
Platinum vs. Palladium: How Two Sister Metals Ended Up on Opposite Paths
Quick answer Palladium and platinum solve different problems for automakers, and their prices reflect it. Both belong to the platinum-group metals (PGMs),β¦
Read guide βΊGold gets the headlines, but silver, platinum and palladium each behave differently: silver carries heavy industrial demand and higher premiums per dollar, platinum trades on autocatalyst and jewelry demand, and palladium is a thin, volatile market best understood before it is bought. Treating them as one interchangeable group is the most common mistake new buyers make.
These guides look at each metal on its own terms: what drives supply and demand, which coins and bars are widely traded, what premiums are normal, and how storage differs when the same dollar amount weighs eighty times more than gold. Start with how to buy silver and how to buy platinum and palladium, and price your holdings with the silver value calculator. Local dealers are listed in the bullion dealer directory.

Quick answer Palladium and platinum solve different problems for automakers, and their prices reflect it. Both belong to the platinum-group metals (PGMs),β¦
Read guide βΊ
Quick Answer Platinum fell below gold around 2014-2015 and has remained at a discount ever since. Three structural forces drove the reversal:β¦
Read guide βΊ
β Quick answer Palladium has crashed twice: once when Russian supply returned, once when electric vehicles eroded demand Palladium spiked above $1,000β¦
Read guide βΊ
Quick answer Junk silver is pre-1965 US 90% silver coins priced near melt value Junk silver means circulated US dimes, quarters, andβ¦
Read guide βΊ
Quick answer Six home tests, ranked: weight is cheapest and strongest, specific gravity is most reliable Real silver has a specific gravityβ¦
Read guide βΊ
Quick answer Coin roll hunting lets you search bank rolls for 90% silver dimes, quarters, and half dollars at face value, returningβ¦
Read guide βΊ
β‘ Quick answer US coins stopped being silver because rising silver prices made the metal in the coins worth more than theirβ¦
Read guide βΊ
β Quick Answer Pre-1965 US dimes, quarters, and halves hold 0.715 troy oz of silver per dollar of face value Every dime,β¦
Read guide βΊ
Quick answer Both coins contain real silver, but refiners charge more to process lower-purity alloys, so expect dealer bids 5 to 15β¦
Read guide βΊ
Quick answer Both coins are .9995 fine platinum and IRA eligible; the American Eagle trades at a higher premium, the Maple Leafβ¦
Read guide βΊ
Quick answer Warm water, a drop of mild dish soap, a soft brush, and a lint-free cloth. For most gold and silverβ¦
Read guide βΊ
Quick answer Inherited gold and silver receive a stepped-up cost basis equal to their fair market value on the decedent’s date ofβ¦
Read guide βΊ
Physical gold and silver held over a year are taxed as collectibles under IRC 1(h)(4) at a rate capped at 28%. Short-termβ¦
Read guide βΊ
Quick answer Silver’s premium structure makes product choice more important than timing American Silver Eagles regularly trade at 15 to 30 percentβ¦
Read guide βΊ
Quick answer Platinum and palladium are legitimate physical holdings, but they trade in far thinner markets than gold or silver Both metalsβ¦
Read guide βΊ
Live spot from goldapi.io (COMEX-referenced), with realistic payout percentages sourced from coin-dealer references, refiner schedules, and pawn industry data. No signup, noβ¦
Read guide βΊ
Quick answer: As of 2026, the IRS approves roughly 60+ specific coin products for self-directed precious metals IRAs under IRC §408(m)(3). Theβ¦
Read guide βΊ