Why would anyone buy a silver round when they can but a silver eagle?
Because they want to keep it longer.
There is a sh9oe for every foot.
I like First Majestic. They deal in bulk:
50oz. Poured Silver Bar
https://store.firstmajestic.com/collections/silver-ingots-and-bars/products/50oz-poured-silver-bar
12 years ago I bought a bunch of silver when the spot was about $13 and I opted for a monster box (500) of Canadian Silver Maples instead of American Silver Eagles.
The Maples were 85¢ per oz cheaper than the Eagles ($14 vs $14.85 - ie 6%), and the Maples are a trusted mint and slightly higher purity (.9999 vs .999) so I thought I was making a smart deal.
Turns out, if I sold them now I would get that same 6% less than the Eagles get. If you go on eBay Buy it Now, a monster box of Eagles (500) goes for $17,500 vs $16,500 for the monster box of Maples. That’s almost the same exact 6% discount.
So I figure it all comes out in the wash. If I had spent the same amount of $$ for 6% fewer Eagles, they would be worth what my Maples are worth, so I would have come out the same either way.
I imagine the same is true if you get these non-government rounds, you can get the same amount of silver for a much better price - but then you’d get less for them when you sold them too.
IOW, just like with the Maples, but a more extreme discount.
The point is, there is always a market for pure silver - but it is discounted depending what form it’s in and how much trouble an assayer has to go to to verify its weight and purity.
Determining the weight and purity of silver is an easy technology, so there will always be a market.