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 Best Prices

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Gasoline prices are dropping. Which defies logic because of the hurricanes, increased driving with school starting, international problems and the host of other factors which cause gasoline prices to go UP rather than DOWN.

Same thing is happening with silver prices and namely what is happening in the junk silver aka pre-1964 U.S. silver coin market. (These coins have 90% silver content and thus are "real money". What's more, they are often found floating in the current money supply if you keep your eyes open).

Silver has been dropping the past month or so. My theory as to why? The economy, like it or not is staring to rebound. GDP was up and the economy is growing. When that happens, conservative investment demand, such as for precious metals, starts to drop. Investors may be putting their money into the stock and bond market hoping it will grow faster.

This means silver is down. Depressed? Hardly. This is one of those times you may want to consider taking advantage while the market is down. Most investors buy while a market is hot, pay too much and lose more later.

Not with silver and especially, junk silver. Find a good coin shop or precious metals dealer and purchase a few rolls of Mercury dimes and some Franklin quarters.

Click Here for the Junk Silver Blog.

Prepare: Junk silver prices

Check out the Kitko graph today (August 23). Silver is down again.

Now is the time to visit your local coin or jewelery shop and pick up a roll or two of pre-1964 dimes. I say junk silver dimes because they will be of most use in the post-SHTF economy.

It should not set you back very much and is probably a good deal considering the volatility of the markets right now.

No. I am not an investment professional and all advice on junk silver, silver coins, coin investments, pre-1964 silver U.S. coins is purely my opinion and not reflective of the management.

Junk silver: war nickel silver

We all know about pre-1964 silver U.S. coins, called "junk silver" found in quarters, dimes and halves.

However, did you know that there are other silver coins which are not as widely known? Did you know they are the lowly nickel?

In 1943, the so called "war nickel" was produced. Made with 35% silver content, the war nickel replaced the war industry needed nickel content with silver. Making the war nickel a neat find for the silver coin collector or pre-1964 enthusiast.

They are quite common, in fact, as more than 300 million were minited that year.

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.

Prepare! Pre-1964 silver coins are a waste of time

Read the official Junk Silver Blog Here.

Are junk silver coins really a waste of time? No, in fact it is highly desirable to have some form of portable currency during and after an emergency. Starting with a credit card with plenty of room, then cash, gold or silver and finally, trade goods. 
 
Personally, I am a big fan of pre-1964 silver U.S. coins. Rather, I created this post to dispel a notion many armchair survivalists cling to, but also to remind readers to stock tangibles (food, water, etc) before investing in precious metals. 

First up, read all the survival fiction you can find out there on the internet. 

And that is fiction with a capital F.

Every protagonist has a stash of pre-1964 coins for barter, trade and commerce. And without fail, so does every other character they meet and wish to conduct business with. They all seem to have a mason jar full of Franklin silver halves, Roosevelt dimes and old quarters.

And so, when the inevitable "trading faire" (who comes up with this stuff?) opens, everyone shows up with a pocket of pre-Beatles change jingling and ready to purchase chickens, honey and auto parts.

Horse feathers.

For those just joining the end of the world, pre-1964 US coins have a silver content of 90% silver. To the "fiat currency" crowd, these coins were the last "real" money available to citizens.

Most pre-1964 coins have been pulled from circulation, both by the government and by collectors. I still find a silver coin from time to time, usually about one or two a year. With silver so highly priced, it makes sense to keep those dimes which are now worth over a dollar for metal value.

However, I don't know anyone who has a stash of pre-1964 US coins. Most people I meet don't even know such coins had any value. So why do SHTF authors think that commerce will quickly migrate from barter (or theft) to usage of pre-1964 silver coins so quickly when so few people have any to spend?

Most likely, gold and silver and precious stones will have a certain value for a time after the SHTF, but will fall out of favor as people realize they cannot eat a diamond ring or ward off bad guys with a Kruggerand.

My advice is to stock the following in your post-TEOTWAWKI bank account FIRST with: 
- Food.
- Supplies needed to produce clean water, i.e. bleach, filters, storage containers, etc..
- Guns and ammo.
- Manufactured goods like nails, screws, lumber, concrete, safety pins, sewing needles, etc.
- Medicines. Aspirin alone is worth its weight in pre-1964 silver coins.
- Shoes and clothes in general.
- Feminine products and birth control.
- Cleaning supplies particularly disinfectant, bleach, soap, etc.
- Toilet paper (cash money on a roll!).
- Gardening supplies (tools, seeds, potting soil) and animal feed. For that matter, small livestock like chickens, goats and rabbits.

Stock up enough ammo and egg laying chickens and you can become the next Warren Buffet of the post-apocalyptic world. Only after your food and other supplies are stocked should you take dollars and invest them in silver U.S. coins or gold.

Check out the Junk Silver Blog here.

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