Jeffrey writes:
So, in the last year I have dumped years' worth of financial and economic data into my head. Last December I bought my first silver, and about 2 weeks ago I found your site via ZeroHedge.com. I think from day 1 I started checking your site every couple hours. (Okay, enough with the boot kissing on to my question) I am trying to understand the silver market and what goes into the price (manipulation and all) but I believe I'm lacking a critical component, so bluntly, what is the difference and implications of registered vaults and eligible vaults?Thanks Doc
Great question Jeffrey, and one that likely many readers have as well.
The Eligible category means that the silver meets the exchange requirements. Exchange requirements include purity, size (eligible silver bars must weigh within 10% plus or minus of 1000 ounces), and also must be from (stamped with) an exchange approved refiner.Eligible silver essentially means that the silver is stored in COMEX warehouses, and conforms to exchange standards. It is being stored in the COMEX warehouse for a private party, but it is NOT available for delivery to contracts.For example, Warren Buffet decides to store 30 million ounces of silver owned by Berkshire Hathaway (he has no intention of making the silver available for sale at current prices) in a COMEX vault rather than his Omaha basement, he could do so, and the silver would be eligible inventory.
Registered silver means that the silver is fully available for delivery to longs who stand for bullion delivery.Registered silver used to have a paper bearer warrant attached for delivery, but these paper warrants are reportedly being phased out.To simplify, registered silver is deliverable- or available for delivery to a long standing or demanding bullion delivery.
Eligible silver can become registered, and vice-versa. (i.e. the owner can decide to make his silver available for sale at a certain price)This is seen almost daily in the adjustments section of the COMEX inventory data reports.In order for eligible silver to become registered, the owner must have an exchange licensed depository (Brink's, The Delaware Depository, HSBC, JPM, or Scotia Mocotta) issue a depository receipt (warrant).In addition, the bars must total 5,000 ounces (size of 1 contract) plus or minus 6%.
The most emphasis on COMEX silver inventories is placed on registered, as technically, this is the only silver that is available for delivery to longs. Theoretically, if 34 million oz worth of longs stood for delivery in September, the COMEX would default, as only 33 million ounces of registered silver remain.
In actuality however, I believe that the TOTAL silver inventories are what matters. Eligible silver supplies meet exchange requirements- they are simply not currently offered for sale by the owners. Clearly this silver would become available at a certain price. I also believe it likely that the owners would likely be strong-armed or forced into converting their eligible supplies into registered should things become desperate for the cartel.
I hope I have been successful in clarifying the differences between the COMEX eligible and registered categories for you. Continue to keep an eye on both registered and total COMEX inventories for signs of tightness which could ultimately lead to a COMEX silver default.
Current COMEX Update as of June 10, 2019
from Harvey Organ of Harvey Organ Report
IN SILVER THE COMEX OI ROSE A STRONG SIZED 2772 CONTRACTS FROM 219.051 UP TO 221,823 WITH THE GOOD 12 CENT GAIN IN SILVER PRICING AT THE COMEX.( LIQUIDATION OF THE SPREADERS HAVE STOPPED FOR SILVER AND IT STOPPED FOR GOLD AS WELL. WE WILL WITNESS A RISE IN THE SPREADERS IN SILVER ONCE WE START TRADING IN JUNE... READY FOR THE FIRST DAY NOTICE JULY CONTRACT.) TODAY WE ARRIVED FURTHER FROM AUGUST'S 2018 RECORD SETTING OPEN INTEREST OF 244,196 CONTRACTS.
WE HAVE ALSO WITNESSED A LARGE AMOUNT OF PHYSICAL METAL STAND FOR COMEX DELIVERY AS WELL WE ARE WITNESSING CONSIDERABLE LONGS PACKING THEIR BAGS AND MIGRATING OVER TO LONDON IN GREATER NUMBERS IN THE FORM OF EFP'S. WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT WE HAD A VERY HUGE SIZED NUMBER OF COMEX LONGS TRANSFERRING THEIR CONTRACTS TO LONDONTHROUGH THE EFP:
0 FOR MAY, 0 FOR JUNE, 4032 FOR JULY AND ZERO FOR ALL OTHER MONTHS AND THEREFORE TOTAL ISSUANCE 4302 CONTRACTS. WITH THE TRANSFER OF 4302 CONTRACTS, WHAT THE CME IS STATING IS THAT THERE IS NO SILVER (OR GOLD) TO BE DELIVERED UPON AT THE COMEX AS THEY MUST EXPORT THEIR OBLIGATION TO LONDON. ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE CAN BE A DELAY OF 24-48 HRS IN THE ISSUING OF EFP'S. THE 4302 EFP CONTRACTS TRANSLATES INTO 20.16 MILLION OZ ACCOMPANYING:
1.THE 12 CENT GAIN IN SILVER PRICE AT THE COMEX AND
2. THE STRONG AMOUNT OF SILVER OUNCES WHICH STOOD FOR DELIVERY IN THE LAST NINE MONTHS:
JUNE/2018. (5.420 MILLION OZ);
FOR JULY: 30.370 MILLION OZ
FOR AUG., 6.065 MILLION OZ
FOR SEPT. 39.505 MILLION OZ S
FOR OCT.2.525 MILLION OZ.
FOR NOV: A HUGE 7.440 MILLION OZ STANDING AND
21.925 MILLION OZ FINALLY STAND FOR DECEMBER.
5.845 MILLION OZ STAND IN JANUARY.
2.955 MILLION OZ STANDING FOR FEBRUARY.:
27.120 MILLION OZ STANDING IN MARCH.
3.875 MILLION OZ STANDING FOR SILVER IN APRIL.
18.845 MILLION OZ STANDING FOR SILVER IN MAY.
1.560 MILLION OZ STANDING FOR SILVER IN JUNE//