The U.S. Mint has only 13 official registered silver, gold & platinum bullion version “Authorized Purchasers” who are the only companies who can purchase these coins directly from the U.S. Mint. This list is official from U.S. Mint Disclosure Officer Kathleen Saunders-Mitchell dated February 18, 2016 titled “United States Mint Bullion Authorized Purchasers – Precious Metals – Total Worldwide Authorized Purchasers – 13” The list is as follows:

United States:

A-Mark Precious Metals (CA)
APMEX (OK)
Coins ‘N Things Inc. (MA)
Dillon Gage Inc. of Dallas (TX)
Fidelitrade Inc. (DE)
Jack Hunt Coin Broker Inc. (NY)
MTB (Manfra, Tordella & Brookes) (NY)
The Gold Center (IL)
Scotia Mocatta (NY)

Euope:

Commerzbank International (Luxembourg)
Deutsche Bank A.G. (Germany)
Bayerische Landesbank (Germany)

Far East:

Tanaka Kinkinzoku Kogyo K.K. (Japan)

-End of list-

IMHO, if you are not buying your U.S. Mint bullion version silver, gold & platinum coins from these only 13 worldwide official U.S. government approved & registered bullion coin. “Authorized Purchasers”, you are paying a middleman a higher premium for these coins that are not sold directly to the public by the U.S. Mint.

Interestingly enough, I lived in Germany for 3 years & Japan for 3 years & most banks there sell bullion coins & rare coins as part of their daily services, including small town savings banks also, unlike in the USA!

Happy silver, gold & platinum bullion version coin collecting/investing everyone!

-NumisDudeTX