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At Holland Gold you can buy physical silver in the form of silver bars. All silver bars we sell are LBMA-certified and have Good Delivery status. This means the bars meet the highest quality standards and contain at least 99.9% pure silver.
Because of their Good Delivery status, our silver bars are globally tradable and can easily be sold again, for example back to us. We offer a buyback guarantee on all silver bars purchased from Holland Gold.
Unlike gold, silver bars in the Netherlands are subject to 21% VAT. Silver is considered a raw material and therefore an industrial commodity. As a result, it can be less attractive for private investors to purchase silver bars with VAT. A good alternative for buying VAT-free silver is investment coins from various years. For business clients this may be less relevant, as VAT can sometimes be reclaimed.
However, private investors also have options to buy VAT-free silver bars. These bars are stored in a customs bonded warehouse (customs depot).
In principle, silver bars are subject to 21% VAT. However, it is possible to buy VAT-free silver bars of 100 or 1000 troy ounces (31.103 kilograms). These bars are stored in Switzerland or Singapore. Because the silver bars are stored in a customs warehouse, no VAT is charged. This allows you to purchase physical silver without VAT. For both private and professional investors this is often the most cost-efficient option, as it provides the most silver for your money.
Another way to invest smaller amounts in VAT-free physical silver is through a precious metals account. Instead of buying a full silver bar, you purchase a portion of a larger bar that is allocated to you. This means you become co-owner of a larger silver bar that is securely stored in a customs warehouse in Switzerland. You can buy silver starting from just €10 per transaction. Silver can be purchased per gram through our online customer portal or via the Holland Gold app.
If you buy silver bars and store them at home, or if you store your silver in our insured storage facility in the Netherlands, the silver bars are subject to 21% VAT. This makes them less attractive for many investors. For some VAT-registered businesses, however, purchasing silver bars may still be attractive because the VAT can be deducted. If you are an entrepreneur, always consult your advisor to determine whether this applies to your situation.
As a general rule, the larger the silver bar, the lower the premium per gram. Investors who want to buy physical silver at the lowest possible premium therefore often choose larger bars.
We currently do not offer bars smaller than 250 grams. Due to the relatively high production costs and longer delivery times, these are less attractive. A good physical alternative in smaller denominations is silver investment coins from various years. You can also buy silver per gram through the customer portal or the Holland Gold app. Would you like to know which product suits you best or would you like more information? Please feel free to contact us by phone at 088 468 8400.
The price of a silver bar consists of the current silver price (spot price) plus a premium. When you buy silver in the form of a silver bar, you therefore always pay slightly above the world market price.
The level of the premium, and therefore the total price of the silver bar, is determined by the following factors:
When comparing silver bars, it is wise to look at the price per gram or per kilo of silver.
Once you have decided which silver bar best suits your needs, you can easily buy silver online through our website. The silver bars offered by Holland Gold are all LBMA-accredited bars of high purity, making them easy to trade worldwide.
Buying physical silver is arranged quickly and securely. Place the desired silver bars in your shopping cart and then choose whether you want the bar delivered to your home, collected at one of our offices, or stored in our insured storage facility.
Deliveries are made discreetly and fully insured. Your silver is also fully insured while in storage. Through the Holland Gold App, you have 24/7 insight into your portfolio.
All silver bars you buy from Holland Gold come with a buyback guarantee. You can sell your silver bars at any time at a current and market-based price.
Our buy prices for silver bars are displayed transparently on our website under the section ‘sell to us’. The buyback price is based on the current silver price and may be slightly higher or lower than usual in a volatile market.
Silver has a rich history as a means of payment and a store of purchasing power. Like gold, silver was used worldwide for centuries in trade and in circulating coins. In both the Netherlands and the United States, silver remained part of the official monetary system until the 1960s.
Because of this historical role, silver is still regarded as a form of physical wealth outside the financial system. In periods of economic uncertainty, high inflation or geopolitical tensions, investors therefore regularly choose physical silver bars as an investment and as a complement to gold.
Because the price per troy ounce is significantly lower than that of gold, silver is often referred to as “poor man’s gold”. This term refers to the fact that investors with a smaller budget can still buy physical precious metals. This makes silver accessible to a broad group of investors. Silver bars can therefore be an accessible way to diversify wealth and protect purchasing power over the long term with tangible precious metals.
In addition to its monetary role, silver has a strong industrial component. The metal is widely used in applications such as:
Silver is the best electrical conductor of all metals. This makes it indispensable in applications where efficient conductivity, reliability and durability are crucial.
The energy transition and ongoing digitalization have led to a structural increase in industrial demand. According to the World Silver Survey by the Silver Institute, industrial consumption increased from approximately 491 million troy ounces in 2016 to around 680 million troy ounces in 2024.
