If you are a coin collector simply because you enjoy the history and beauty of coins, you'll have different criteria for the coins you collect than those who are collecting coins as a way to increase their investment portfolio. If you are building a collection of your favorites, you may not always be concerned about the future value. If you want to buy silver coins as an investment, you'll have to pay more attention to the type and quality of the coins you want to purchase. You'll have to get coins appraised, and understand that coin values will go up and down. Over the long term, you can generally expect coins from pure silver to increase in value, simply because the price of silver rises.

Coins In Mint Condition

In the United States and Canada, the two most common silver coins to invest in are the Silver American Eagles and the Silver Canadian Maple Leaf. Both coins are backed by the government that mints them, and are guaranteed for weight and purity. When you want to invest in silver, these two coins are your best choices. Coins that aren't circulated are the most valuable, and tend to rise rather quickly in value as silver prices also continue to go up.

Precious Metal Values Change

Investing in both silver and gold coins is not a short term investment. While you may get lucky and be able to purchase some gold or silver coins for a cheap price and be able to sell them off at a profit quickly, this is a rare occurrence. If you want to invest in precious metals, you'll want to buy as low as you can and save your gold and silver coins for as long as possible. Precious metals are only going to continue to become more precious, so holding on to the coins will be your best option.

Collector Coins and Establishing Value

You don't have to stick to simple gold and silver coins for their precious metal value. If you like collecting coins, it's important to know what you are buying. Whether you want to purchase an antique coin from China, or you have interest in US colonial coins, quality of the coins will matter. To establish value, you'll want to have the coins properly graded and appraised. As long as people continue to collect coins for enjoyment or investment, you'll be able to make money in the future off your investment.