SMH:Silver coin sales boom as investors seek haven
Silver-coin sales from the Perth Mint, which was founded in 1899 and processes all of the country’s bullion, have surged to a record as buyers seek to protect their wealth with the metal known as poor man’s gold.
The mint sold 10.7 million one ounce silver coins since July 1 last year, according to Sales and Marketing Director Ron Currie. That’s 66 per cent higher than the previous full fiscal year and about 10-fold more than five years earlier. Sales of one ounce gold coins will be close to a record, he said.
The soaring demand adds to signs investors are stepping up precious-metal purchases as Europe’s governments tackle a sovereign-debt crisis and central banks led by the US Federal Reserve print cash to stimulate their economies, potentially devaluing paper currencies. Cash silver, the second-best performing commodity over the past year, hit a record in April.
