Where do you buy physical silver?
In Canada I found Albern Coin to have best prices on bullion as well as foreign exchange.
As for 1/2 stock and 1/2 bullion I would say trade stocks to make money to buy bullion or at least trade stocks and with half of proceeds buy bullion and with the other half pay off your debts if any. Stocks still make better money than bullion but bullion is a safer than paper money.