The monetary function and investment demand for silver has been in the news quite extensively in recent months. The investment side for this precious metal of course is extremely important. However we also cannot forget the sheer importance and value that comes from the metals industrial side. This provides for newer technologies as well, according to Phil Baker President and CEO for Hecla Mining.

Recently Baker was quoted as saying that “the silver markets of today actually can be closely compared to the same markets a century ago”. At this time photography was really starting to take off and industrial silver demand was on the rise. “From the mining company’s inception in the late 1890’s through the early 1980’s silver mining had been a booming business with huge physical demands in industrial applications for the white metal. However, by the mid 1980’s and during the next twenty years the silver industry had…

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The dynamics of the current precious metals bull market today is totally different than the previous bull market of the 1980’s. This time around the bull market has gone global.

During the early 1980’s who were the people responsible for driving up gold’s price to $850.00 and silver’s price to $50.00? During this time the only real players in these markets were North America and Western Europe. Both U.S.S.R. and Eastern Europe at that time had very unstable economies therefore it was pretty much impossible for any of their citizens to participate in purchasing any precious metal for investment.

Furthermore China, India, South America and Mexico being for the most part, farming countries had no wealth amongst their citizens to buy precious metals either. Even if there were people around lucky enough to have some money for investing there were no exchanges around in those days for any trading to take place…

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