> If I am buying silver coins for the ounce of silver, why would I buy coins from the US mint at $70/oz versus an online seller like golden state mint for $26/oz? 70 / ounce is stupid high for coins right now. 26 for silver rounds right now is a pretty fair price if purchasing from a dealer (in the current climate). that said, you should be able to pay closer to spot in a private deal. > Is there some pedigree these might have when SHTF? well, state issued silver coins such as the silver eagle, silver maple, philharmonic and Krugerrand are more recognizable (with well known dimensions and weights). so, some people new to handling silver can often feel more comfortable handling these as opposed to generic silver rounds, so silver coins generally do afford a small small premium over generic rounds (usually only a couple dollars more though). once you start stacking, it will become pretty clear when something is fishy / fake, so it's really up to you, but you can a stack more silver if you go for the generics, especially the ugly stuff like the Christmas rounds. 🤣