Extreme Demand for Silver Coins Sales: Mint Continues Rationing

EDITOR NOTE: The Redditor frenzy may be over, but as the dust settles, the price of silver is still slated to rise as the US Mint continues rationing sales of silver coins due to “exceptional market demand” amid a shortage in supply and manufacturing capacity. The populist raid against hedge fund shorts--60% of which are held by four major financial firms--merely distracted investors from the fundamental fact that the supply of silver remains limited and production hampered amid high demand. Looking at the longer-term horizon, our current economic scenario is such that the price of silver will have no other response other than advancing upwards, making the recent pullback an ideal spot to accumulate physical non-CUSIP silver coins and bars. Now, this forecast assumes a “normal” progression. Should the Reddit swarm get wind of the current Mint rationing, and realize the extreme difficulties of covering 14 million ounces worth of “short” silver futures contracts, then any raid from here on out will dramatically amplify the effect of silver price appreciation. In short, silver prices are about to go through the roof, whether in steady progression or in a sudden burst of panicked buying pressure. Either way, now’s the time to prepare for the advance. 

The Reddit-fueled run-up in silver prices might be stalling, but the U.S. Mint said it is still rationing its sales of silver coins because of “continued exceptional market demand,” as well as limited supplies and manufacturing capacity.

The Mint is also allocating gold and platinum coin sales to authorized purchasers, it said in a statement Tuesday. The policy will be in place “for the foreseeable future.”

The mint’s silver coin sales jumped 24% to 4.775 million ounces last month, marking the highest for a January since 2017. The Mint’s announcement comes after retail sites were overwhelmed with demand for bars and coins. Investors on Reddit ignited a buying frenzy that roiled precious-metals markets and squeezed physical supplies. Some dealers said over the weekend that they were unable to process orders until Asian markets opened because of record demand.

Throughout the past year, and in part due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the Mint was unable to meet demand due to precious metal blank availability and plant capacity issues.

The Mint also said it will have a limited production window to produce current design American Eagle gold and silver coins, as it’s scheduled to start production of redesigned coins in the summer of 2021, and coins for that program must be produced in advance of the launch date.

Originally posted on Yahoo! Finance