Silver: US Mint-Delays and Costco Limits Surface
GFN – WASHINGTON: Rumors circulating on X this week that certain entities are restricting U.S. coin sales have not been confirmed by the U.S. Mint or the Treasury, but the chatter has coincided with reports of tighter dealer allocations and uneven retail availability across parts of the bullion market.
2026 Proof Silver Eagle is delayed from January to late February (Feb. 26, 2026)
Authored by GoldFix
Shortages have also affected government mints. The U.S. Mint delayed the release of its 2026 American Silver Eagle coin from January to February 26. The 1-ounce proof coin will be sold in limited quantities, and subscriptions are already sold out.
The U.S. Mint has issued no statement announcing new limits on Silver Eagle or other coin sales, and its official product pages show no broad policy changes. Market participants say, however, that some downstream distributors and retailers have adjusted inventory policies, delivery timelines, or per-customer limits, citing elevated prices, procurement uncertainty, and thin wholesale availability. Similar adjustments have been reported intermittently in recent years during periods of strong demand or supply disruption.
🚨 US MINT Suspends all sales of Numismatic Products 😱 https://t.co/PcExk7Z9ut
— SilverDegen (@SilverDegen) January 13, 2026
**Breaking: China Tightens its Grip on Silver
GFN – BEIJING
The Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (MOFCOM) has issued Announcement 2025-No. 68, imposing stringent conditions on the export of three critical minor metals — tungsten, antimony and silver — for the period 2026-2027. The move reflects China’s intensifying resource-security agenda and tighter export controls over strategic materials.
Industry analysts note that official confirmation often follows, rather than precedes, supply-chain behavior. In that context, the current rumors are best viewed as unverified but not irrelevant signals, particularly as silver and other precious-metal markets face persistent constraints tied to mining, refining, and export restrictions in several regions. While no evidence supports claims of a formal suspension or coordinated restriction by authorities, the episode highlights the growing gap between upstream policy communication and downstream market response.
For investors and collectors, the development serves as a cautionary reminder that dismissing early supply-chain signals outright may carry’s risk in an environment where physical availability remains sensitive to even modest shifts in demand.
COSTCO IS LOSING MONEY
Meanwhile, there are credible reports that Costco has limited purchasing volumes for buyers of Silver bullion.
Costco is not facing a silver shortage.. at least not yet that they are admitting publicly. Instead, it has tightened purchase mechanics, limiting transaction size while allowing up to ten transactions per day. The adjustment reflects rapid price increases that have outpaced Costco’s ability to reprice inventory in real time, leaving the retailer exposed to margin compression rather than supply depletion.
Retail listings on Costco’s own website for silver bars show purchase limits, but not a strict one-per-customer limit on 1 oz bars:
Some silver products (e.g., 1 oz PAMP 20-count tubes) show a “Limit of 1 transaction per membership, with a maximum of 10 units per 24 hours” — not one bar per person.
A separate listing for 10 oz silver bars also shows a “1 transaction per membership, up to 10 units per day” limit.
Continues here