Everyone’s looking for tips on buying American Silver Eagles at the lowest possible prices. Yes, I believe the old saying “you get what you pay for” usually applies to buying silver coins and other numismatic material. However, I’ve also learned there are a few legitimate ways you can buy silver eagles at good prices by knowing when and where to buy them, how many to purchase at a time, and also looking for pieces that may be less than stellar.

I was thinking about the matter of ethics in buying coins the other day while shopping at a local coin dealer and I wondered – we all talk about how important it is that coin dealers are honest and play fairly with their customers. But what about the matter of honest, ethical coin buyers? What should we numismatic consumers do if we spot a rare coin variety in an otherwise common mint set offered for $4, or accidentally receive a coin that is much more valuable than what we paid for it?