Silver...questions

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opos

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Where the debris meets the sea
Old guy with an itch to just own a little bit of silver...Not really and investment...maybe a little hedge against inflation but not a big issue...sort of a bucket list kind of thing...
I always wanted to have a couple bags of silver in my safe...I know it's not something I need to "count on" for much of any thing except maybe if we have a glitch in the paper money supply it might be good "trading stock" for necessities...I hear the "junk silver" bags are about as good as anytihing for just sort of "tucking away"...are most of the on line dealers about the same? I'd guess Ebay sellers are looking to pick the low hanging fruit and may not be the best source...just looking for some input...I have no interest in gold, platinum. palladium, or stocks...I got enough "lead" put away for the rest of my lifetime...not wanting to be a coin collector so just interested in the silver content...thanks
opos
 
Precious metals in and of themselves are worthless- ya can't eat them! Silver can be made into colloidal silver a potent antimicrobial. Get silver strips to be able to produce it. It could save your life.
gramps
 
Silver Eagles are not a bad way to go, 1 ounce pure proven assay , USA legal tender and easily recognized. You can buy small lots. I would avoid "junk bags" because they can be full of "slicks" which means that each coin will not have the recognized value and would have to be weighed for any transaction. Coins should be 1962-1964 and in good condition, not badly worn. Try rolls of 1962-1964 dimes and quarters.

You will hear that silver or gold will be worthless in an emergency situation, but the metals are a good medium for trading. If we face a currency collapse the small coins will be the currency needed to survive.

The silver coins will also appreciate in value since silver is a consumable. Additionally you will see that silver moves up as the stock market drops and vice versa. So, it can represent a hedge investment. Just don't put all of your eggs in a silver basket.
 
When the Hunt brothers artificially drove the prices up in 1980 I lost my azz!
I had got greedy and bought silver on margin. I lost roughly $15,000 and that would be similar to $45,000 in today's dollars. Probably three or four times that had I not done that and left the money in a bank or whatever. It was right at the most critical time of my life too. Had just married etc. No wonder things are tight in my old age.
Be careful!
 
I buy US mint silver .999 pure. America the Beautiful 5 oz. Coins is what
I been buying lately. Precious Metals will always be worth something unlike
the the paper in your wallet. It been proven for centuries. ps
 
Just to try and answer the question as posed...
Ideally, the "couple bags of silver" of silver you're after should be bought by weight, not by a multiple of it's "face value". Reason is, silver is valued by weight, old US coins were/are only 90% silver to start with, and who knows how much combined weight has been lost since those old/worn coins were first minted.
And on a related note, four quarters always weighed less than one silver dollar even when they was all brand new...so then there's that to consider when looking at "face value".
Point is...if obtaining an X-amount of "silver weight" is the goal, ya first got's to know how much actual silver you're buying. Otherwise, you are not comparing apples to apples.

Plus, the "face value" of old coins was/is in terms of "real money", which FRN's are surely not, which in turn is exactly why there's never been, nor ever will be, a lasting correlation between the two. Yet on the other hand, an ounce will forever remain an ounce, which is why that regardless of what we call "inflation", the amount of silver contained in two old dimes will still fetch the same amount of gas, bread or beans today that it's always fetched.
In other words, the true "value" of silver can only be realized when put into terms of it being a commodity VS commodity thing, not in terms of FRN's...an ounce is an ounce, be it silver, bread or beans...a gallon is a gallon, be it gasoline or milk...and unlike FRN's, those things never change...hence my 20-cent gasoline analogy which BTW, has held true for at least the past 50-60 years because (again), it's about the X-amount of silver weight being swapped for the X-amount of gas...which not only has absolutely nothing to do with FRN's, but is a relationship which will likely last from here on out.
So yeah, the actual "silver weight" in the old coins which may be up for sale is a much more important consideration than the "face value" they represent.

Just some stuff to think about before deciding on how to most efficiently spend your FRN's to fill them "couple bags of silver". It might be best to buy old coins, or it might be best to buy ASE's (or whatever) instead...it depends...so check out your options, that's what I'm getting at.

Hope something here helped.

DGW
 
One other consideration . . .

While it has "always" been true that there has been a correlation between and ounce of silver and a gallon of gasoline, that relationship hasn't been tested in the event of a "crash" that makes the FRN worthless on the open market . . . a catastrophic meltdown of our national economy.

I'm not saying one way or the other what would be the "purchasing power" of an ounce of silver under those conditions, but for sure it would be determined "on the spot" for each transaction, at least for a while, there being no common standard of "value" for ANYTHING under such conditions.

