SHTF: Junk Silver on Squidoo

Check out this Lens on Squidoo about Junk Silver.

What is junk silver?

Junk silver are U.S. common coins, dimes, quarters and halves which were minted in 1964 and before.

Junk silver has a silver content of 90%, thus making it an affordable and accessible means for those of us who are, ahem, financially challenged in our investment liquidity.

The lens on Squidoo has some great information about junk silver, where to get it and the value of certain coins.

There is sales information from Ebay which is up to the minute and features auctions on junk silver coins of different denominations and quantity. That alone make this site a neat place to visit!

There is also news information about junk silver including a neat story about junk silver coins showing up in retail establishments. You won't be surprised at the reason why! So check it out!

I have been playing with Squidoo lenses myself and have one in the works on preparedness which I think will be of great interest and will hopefully spread the word about our cause to the "DGI" of the world.

Check out the Junk Silver lens here.

And a reminder, if you have a subject you are interested in like junk silver, preparedness, long term storage foods, emergency supplies, survival kits or whatever, you might want to think about building your own lens. It is pretty fun and easy to do. Try Squidoo and let me know what you think.

Speaking of which, please let me know what you think of these posts. Like my wife says, "I won't make it again if you don't tell me you like it!".

Leave a comment or click below!

Be safe, be ready and be careful!

SHTF: Silver prices are wayyyyyy down!

The Junk Silver Blog is here.

Take a look at the Kitco graph on your right. Silver is below $9.00 an ounce. Historically, silver is down over 5.00 from a year ago. That means today is a great day to buy some silver.

Silver can be purchased in bullion or rounds, from a dealer or from a pawn and jewelery store. As you know, I prefer my silver in a form which everyone is familiar with and recognizes.

Of course, I am talking about pre-1965 U.S. silver dimes, quarters and halves also known as "junk silver"

When prices are down, buy. When prices are high, laugh. Unfortunately, all of us buy when the panic is on and sell when we feel like it.

I plan on stopping at my neighborhood jewelery store this afternoon and see what they have in stock for a roll or two of pre-1965 junk silver dimes. I consider it a hedge after seeing what happened to my 401K this past month. Ouch.

Besides, I think sometime those Roosevelt and Mercury dimes will be worth quite a bit more before this is all over.

I am not an investment adviser, but I am entitled to my opinion on junk silver and precious metals.

See the Junk Silver Blog Here.

Prepare: Quick note on silver prices

See the Junk Silver Blog Here.

Silver prices are way down today. Don't ask me why.

Now is a good time to stop off at the coin or gold/silver store and pick up a roll of pre-1965 dimes or quarters.

Dealers sell junk silver at "spot prices" plus a premium. So when the price is down, you pay less for junk silver than when it was higher. No brainer.

I would get either two rolls of pre-1965 silver dimes or one roll of quarters if you can swing it. It should not set you back very much and might come in handy in a few weeks or whenever.

Remember, I am not an investment expert and this blog is not either. Unless you consider junk silver, stored foods, or emergency supplies a good investment. I do!

See the Junk Silver Blog Here.

Junk silver post and Coinstar

The other day I dropped a jar of coins off at a local Coinstar location. Now, I thought I had gleaned all the good stuff out of this particular jar, but I was wrong. Which was a good thing and something which might be of interest to you.

Most of my change was taken and tabulated by the Coinstar machine. But a number of coins were not:

- Foreign coins (naturally).
- New dollar coins (the big gold ones).
- Old dollar coins (the Susan B's).

And... drum roll please... a 1943 Washington quarter and two Roosevelt dimes, both pre-1964.

Does this mean that Coinstar automatically screens and kicks out pre-1964 junk silver coins? Don't run out and drop some Barber dimes in a Big Green Coinstar machine to find out, but it is a good thing to know if it is true.

Hey maybe Coinstar should fix that particular little bug? I mean can you imagine how much loot they are walking away from?

SHTF: Junk silver best picks

If junk silver, aka pre-1964 U.S. silver coins (90% silver content) is in your plans for currency or barter after the SHTF, then there are some coins which are preferable over others.

The reasoning is some junk silver coins are more readily available than others. Also, some junk silver coins are considered antiques and are widely sought after by coin collectors and thus will compete for your junk silver needs.

