APMEX Lunar Silver

APMEX Lunar Silver Rounds and Bars

The APMEX Lunar series is a dealer-branded silver product line built around the Chinese zodiac calendar, with each year's release depicting the corresponding animal from the 12-year cycle. Produced exclusively for APMEX (America's Gold and Silver Exchange), these .999 fine silver rounds and bars are branded as "APMEXclusive" products, meaning they cannot be purchased from any other dealer. The series has run continuously since 2012, completing a full zodiac cycle with Series 1 before relaunching as Series 2 in 2024 with redesigned artwork.

For buyers drawn to zodiac-themed silver, the APMEX Lunar occupies a specific niche: lower premiums than sovereign mint lunar coins from the Perth Mint or Royal Mint, but with more collectible appeal than plain generic rounds. The range spans 1 oz rounds, 1/2 oz rounds, and bars in 1 oz, 5 oz, and 10 oz sizes, giving buyers flexibility across formats and price points. Series 2 expanded the lineup further with high-relief antique finishes and colourised proof editions alongside the standard brilliant uncirculated pieces.

The tradeoff is liquidity. Because these are exclusive to one dealer, selling them back to any dealer other than APMEX means accepting whatever the secondary market offers for a non-standard branded product. Sovereign mint lunar coins are recognised and priced consistently by dealers worldwide; APMEX rounds are not. That said, for buyers who primarily purchase and sell through APMEX, the lower entry cost compared to Perth Mint or Royal Mint lunar products can make these an attractive alternative for zodiac-themed silver accumulation.

APMEX Lunar Specifications and Formats

These are private-mint rounds and bars with no face value and no legal tender status. The "Mark" of quality is APMEX's own brand guarantee of weight and purity, not a government certification. Limited-edition proof rounds carry a mintage of 888 pieces, a number chosen for its cultural significance in Chinese tradition, where 8 represents wealth and prosperity. The 2 oz high-relief antique finish rounds are even more restricted at 188 pieces per release.

Series 2, launched in 2024 with the Year of the Dragon, introduced tamper-evident packaging (TEP) for standard BU rounds. The TEP format provides a sealed assay-style presentation that preserves condition without requiring separate capsules. All rounds share a 1 oz standard weight, making them interchangeable with other silver rounds for pure metal accumulation.

Two Complete Zodiac Cycles

Series 1 launched in 2012 with the Year of the Dragon and ran through 2023 (Year of the Rabbit), covering every animal in the Chinese zodiac: Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig, Rat, Ox, Tiger, and Rabbit. Each year's design depicted its zodiac animal in a style drawing on Chinese artistic traditions, with the 12-coin collector's display box encouraging buyers to complete the full cycle.

Series 2 began in 2024, restarting the zodiac with a new Year of the Dragon design and completely reworked artwork. The 2025 release featured the Snake, and 2026 brought the Horse. The transition from Series 1 to Series 2 mirrors the approach taken by the Perth Mint with its Australian Lunar programme, which has moved through Lunar I, Lunar II, and Lunar III over its longer history. The restart provides a natural entry point for new collectors while giving existing collectors a reason to begin again.

The decision to launch Series 2 with the Dragon was strategic. The Dragon is the most popular and most auspicious animal in the Chinese zodiac, associated with power, strength, and good fortune. Starting the new series with the highest-demand year maximised launch interest and established the redesigned aesthetic. APMEX is one of few bullion dealers large enough to sustain a proprietary branded product spanning more than 12 consecutive years. The investment in custom dies, limited-edition variants, and year-over-year collector packaging reflects the commercial viability of the series within APMEX's product ecosystem.

APMEX Lunar vs Sovereign Mint Lunar Silver

The most direct comparison is with the Perth Mint Australian Lunar series, the benchmark for zodiac-themed silver bullion. Perth Mint coins are legal tender (denominated in Australian dollars), struck in .9999 fine silver (a step above APMEX's .999), carry mintages in the hundreds of thousands, and are recognised by every bullion dealer globally. Premiums on Perth Mint Lunar coins run considerably higher than APMEX rounds, reflecting the sovereign backing, higher purity, and established collector base that has followed the series since 1999.

The Royal Mint Lunar coins offer similar sovereign-mint credentials with British pound face values and .999 purity matching APMEX's level. For UK buyers specifically, Royal Mint Lunar coins carry the advantage of being legal tender, which makes them exempt from capital gains tax on disposal. APMEX rounds carry no such exemption in any jurisdiction.

Against other dealer-branded alternatives, the APMEX Lunar series stands out for its longevity and the breadth of its product range. Competitors like SD Bullion and JM Bullion produce branded rounds, but none have maintained a thematically consistent programme across 12+ consecutive years with limited-edition proof and antique variants. The 888-piece proof mintage and 188-piece high-relief antique editions create genuine scarcity within the series, even if the standard BU rounds do not.

For buyers whose primary goal is accumulating silver at the lowest cost per ounce, generic rounds from any major mint will beat the APMEX Lunar on premium. For those who want zodiac-themed silver with sovereign backing and strong resale liquidity, the Perth Mint Lunar series is the established choice despite its higher cost. The APMEX Lunar occupies the ground between these two extremes: thematic appeal at a moderate premium, with the understanding that resale is simplest through APMEX itself.