Wall Street Mint extruded 100 oz. .999 fine silver bar

The demand for retail silver bullion products 100-oz bars, 10-oz bars, and 1-oz rounds accelerated in 2001, and the Wall Street Mint began manufacturing them. Pictured above is the WSM's 100-oz extruded 999 fine silver bar. A WSM bar measures weighs 6.86 pounds on a bathroom (avoirdupois) scale.

Because WSM bars have recently been manufactured, they are bright, shiny, and carry a new look. Engelhard and Johnson Matthey, on the other hand, are 15 to 25 years old and are often tarnished. This is especially true for the older poured bars. In the final analysis, it does not matter whether bars are tarnished or not, but some investors prefer their bars to have the bright, light-reflective appearance for which silver is known.