On the one hand, silver bullion bars (and rounds) of one, 10, or 100 ounces can be considered a relatively convenient way to invest in silver as a commodity. Silver has many industrial uses, is in short supply, and is actively traded on a daily basis. The value of bullion bars therefore depends on the spot price of silver at any given time.

On the other hand, there exists an intriguing side market in silver bullion, the silver art bar market. Silver art bars (typically one ounce bars of close to pure silver) were usually created as commemorative or decorative pieces. They have sentimental, artistic, and collectible value beyond their value as silver.

A silver art bar viewed as an investment in silver as a commodity has a value equal to the melt value of the silver itself. Silver art bars often sell at something of a premium over the value of the silver, however. Part of the reason for this has to do with oddities in the silver market.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the spot price of silver rose dramatically (albeit temporarily). Silver art bars produced in the late 1960s and 1970s were suddenly sold as bullion and melted down. Consequently, silver art bars produced before 1980 automatically became more rare. Relative rarity has only added to the value of collectible silver art bars as a potential investment.