In contrast, annual mine production has remained relatively stable. In 2024, global silver production amounted to approximately 819.7 million troy ounces, a level that has grown only modestly over the past decade. This is partly because silver is often mined as a by-product of copper, lead and zinc mining, which makes supply less flexible in responding to price increases.
The combination of rising industrial demand and limited supply expansion has resulted in total demand exceeding annual production for several consecutive years. This indicates a structural tension between supply and demand in the silver market.
In addition to physical silver bars, there is a large financial market where silver is traded indirectly through:
The trading volume on these markets is many times larger than the amount of silver produced each year. On futures markets such as COMEX, daily trading volumes can far exceed global physical mine production.
As long as contracts are primarily settled financially, this does not pose a direct issue. However, if a larger number of market participants were to demand physical delivery, tension could arise between paper claims and the actual available supply.
This distinction between the paper market and the ownership of physical silver is an important characteristic of the silver market.
For investors who value direct ownership and tangible assets, the silver bars purchased at Holland Gold provide a way to gain exposure to silver while maintaining full physical control.
People think of silver as the poor man's gold, which is absolutely the wrong way to look at it. Gold has the most monetary character, but silver moves in times when a financial system is under pressure, at least as much as gold.
Silver is a commodity and monetary metal. Gold and silver have related to each other to some extent over a long history; This is called the gold-silver ratio. Silver has not been this cheap in 25 years compared to gold.
The choice of a silver coin or Silver bar is important because of VAT. Silver is an industrial metal as opposed to gold, which is categorized as a monetary metal. As a result, 21% VAT is charged on silver bars. As for all other "white" precious metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium. It is therefore better for private individuals to purchase silver coins: silver coins fall under the margin scheme in the Netherlands. In the case of the margin scheme, the trader does not calculate VAT on turnover, but on the difference between the selling price and the Cost of the goods: the (profit) margin. As a result, a lot less VAT is paid for silver coins. It can only be interesting for business customers to buy silver bars because in some cases they can reclaim the VAT.
The most advantageous for both individuals and business customers is to Silver bars or platinum bars to be purchased in combination with storage outside the EU, such as in Switzerland or Singapore. Because these bars are in a customs depot, no tax is levied on them. These bars are therefore VAT-free!
No, silver bars are never supplied with a separate certificate of authenticity. This is why it’s important to buy silver bars that are LBMA-certified. LBMA stands for the London Bullion Market Association — the international organization that oversees the quality and provenance of precious metals.
Depending on their size, LBMA-certified bars are either casted or minted. All essential details are stamped directly onto the bar itself, making an additional certificate unnecessary.
Each LBMA-certified silver bar displays the following details, which together confirm the authenticity and origin of the bar:
Holland Gold exclusively sells silver bars produced by LBMA-accredited refiners. The Good Delivery status is an internationally recognized quality mark that sets strict standards for production, weight, and purity.
Learn more about the authenticity certificates that are standard with gold bars.
The precious metal you buy from us often comes directly from leading mints and accredited refineries. We carefully check the precious metal in our range for authenticity.
You can silver Easy self-testing:
Precious metals are not only interesting for private individuals. More and more entrepreneurs or business investors are opting for an investment in gold and silverThey buy gold and silver in the name of a business entity such as a private limited company.
Read here More about the advantages of buying precious metals for business.
Those looking to invest in silver can choose between silver coins and silver bars. Both forms consist of physical silver and are traded worldwide. However, there are clear differences between these two investment options, particularly when it comes to VAT and storage.
To understand the difference between silver coins and silver bars, it is important to distinguish between VAT-liable and VAT-free silver. Silver is classified by the Dutch Tax Authorities as an industrial metal. Therefore, a 21% VAT rate applies unless coins fall under the margin scheme or bars are stored in bonded vaults abroad.
Newly issued silver bullion coins (recognisable by the most recent year of issue) and silver bars purchased or stored in the Netherlands are subject to 21% VAT.
No 21% VAT applies to:
These “various years” coins fall under the margin scheme, meaning VAT does not apply.
Read more about the margin scheme
For private investors, purchasing VAT-free silver coins or bars is generally the most cost-effective way to invest in physical silver. The table below outlines the main differences:
| Feature | Silver coins | Silver bars |
|---|---|---|
| Available weights | From ¼ troy ounce (7.78 g) up to 5 kg | From 50 g up to 1,000 troy ounces (31.1 kg) |
| VAT-free purchase available? | Yes – “various years” silver coins | Yes – with storage in Switzerland or Singapore (bonded vault) |
| Legal tender | Yes | No |
| Liquidity | High, recognised worldwide | High, recognised worldwide |
| Storage options | VAT-free in private possession or in storage | VAT-free only with foreign bonded storage (otherwise 21% VAT applies) |
For most private investors, the following options offer the best value:
If you purchase silver as a business, you may be able to reclaim the 21% VAT on newly issued silver coins or bars through your VAT return. Always consult your accountant or tax adviser to confirm whether this applies to your situation before making a purchase.
