The Perth Mint has produced a large number of different silver coins over the years, but one of the most enigmatic and representative of Australia itself is the koala coin. With Queen Elizabeth II on one side and a furry little marsupial on the other, this is a coin that expresses the Great British empire better than almost any other could. This rare coin has only been minted for a few years, but already its popularity has begun to soar all over the world because of its annually changing design and excellent aesthetic.

Silver is a great potential investment if you hold it. However, there are two very important times when it comes to any kind of investment. There is the time you buy and the time you sell. At the first one of these, you need to make sure you are getting the best possible price you can. During the second one, your best price will be the highest instead of the lowest. There is no particular magic about when you sell, but it does need to be done during a time when there is as much demand as possible for your silver jewelry or silver bullion. Ideally, you should not be under any pressure to sell.

The recent economic downturn of the past few years has left many things damaged. Investor confidence in nearly anything that is not tangible and traded by survivalists has been shaken, as have many different kinds of luxury items. While booming times may lend themselves to a lot of gold and platinum jewelry, during bad times most people cannot justify spending so much for something like that. With so many people losing their jobs, a bit less bling and a bit more austerity has grown popular, which has led to a few new trends.

While gold is a great metal to have for a lot of different reasons, silver is also a gorgeous and very useful type of metal. Even in its jewelry state, when you buy silver you know you are getting something that is a great look that works well in every occasion. It is unfortunate that a lot of people in the world do not have as much respect for silver jewelry as they do for gold jewelry. For better or worse, this is just a silly prejudice on their parts despite the fact that it has no sense backing it up beyond elitism and personal opinions. Nonetheless, silver is an amazing kind of jewelry and its purchase is both a reasonable investment and a great way to enhance your personal style.

Silver dollars are great coins for a lot of reasons. For one, silver will always be a useful metal. For another, this is a material that looks great contrasting subtly against gold in any given collection. For still another reason why the silver dollar is a perennial favorite among collectors, silver dollars are potentially great trade items if fiat currencies ever take a fall from grace. It is better to have and not need instead of needing without having. The following are a few rare coins from history that are worth a good deal more than their silver content alone would be in any other form.