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The picture on the left displays two 1 kilo silver bullion bars. I find these images interesting for three main reasons: silver bars provide a great way to invest in silver bullion, the bars contain serial numbers, and the bars are one kilogram each instead of the normal ounces we see in most United States bullion investments. Let's start with the first point. For my gold bullion investments, I prefer gold coins to gold bars because coins such as the gold American Eagle are backed by the United States government in weight and purity. Gold is expensive and I prefer an investment that is backed by a government as opposed to a bank. Silver, on the other hand, is different. Building up a sizeable silver position requires a lot of coins. Each Canadian Maple Leaf silver coin is worth about $15 versus $800 for the one ounce gold coin. In building up a silver investment position, bars just make plain sense. Even though they are not backed by the government, they are an efficient way to purchase and store silver. Go with bars from a respected mining company or bank such as Credit Suisse and you should be fine.

Only Buy Silver Bars With Serial Numbers

As you can see, these two bars contain serial numbers. The purpose of the serial number is to prevent counterfeiting. When there is a serial number from the bank or mine, you can verify that the silver bullion bar is real. Make sure your silver bars come with accompanying assay certificates that also show the serial number and prove the weight and purity of the bar. Silver bars with serial numbers and assay certificates are the best way to go for the majority of silver bar investors. For information on the types of bullion bars to avoid, you may want to check out the following picture and article of 1 ounce gold bullion bars.

1 Kilogram Bars Are The Standard Overseas

1 Kilogram equals 35.3 ounces. In the United States, the most popular silver bullion sizes are one ounce, 10 ounces, and 100 ounces. Overseas, kilograms are more prevalent. I believe in diversification and it probably makes sense to buy silver in both the ounce and kilogram denominations. Doing so will give you a really well rounded portfolio.

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