Paul, Bob Johnson's website, goldsheet.simplenet.com, will be the definitive source for current amounts of silver in each US minted coin, as well as the proper links to the contract specs for "good delivery bar" of Comex silver contracts,--a/w/a CBOT good delivery bar specs. I don't know where else you could go and get all that click thru info in one place besides the goldsheet.
However, you are correct and you are incorrect:
The correct part is that US Mint needs 90% silver for the bulk of their mint and proof SETS, only needing the .999 or as we call it "three nines" silver for the "Am Eagle" proof and unc part of their die/stamping biz.
The incorrect part was your statement is that the US Mint would need to further refine Comex silver in order to be able to use it. That is technically incorrect, because what the mint needs is a "dirtier grade" i.e., an alloy that brings it to only .900 fine silver, okay? Comex good delivery bars already have the incrementally higher cost of bringing silver to 3-9s for good delivery.
Therefore, the unfulfilled H&H specific performance which has upsot the Mint is this: H&H was doing some "alloying to lesser purity work" for the US Mint as a subcontractor.
Frankly, the US Mint is accustomed to buying their silver in already annealed coin "blanks" ready to "whomp" and bag instead of feeding:
bars
to sheets
to annealing
to die cutting
to rolled edging
to reeded edging,
to "whomping"
to inspecting
to bagging
to distribution.
Have a nice weekend. |
