1 oz APMEX Lunar Silver Round

APMEX's Dealer-Branded Take on the Lunar Theme

The 1 oz APMEX Lunar silver round is the core format of a dealer-branded zodiac series from APMEX, one of the largest US bullion retailers. The series follows the Chinese zodiac calendar (Shengxiao), twelve animals over a twelve-year cycle. Series 1 ran from roughly 2012 through 2023, covering one complete cycle; Series 2 launched in 2024 with the Year of the Dragon, carrying completely redesigned artwork, followed by the Snake in 2025 and the Horse in 2026. The rounds are struck in .999 fine silver and sold as APMEXclusive products, available only from APMEX rather than through other dealers.

The pitch is the Lunar theme at private-round pricing. Sovereign-mint Lunar coins, the Perth Mint series above all, carry significantly higher premiums; the APMEX round delivers the same annual zodiac collecting rhythm in a lower-premium format, and a 12-coin display box encourages completing the full cycle. Silver rounds in general occupy the middle ground of the market, a coin-shaped format priced closer to bars than to government coins, and this series adds a long-running design programme on top, something few dealer brands have sustained for over twelve years.

The compromise is recognition. As a dealer-branded product with no legal tender status, liquidity outside APMEX may be lower than for products from recognised mints, and resale typically runs through private sales or eBay rather than any dealer's buyback desk. Buyers who prioritise exit ease over entry price usually look at sovereign silver coins instead; buyers stacking ounces with a collecting angle are the natural audience here.

APMEX Lunar Round Specifications and Formats

The standard round is a brilliant uncirculated piece, also offered in APMEX's tamper-evident packaging (TEP), a sealed assay-style presentation. Series 2 expanded the line well beyond the basic round: a 1 oz proof limited to 888 pieces, a colourised proof, and a 2 oz high-relief antique round limited to 188 pieces, alongside 1/2 oz rounds and bars in 1 oz, 5 oz, and 10 oz sizes. The 888 and 188 mintage numbers are deliberate cultural references, 8 being the luckiest number in Chinese numerology.

There are no government-backed security features, since this is a private round; APMEX guarantees weight and purity on its APMEXclusive products, and the low-mintage editions rely on scarcity rather than technology. Standard authentication for any 1 oz silver round applies: a 31.1g weight check, dimension check, and the magnet slide test, under which genuine silver lets a rare earth magnet slide slowly down a tilted round.

Tax Position of APMEX Lunar Rounds by Country

Rounds are taxed like silver bars everywhere; the coin-versus-round distinction only matters for the UK's CGT exemption, which rounds never get.

• US: The home market. Most states exempt investment bullion from sales tax, a minority tax it, and a few use thresholds. Long-term capital gains fall under the 28% collectibles rate. The .999 purity meets the IRS fineness threshold for precious metals IRAs (silver must be 99.9%+), but custodian acceptance of dealer-branded rounds varies, and most IRA custodians prefer products from recognised mints.
• UK: 20% VAT on purchase and no CGT exemption on sale, the same double burden as silver bars. The series is not stocked by UK dealers, so a UK buyer would also face international shipping from APMEX.
• Canada: Silver at 99.9%+ purity is GST/HST exempt, which this round meets.
• Australia and New Zealand: GST-free or GST-exempt for investment silver at 99.9%+ purity.
• Singapore and Hong Kong: No GST on qualifying investment silver in Singapore and no sales tax in Hong Kong, with no capital gains tax in either, though dealer-branded US rounds carry less recognition in Asian markets than Perth Mint or PAMP Lunar products.

APMEX Lunar vs Sovereign-Mint Lunar Coins

The reference point for any Lunar-themed bullion is the Perth Mint Australian Lunar series, now in its third design generation. Perth Mint Lunar coins are legal tender denominated in Australian dollars, struck by a sovereign mint in .9999 silver, and carry significantly higher premiums; they are the gold standard for the theme. The Royal Mint's Lunar series occupies similar ground, legal tender in sterling at .999 purity with sovereign-mint prestige, and the Royal Canadian Mint has produced limited-mintage Lunar coins in .9999 silver. The APMEX round undercuts all of them on price while matching the annual zodiac cadence; what it gives up is legal tender status, sovereign backing, and the broad dealer recognition that makes those coins easy to sell anywhere.

Against other dealer-branded rounds, from the likes of SD Bullion and JM Bullion, the APMEX series stands out mainly for longevity. Sustaining a proprietary design programme across a complete twelve-year zodiac cycle and into a second series is something few dealers are large enough to attempt, and the Series 1 to Series 2 restart mirrors the Perth Mint's own Lunar I to Lunar II to Lunar III progression.

The practical decision splits on intent. A buyer who wants the zodiac theme as cheaply as possible, or who collects the annual designs, gets more ounces per dollar here than with any sovereign Lunar coin. A buyer who expects to resell through dealers, or internationally, will recover more of the purchase price with a Perth Mint or Royal Mint coin despite the higher entry premium.