Silver futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts in which the contract buyer agrees to take delivery, from the seller, a specific quantity of silver at a predetermined price on a future delivery date. Though its use as the nation’s coinage was discontinued in 1965, at the turn of the century, an even more important economic function emerged for silver: that of an industrial raw material. Today, silver is sought as a valuable and practical industrial commodity, and silver futures are seen as an appealing investment that can be traded nearly 24 hours per day, 6 days per week. The largest industrial users of silver are the photographic, jewelry, and electronic industries. Silver futures are available for trading in the COMEX Division at the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX).
