BIG-FAT-MAMA 7oz Sterling One Eye Mourning Lady Bell

Silver Historical Background 
Silver has attracted man’s fascination for many thousands of years. Ancient 
civilizations found silver deposits plentiful on or near the earth’s surface. 
Relics of these civilizations, include jewelry, religious artifacts, and food 
vessels formed from the durable, malleable metal. This metal took on near 
mystical qualities in marking important historical milestones throughout the 
ages, and served as a medium of exchange. The Mesopotamian merchants were doing 
just that as early as 700 BC. 
In 1792, silver assumed a key role in the United States monetary system when 
Congress based the currency on the silver dollar, and its fixed relationship to 
gold. Silver was used for the nation’s coinage until its use was discontinued in 
1965. The dawn of the 20th century marked an important economic function for 
silver, that of an industrial raw material. 
Today, silver is sought as a valuable and practical industrial commodity, as 
well as an appealing investment precious metal. Many countries now issue silver 
bullion coins, among them the Unites States, Canada and Mexico. Private issue 
silver bullion is also available from select private mints. 
Although silver is relatively scarce, it is the most plentiful and least 
expensive of the precious metals. The largest silver producing countries are 
Mexico, Peru, the United States, Australia and Chile. Sources of silver include; 
silver mined directly, silver mined as a by-product of gold, copper, lead and 
zinc mining, and silver extracted from recycled materials, primarily used 
photographic materials. Today, silver bullion stocks make up a significant 
component of silver supply.