Expert Thoughts

I’ve just returned from the Hamilton Coin Show, and one thing was unmistakable: everyone was talking about silver. Historically, dealers arrived at shows with bags of silver dollars, halves, and bulk junk silver stacked under tables. This time, inventories felt shockingly thin — arguably at historic lows. Coins weren’t moving from showcases into collections; they were moving from showcases and stock boxes straight into melt bins. That shift alone will have long-term consequences for the hobby. Once numismatic silver is melted, it doesn’t come back. When the dust finally settles, collectors may look back at this period as the moment a large portion of circulating silver coinage quietly disappeared.