The comment about considering only the silver weight over any "face value" is right on, however. The only purpose "face value" of a coin would play would be to establish a (hopefully) known silver content . . . the way it was originally understood before "they" took us off the "metal standards".

JMHO
 
Ale-8(1) said:
One other consideration . . .

While it has "always" been true that there has been a correlation between and ounce of silver and a gallon of gasoline, that relationship hasn't been tested in the event of a "crash" that makes the FRN worthless on the open market . . . a catastrophic meltdown of our national economy.

I'm not saying one way or the other what would be the "purchasing power" of an ounce of silver under those conditions, but for sure it would be determined "on the spot" for each transaction, at least for a while, there being no common standard of "value" for ANYTHING under such conditions.

The comment about considering only the silver weight over any "face value" is right on, however.

JMHO
Click to expand...

Good point(s) Ale-8(1)...
That said though, (again)we're looking at FRN's...so being's that we are, there's also this to consider:

Back on day one, the FRN was issued alongside the "Silver Certificate Dollar", the effect being that it would buy what a "real" silver dollar would buy. That however, is no longer the case and has not been for a long-long time. In fact, the buying power of an FRN has steadily been falling ever since, and to the point that it's now down to some 3 or 4 percent of it's original value. Point there being that being's how it's presently some 97% ka-putt, how much longer can it possibly be before it becomes totally ka-putt?...

Of course myself, I don't have a crystal ball, so I can't give an accurate answer to that. Still though, I do have enough common sense to know that if the FRN has steadily become 97% worthless over the past 100 years or so, the little bit of life it does still have left can't possibly last very much longer...so to me, the question became "why would I not swap ever much of it I can for something which has an undeniably much-better track record"...and (again, for me) the answer to that was a no-brainer, so that's what I set out to do.

So far, every time I've looked/checked, every bit of the silver and gold I hold still weighed the exact same as it did when I first got it...so I'm purty-confident that that will always remain the case, because whether or not the FRN survives can not/ will not effect that, nor can the speculators, Wall Street, or the banksters in general.
In other words, there's reasons why historically speaking, wealth has always been considered to be gold, silver and lands...not paper...and for that matter, still is. Otherwise, why would todays kings, nations, and banksters still be bothering to seek, trade their paper for, steal, kill for, or otherwise accumulate 'n store such "relics" to the tune of amassing literal tons of it per year?...Perhaps because they think/believe/know differently that they would have us mere peons think, believe, and know?...just sayin'.

DGW
 
Yep, I own land. It grows berries, salad greens, grapes, and anything else I plant and cultivate. Try that with your metals. Anything I grow pulls in wild animals like rabbits, turkey and deer. I will be set!
gramps
 
"why would I not swap ever much of it I can for something which has an undeniably much-better track record"

Yes, there's that, and it occurs to me whenever I consider this subject; excellent point. And the fact that governments seem to like to accumulate big piles of "metal" says something about their beliefs concerning its "value". It's still something of a known quantity against which the "value" of other stuff can be considered.

Taking the concept of swapping questionable FRNs for something of "real value" to another direction, I always consider what those things might be and cannot help but come up with food, medicine, and other real necessities of life, going so far as to include guns'n'ammo. Problem with those pretty quickly becomes one of storage and security of a large "warehouse" of those necessities. Still, it's a consideration. (And might as well throw in a few bags of silver, while we're at it, eh?)

Always a topic worth discussing.

:)
 
blume357 said:
I'd say lead backed by nitrocellulose and surrounded by brass would be a much better investment if you are worried about the economy tanking.
Click to expand...

I'm quite certain that in that aspect, you are correct.
Or to put it another way...IMNSHO, PM's ain't for during a SHTF scenario, they are for what might lead up to it, or for after it's over.

Still though, There's nothing in the OP about "SHTF", investments, or the economy one way or another.
It seems to me that his motivation is mostly just to own a "couple bags of silver" before he dies. So heck, if that's something that he wants, I know of no real reason why he shouldn't go for it.

DGW
 
Yeah . . . just to dump 'em out in a pile and run your fingers thru it. Fondle it and play with it, and listen to the jingle of "real" money.

Sorta like Scrooge McDuck. :wink: :wink: :mrgreen: :wink: :wink:

I like it!
 
Ale-8(1) said:
Yeah . . . just to dump 'em out in a pile and run your fingers thru it. Fondle it and play with it, and listen to the jingle of "real" money.