Rather, the best pre-1964 U.S. silver coins to see are those which are common, available from several sources and priced according to silver content rather than numismatic value.



The Mercury Head Silver Dime

Minted between 1916 and 1945, the Mercury Head Silver Dime was minted in large numbers and with the exception of certain coins minted in 1921, have normal numismatic value.

1946 - 1964 Roosevelt Silver Dime



As guessed, this silver version of the current Roosevelt was widely minted as well and each year has normal coin collecting value. Millions of these pre-1964 junk silver coins may be available simply because they are the same design of the current non-silver dimes in circulation. I find a couple of these a year from random coin searches so keep an eye open.

Washington Silver Quarter



Another junk silver coin with a modern, non-silver look a like in circulation. The Washington silver quarter, (again 90% silver), was minted between 1932 and 1964 in the U.S. These turn up frequently although many were reported melted by the Federal Government in the 1960's and 1970's.

The Franklin Half Dollar - Junk Silver



One of my personal favorites as a kid, the pre-1964 Franklin Half Dollar was minted between 1948 and 1963. Since it is different than the current Kennedy half, and was minted for only 15 years, do not expect to find many of these turning up in pocket change or at your local bank. My favorite story about the pre-1964 Franklin halve was watching a man recently at a coin and jewelry store selling multiple ziplock bags of these coins one afternoon. What a hoard!

Kennedy Half Dollar - Pre-1964 silver coin



Not a long mint time, only 1964, later coins minted between 1965 and 1970 have a 40% silver content which makes them worth something as well. Be on the lookout for these, but don't hold your breath, half dollar coins are not exactly common either.

Pre-1964 silver coinage AKA junk silver

This should make the silver bugs happy out there. I have added the Kitco silver price widget to this blog for your enjoyment, education and amusement.

On a related note, you will also be happy to hear that I obtained a few silver coins recently. Yes, the are pre-1964 silver coins. Namely, dimes and quarters. Just a few mind you.

No, this is not a good investment. For the armchair Warren Buffets out there, the rule is "buy low, sell high". Silver and pre-1964 silver coins are at an all-time high, (well since the 1980 Hunt Brothers fiasco). Thus, if you are buying now, you are buying at the high point. Better to have invested in 1999 when silver was trading for fifty cents a pound of something like that (kidding, I don't know what the price was then, just exaggerating).

I located my pre-1964 silver coin finds not through a coin shop but through the tried and true "pocket change search". It might work for you too. I think it is more fun as well.

Prepare! More about pre-1964 silver coins

Ever since I published this last post on pre-1964 silver U.S. coins, I have been taking quite a bit of heat. Not only from "preppers" but also from coin and precious metals dealers, coin collectors, and silver bugs.

Pre-1964 U.S. silver coins, they say, offer a good and affordable way for small and first time precious metal investors to get into the game. Pre-1964 silver coins, quarter, dimes, halves and dollars, are 90% silver. Since 1964, none have been produced with that much silver content. Thus, they are worth much more than similar, but later dated coins. And with silver now over 17.00 an ounce, pre-1964 silver U.S. coins are a surprisingly good investment.

Typically, pre-1964 silver U.S. coins are sold as "junk silver" which is a bit of a contradiction in terms because I tend to believe the dollar is junk and precious metals hardly fit that term.

Look, I have nothing against, pre-1964 silver U.S. coins. I like finding an occasional 1954 quarter or dime in my change. It's sad knowing that some unsuspecting ignorant individual dropped a single dime worth a dollar and a half into a soda machine, and that it became my "mini lottery".

But investments in portable wealth, whether it be art, precious stones or even pre-1964 silver coins, is a liquid investment. Which means one has to be prepared to sell their investment for higher gain at some future date.

For me, preparing for the future means investing in hard material possessions which offer a high, long-term rate of return. Investments like land, livestock and cash crops.

I cannot eat a pre-1964 silver coin, nor can my family. I cannot fend off a burglar with a pre-1964 U.S. silver quarter nor can I use it cure my sick child of a fever.

So, continue to invest in pre-1964 silver U.S. coins if it works for you and your future needs. But please, stop sending me email beating me up about my post or my opinion.