When I started Stacking I began with bars from a mint or other dealer. These bars were mass produced and are common among the silver community. I then progressed to stamped generic rounds and coins. It wasn't until I found hand poured silver that I heard a new term. The community chest and no, I am not talking about the game of Monopoly!
I quickly learned this was not some part of a game, but a quest for many of those in the silver community. However, I was still confused at to what a community chest actually was. Was it really a chest like the ones so commonly seen in pirate moves, or was it something else? What items qualified to be placed in this cache of wealth?
If you are new to stacking and collecting precious metals, then I have your answer!
The community chest is a real wooden chest containing a wide variety of silver pieces from many different sources. A "Community Stack" can be one in the same, but also stored away in a safe or bank.
But, what qualifies a piece of silver to be deemed a "Community Piece" and added to such a special collection?
The key word here is art. Mass produced rounds, coins and bars produced by cut dies and pounded out by the thousands using high speed machines do not qualify. The items in community chests are hand poured. They are made by artisans well skilled in their craft and each piece is a personal reflection of their work. However, there are a few exceptions.
Pictured above are examples made my Mrs. Vulcan (The Silver Saver bar.) The Vessel bar, poured by Silver Vessel himself. The Stacking Ag47 bar, poured by Ag47 himself. And, the Laura Blade bar, produced by MK Bars, but still a personal piece that represents her brand.
Personally stamped items come in all sizes and shapes. Some can be as small as quarter ounce buttons like the New Years Eve collaboration efforts of Mr. and Mrs. Vulcan, Silver Vessel and Pit Bullion.
Others can be as large as one ounce to a kilo! These bars weigh two ounces and represent the Metals Mafia and my very own Slacker bar, both poured by Pit Bullion.
But, logo bars are not the only items that make up a community chest.
The community chest also holds art poured by members of the community, by several different methods, and all are made by hand. These pieces take hours to construct and their creators take great time and skill in cleaning, polishing and sometimes antiquing them.
The dragons above are made by Rix Metal Worx and The Bear. Both produce highly sought after pieces throughout the community.
Here are two more examples of master worked silver creations! The Thompson Machine Gun was expertly poured by Skully's Corner and the six shooter by Silver to Burn. Both pieces take an honored place in my community stack and I have more on the way.
Let us not forget the ones who actually carve and create many of these molds like Mrs. Vulcan, AG Randall and Silverspoon22. Their efforts and artistic skill only add to the wonders of stacking and collecting.
In short, a community chest, or stack, is a collection of hand crafted pieces from a vast group of people that love creating unique forms from the precious metals. Many relationships are made through the trades and purchase to complete such collections and only serve to draw the community closer together.
To those who are new and those who have been stacking and collecting for years...
Stack on my friends!
Slacker Stacker