Sorta like Scrooge McDuck. :wink: :wink: :mrgreen: :wink: :wink:

I like it!
Click to expand...
I do that with ammo! :shock: :mrgreen:
gramps, who has more lead than silver
 
Specs said:
Silver Eagles are not a bad way to go, 1 ounce pure proven assay , USA legal tender and easily recognized. You can buy small lots. I would avoid "junk bags" because they can be full of "slicks" which means that each coin will not have the recognized value and would have to be weighed for any transaction. Coins should be 1962-1964 and in good condition, not badly worn. Try rolls of 1962-1964 dimes and quarters.

You will hear that silver or gold will be worthless in an emergency situation, but the metals are a good medium for trading. If we face a currency collapse the small coins will be the currency needed to survive.

The silver coins will also appreciate in value since silver is a consumable. Additionally you will see that silver moves up as the stock market drops and vice versa. So, it can represent a hedge investment. Just don't put all of your eggs in a silver basket.
Click to expand...
Late date silver dimes and quarters (1962-1964) purchased in rolls should be an ideal barter item after tshtf. I too 'lost' my a** in the 80's but it was really just on paper. At that time I only had a small amount in silver so I just let it ride, figuring if I lived long enough I would gain it back. In 1965 thru 1969 it was not unusual to still find silver dimes in rolls from the bank. Buying $100 in dimes or quarters would always yield some silver. Won't happen today tho!!! And as said above "Don't put all your eggs in a silver basket. We also keep a good stock of .22LR and rotate them by shooting the oldest first. Another good barter item for day-to-day living. Watch yard sales for good buys on Buck and Case knives. Think "barter"!
 
I've been accumulating silver since the 60's and still think the best for future trade is the '64 and older dime. It is the smallest silver commodity and can be used for purchase in the event of economy failure. At least it will buy you a loaf of bread if it comes to worst case scenario. And when I worked for a coin op. company collecting the money from the vending and laundry machines, I could tell the sound of silver dropping into the bag, even when running the big counting machines. I buy silver coins at multiples of face value when I find it, and do have a couple of reputable coin dealers I visit when I have a spare bucks and no gun purchase desires. It's kind of fun to play with the old stuff, especially real American silver dollars.
 
Another consideration when buying silver is that the Chinese have entire factories pumping out fake ASE's and silver dollars.
These are really good fakes too.
This is a reason to know who you're buying from.

It would be wise to learn how to do some basic tests to determine if it is real.
You tube has some really good videos on this.
For the cost of a cheap 3000 gram capacity scale, you can do specific gravity tests which are simple and accurate.
There's also a "magnetic test".

With silver being so (relatively) cheap these past few years, MANY people (as well as banks and hedge funds etc.) are stockpiling it.
IF the price ever corrected itself, as they keep saying it will, the flood on the market would probably drop the price to two dollars an ounce in a week.
I also wonder if one day a new use for silver will emerge making it much more valuable than it is now.
Batteries come to mind..
 
Well call me crazy, but to me...to own gold, silver, and land IS the end game...not accumulating/owning mere paper.
Or to put it another way...if my end game had been to accumulate more paper, THAT is what I had to start with, so I'd have just kept it to start with, and began adding more to it from there...no muss, no fuss.

DGW
 
My Grandfather started keeping all the 50 cent pieces out of his pocket change starting in 1916!! He passed in 1955 and my Dad continued for a few years. Add a few quarters and dime .... I have about 12 pounds of pre-65 silver coins. I've been watching the price of silver drop for the last few months.

Seems like all this gold/silver talk ... the value is tied to the paper $$. If the poo hits the propellor .... I suspect folks will still relate to the $ value. How much silver or gold will it take to buy bread? or fuel?
If the economic system goes doesn't the value of the metal go too?

Maybe bartering will be the replacement ... "will you take this gold for gasoline?" ... "No but I'll take a box of .22s for a couple gallons."
 
If the economy collapses there won't be any bread or gasoline to purchase. Isn't it estimated that there are 3 trillion rounds of ammo in this country? Ammo doesn't do you much good if your being shot at. It doesn't matter how much you have, it only takes one round to knock you out. These arguments always come up in threads on precious metals. Buy some metals and diversify your investments. Buy land and stocks too if you can.
 
skeeter said:
If the economy collapses there won't be any bread or gasoline to purchase. Isn't it estimated that there are 3 trillion rounds of ammo in this country? Ammo doesn't do you much good if your being shot at. It doesn't matter how much you have, it only takes one round to knock you out. These arguments always come up in threads on precious metals. Buy some metals and diversify your investments. Buy land and stocks too if you can.
Click to expand...

