanti’s eagle to Damstra’s), and Coert Steynberg’s springbok and Paul Kruger, president of the South African Republic from 1883 to 1900, on the Krugerrand. See our guide to spotting fake silver.
Are silver rounds a good investment?
Generic rounds are one of the cheapest ways to own silver; branded rounds usually are not. A round looks like a coin but comes from a private mint, with no face value and no government behind its weight and purity, so it is not legal tender.
A generic random-brand round was cheaper than the typical government coin on 83% of days and a random-mint Buffalo round on 79%, but the typical new round only on 9%, and Sunshine Mint and Morgan-style rounds almost never were. Even the generic round beat the Vienna Philharmonic on only 9% of days. Pay for a name only if you want the design, such as Buffalo rounds copying James Earle Fraser’s 1913 to 1938 nickel. Rounds hold .999 silver and we buy them back, so for ounces at the lowest premium without a government stamp, buy generic rounds, ideally by the ten.
1 oz silver rounds
The large price is the check/wire price; the card/PayPal price is listed under it. Prices follow the live spot price.
Why do coin premiums change when silver moves?
Because premiums are mostly fixed amounts of dollars: as silver rises the same dollars become a smaller share of the price.
| Silver price | Days | Typical government coin | Typical new round | Plain 1 oz bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $35 | 151 | 20.0% | 21.2% | 18.0% |
| $35 to $50 | 106 | 16.0% | 18.0% | 15.8% |
| $50 to $70 | 144 | 11.7% | 14.0% | 18.6% |
| $70 to $90 | 93 | 10.7% | 13.6% | 15.7% |
| $90 and over | 16 | 9.9% | 12.1% | 10.9% |
The arithmetic: $10 is 33% of a $30 ounce, 14% of a $70 ounce and 8% of a $118 ounce, so a low percentage at a high price is not a bargain in itself.
Does buying a tube of silver coins save money?
Usually, a little. Mints pack 20 or 25 coins to a tube and 500 to a monster box, and buying by the tube or box usually lowers the cost per coin. Compare the per-coin price before choosing; the calculator above picks a tube, lot or box by itself when the quantity fills one and it costs less per coin.
Are 1 oz silver bars a good investment?
They are rarely the cheapest ounce. Plain 1 oz bars had a median premium of 17.0%, a little above the typical government coin's 14.4%. Before 2026 they were cheaper than the typical coin on 97% of days; since January 2026 they have been cheaper on none of the 213 days. A generic round cost less than the typical plain bar on 96% of days. PAMP design bars had medians of 65% and 87%, a price for the design and assay card rather than the silver. Bars get cheaper per ounce in bigger sizes (see the best silver bars to buy), and sales tax rules vary by state (bullion sales tax guide).
Are 1 oz silver coins a good investment?
They are a practical way to hold silver in small, easy-to-sell pieces if you accept the premium and silver’s swings. They are affordable, liquid and portable, but not quite durable: silver tarnishes, and white “milk spots” can bother the next buyer, which is why Maple Leafs have carried MINTSHIELD protection since 2018 (see our milk spots guide).
- For: a small unit that dealers recognize everywhere, with security features rounds and bars lack.
- Against: at about 14% over the Ask, silver must rise that much before a coin is worth its price in metal, and silver is volatile, 58% below its record of $118.45 on 29 January 2026.
- Retirement accounts: Eagles and other .999 bullion coins are IRA-eligible (meets IRS fineness rules); they must be held through an IRS-approved custodian, as the IRS explains. See our precious metals IRA guide.
Collector and novelty coins hold an ounce of silver too, but their median premiums ran from 52% (colorized Lunar Dragon) to 219% (Barbie), and when Bullion Trading LLC buys back the ones it sells, it prices them on their silver content, so the premium does not come back. Buy them as gifts.
Where 1 oz silver coins stand now
On 3 November 2026, the typical government coin carries 18.6% over the Ask at our check/wire prices, a generic round 10.1% and a plain 1 oz bar 23.6%: about $59.45, $55.20 and $61.95 per ounce of silver.How we did the research
The store records each product’s check/wire price about four times a day. For every day since 27 October 2024 we divided each 1 oz product’s median price by the value of its fine silver at that day’s spot close (LBMA Silver Price to 28 September 2026, then 5 pm New York closes), converted to the Ask the same way as today’s numbers, so today and history compare like with like. The typical coin, round or bar is its group’s daily median; charts use 10-day rolling medians. Groups: 7 government coins, 13 new rounds, 3 plain bars; one daily record more than 10% below melt was dropped as recording errors. Collectible designs stay out of the groups; the Panda is measured on its 30 g.
Limits: one dealer’s prices, with premiums we set; spot closes and price records hours apart, which adds noise on fast days; shorter records for later listings; purchase prices only. Download the product table (CSV) and the daily medians (CSV).
Bottom line: buying 1 oz of silver
For the most silver per dollar, buy generic rounds (by the ten) or the cheapest government coin of the day, and compare the per-coin price of a tube or lot before you buy. Pay more for an Eagle only for its recognition, skip 1 oz bars unless you want the shape, and treat novelty coins as gifts.
Tubes and lots of 1 oz silver
The large price is the check/wire price; the card/PayPal price is listed under it. Prices follow the live spot price.
Frequently asked questions
How much is 1 oz of silver worth?
As metal, it is worth the value of its silver: at the Ask, $50.13 on 3 November 2026. A standard 1 oz coin or round cost about $53.44 to $63.66 per ounce of silver at our check/wire prices that day.Can I buy 1 oz silver coins in person in New York?
Yes. Our counter at 20 West 47th Street is open Monday to Thursday 8:30 to 4 and Friday 8:30 to 1; we ship to U.S. addresses only.
Sources
- Bullion Trading LLC price records since 27 October 2024 (our data; CSVs above).
- LBMA, LBMA Silver Price: spot and the 2026 record.
- NIST, Guide to the SI, Appendix B.9: the troy ounce.
- Legal Information Institute, 31 U.S.C. 5112: the Silver Eagle’s weight and fineness.
- U.S. Mint, bullion coin programs: Eagle sales.
- Royal Canadian Mint, 2026 Silver Maple Leaf: security features, MINTSHIELD.
- The Royal Mint, Britannia 2026 1 oz: security features.
- Official Krugerrand site: designs and Paul Kruger.
- Perth Mint, Australian Kangaroo 2026 1 oz: security feature.
- People’s Bank of China, 2026 Panda announcement: 30 g of silver.
- IRS, Investments in collectibles: the bullion exception for IRAs.