Estimated dealer pricing
Likely cheapest,
at today’s spot.
Estimated total cost per coin across APMEX, JM Bullion, SD Bullion, and Money Metals — today’s live spot price plus dealer premiums we maintain by hand. Sorted low to high.
Dealer links on this page are affiliate links. Lode may earn a commission if you buy — at no extra cost to you. Prices and rankings are not influenced by affiliate relationships.
Cheapest right now
$5.13 less than the most expensive of 4 dealers
Spot melt: $55.93 · 1 oz silver
Prices update as spot moves. Dealer premiums shown are typical single-piece list prices; bulk and wire-transfer discounts may apply at checkout. Calculate melt value →
Dealer head-to-head
JM Bullion vs APMEX
For American Silver Eagles, JM Bullion consistently edges out APMEX on per-coin price — typically $0.50–$1.50 cheaper per coin depending on market conditions. APMEX’s advantage is breadth: a larger catalogue, more fractional gold options, and faster shipping to more locations. If you’re buying Silver Eagles or silver Maple Leafs in quantity, JM Bullion is usually the cheaper starting point. For rare dates, specialty coins, or a one-stop shop for mixed orders, APMEX wins on selection.
SD Bullion vs JM Bullion
SD Bullion competes hardest on generic silver — rounds, bars, and junk silver — where it frequently undercuts JM Bullion by a meaningful margin. For Silver Eagles and Gold Eagles, the two are usually within $0.25–$0.75 of each other; the live table above shows who’s cheaper today. SD Bullion’s free shipping threshold is similar to JM’s; on large orders, both are close enough that spot availability and shipping speed often become the deciding factor.
SD Bullion vs APMEX
SD Bullion is almost always cheaper than APMEX on Eagles and Maples — APMEX charges a premium for its brand, service, and selection. The gap narrows on Gold Eagles (where premiums compress) and widens on silver products (where SD is most aggressive). APMEX is worth the extra cost if you want an in-stock guarantee on hard-to-find items or prefer a single dealer relationship.
Kitco vs APMEX
Kitco is primarily a spot price reference and commentary site — not a direct competitor to APMEX for retail bullion. Kitco does sell gold and silver, but at premiums that are generally higher than APMEX, JM Bullion, or SD Bullion for equivalent products. Most stackers use Kitco to cross-check spot prices, then buy through one of the discount dealers tracked above.
About these dealers & how we calculate prices
How to compare bullion dealer prices
The sticker price on a dealer’s website is not the real comparison point — the premium over spot is. Every dealer charges spot price plus a markup that covers their minting costs, storage, shipping, and margin. A dealer advertising a low per-coin price may still be more expensive overall if their premium is higher. This page calculates total estimated cost as: live spot × coin weight + dealer premium, then sorts low to high so the cheapest option is always at the top.
About the dealers we track
APMEX (American Precious Metals Exchange) is one of the largest US bullion dealers by volume, with a wide coin and bar selection. Premiums tend to run slightly higher than discount competitors, but product availability and customer service are consistently strong.
JM Bullion is a popular online dealer known for competitive silver premiums and free shipping on orders over a minimum. Frequently among the cheapest for American Silver Eagles and silver Maple Leafs.
SD Bullion competes aggressively on price, particularly for generic silver rounds and junk silver, but also carries Eagles and Maples. Worth checking when buying larger quantities.
Money Metals Exchange is a subscription-friendly dealer with a recurring purchase program. Premiums are competitive and they carry an unusually broad range of fractional gold coins.
What affects the premium you pay?
Premiums vary by coin type, quantity, and payment method. Government-minted coins (Silver Eagles, Gold Eagles, Maple Leafs) carry higher premiums than privately minted rounds or bars because of the added minting and distribution costs. Buying in larger quantities — a full monster box of 500 Silver Eagles, for example — typically reduces the per-coin premium. Paying by check or bank wire instead of credit card usually saves another 3–4% that dealers charge to offset card processing fees.
How Lode maintains premium data
Dealer premiums are scraped automatically each week by a Cloudflare Worker that visits each dealer’s product page and reads the current check/wire price. The "premiums verified" date shown at the top of the page reflects the last successful scrape. Live spot prices update on every page load from Yahoo Finance futures data, so estimated totals always reflect the current market even between weekly scrape runs.
If you notice a dealer’s actual price is meaningfully different from our estimate, email us at hello@lode.rocks and we’ll update it.