I'm hearing ya on all of that. I had a friend ask me the other day..."How much 5.56 ammo do you have on hand in case things turn to sh!t ?"...The reply which immediately popped out of my mouth without even have to thinking about it was "plenty enough to get myself killed". :lol: :lol: :lol: .

And on a similar note, I'm under no illusions about anything else in terms of the usual/predictable (and quite frankly, rather meaningless) arguments which always come up as soon as the word "silver" get's mentioned either. Mostly these days, I try to consider the deflection it causes as being just so much entertainment...you know, something to grin or laugh about as it were. :wink: .

DGW
 
In all reality I see precious metals as a "wealth carryover" in the event of a complete collapse. If the stuff actually does hit the thing and it all goes to pieces there will assuredly be a day when it recovers. That's when "metals" will come into play because man being man he will almost certainly fall back on the valuation of "metals" as a basis for "wealth" and exchange. "Metals" won't actually be as useful as one might think during the dark days . . . it's a long-term play.
 
Ale-8(1) said:
In all reality I see precious metals as a "wealth carryover" in the event of a complete collapse. If the stuff actually does hit the thing and it all goes to pieces there will assuredly be a day when it recovers. That's when "metals" will come into play because man being man he will almost certainly fall back on the valuation of "metals" as a basis for "wealth" and exchange. "Metals" won't actually be as useful as one might think during the dark days . . . it's a long-term play.
Click to expand...

I include copper, brass, aluminum, lead and even all types of "clad silver" in a recovery scenario. All are easily accumulated and recycled for recovery of their intrinsic/labor value.
 
skeeter said:
If the economy collapses there won't be any bread or gasoline to purchase. Isn't it estimated that there are 3 trillion rounds of ammo in this country? Ammo doesn't do you much good if your being shot at. It doesn't matter how much you have, it only takes one round to knock you out. These arguments always come up in threads on precious metals. Buy some metals and diversify your investments. Buy land and stocks too if you can.
Click to expand...

But you can trade ammo... I'd be willing to... but not for silver or gold coins I don't care how much they are worth at currant rates.
 
blume357 said:
skeeter said:
If the economy collapses there won't be any bread or gasoline to purchase. Isn't it estimated that there are 3 trillion rounds of ammo in this country? Ammo doesn't do you much good if your being shot at. It doesn't matter how much you have, it only takes one round to knock you out. These arguments always come up in threads on precious metals. Buy some metals and diversify your investments. Buy land and stocks too if you can.
Click to expand...

But you can trade ammo... I'd be willing to... but not for silver or gold coins I don't care how much they are worth at currant rates.
Click to expand...

Maybe the baker wants a silver dime for a loaf of bread. Coin of the realm has been around for centuries, and it could once again be the only money accepted. In any case silver and gold can be an adjunct
to any ammo trading material. This is not an either or proposition, just another step to provide for the future a bit.
 
opos, I share your likeing for silver if you are going to stash some doomsday wealth. Much more liquid in small, trading amounts than gold. If 500 Silver Eagles or Maple Leafs is what you consider to be a "few bags" worth, then I highly recommend APMEX dot com. I have bought from them and sold to them. Impeccably honest, fast, drama free. You will trade there as close to spot + or - buying/selling commission as anywhere. If you can't spring for the Monster Box of 500, they offer good pricing on tubes of 20 (SE) or 25 (ML). I actually prefer the Maple Leafs for their smaller diameter, fatter shape. Also, note that they are always priced a point or two better than the Eagles.
 
Asked my financial advisor about metals, he said it was a really volatile market, at the time metals were really going up daily so I jumped in. You guessed it soon as I got in the rally and the price bottomed out. I still have some gold and silver, neither have got back to the price that I bought them at. My understanding is that when the economy is struggling then metals go up in value, right now the market is doing well so therefore metals are not so this should be the time to buy. But I would not trust what I say, I have been burned already, what do I know.
 
Everyone needs to watch this video before you buy any Gold or Silver. Only buy American Gold or Silver Eagles. All sizes. The man that owns Cowtown Gold and Silver in Fort Worth TX told me that he would pay Spot price for them. Not for any other Gold or Silver Coins. Long before what the Survivalists are preaching happens, we will have massive inflation. Gold will go up in price. There will always be a Gold Dealer in every major City to sell some of your gold too, to buy what you need to feel your family.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ADtwpTbGF0
 
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