Chapter forty-two. Don't invest! A parody

Stay out of it!

Don't invest in the stuff. You can't eat silver or gold. Buy other stuff.

Buy into the stock market. Buy Apple or something. Avoid precious metals.

Buy rare art, jewelry - avoid precious metals.

Silver is bad. Paper is good. Get hold of some hundred-dollar bills and store them in your mattress.

You can earmark your cash for things like this!

Or place your money in a savings account. You can get interest every year and that "money" will grow. You can get 1.05% at Ally Bank today! Go for it. No minimum amount needed. So put two-hundred dollars in there! In just ten years you will have $222.00. Not bad. After paying taxes you will have made over ten dollars. Unless, of course, the government seizes the account for whatever reason - which they can do. Anyhow, don't worry about that problem. Go for it. Just don't buy silver or gold. You can't eat silver remember!

Silver - bad. Paper - good.

In ten years the value of silver could go to zero (couldn't it?). So avoid silver, it always fails and goes to its intrinsic value of zero.

Can't eat dat'.

Invest in the banks.

Put all your hard earned money in one of these. They love you and will take good care of it for you.

Bankers never take advantage of the people. They share everything with the people. Look how poorly they pay themselves! They are for the people. Never greedy. Never on big payrolls. The average banker probably makes about what you do, so they are on your side - aren't they?

Oops! Wrong picture!

Here is the picture I tried to download showing how impoverished those poor bankers are while they are trying their best to share the wealth with us. This shows how bankers don't have it nearly as good as we do. How do they even know what time it is where they travel for example?

Imagine the work involved in just telling time as a banker. This Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon
(Price: $1.3 million) helps, but it is still a constant problem for them every day!

Yikes! The horrors of helping the people with their money. But, somehow they manage to keep up with it, and keep that interest of 1.05% "pouring" into our accounts. 

Life is tough for those dedicated professionals. You have it so much easier on a daily basis than the average banker. Here is another example, just imagine all the work that would be needed just to clean this entrance way of your home! You and I are so lucky these bankers have time to do those menial tasks and yet still manage somehow to keep up that 1.05%. Praise the bankers!

No fun scrubbing this every day!

So, as I said, keep putting your hard earned money into those banks. They are safe and insured - unlike silver stashed away. Reap the interest! Trust the banks to keep helping the people, like they have been doing all along. They are just like us - except they travel a little more, and buy watches that cost a little more, but have all that cleaning of those big homes to do. Otherwise, they're just like "we the people". 

Aren't they ?

Another hard day at the office deserves a little R&R.

How's YOUR polo game going these days? What? You don't play! Hey, take that ten-dollars you earned above on the two-hundred dollar investment and buy a few horses, get lessons, join the club and learn to ride baby ride! I'm sure a banker or two will be glad to give you some lessons in the game - after cleaning that entrance way. They are, after all, for the people!

Chapter forty-one. But - what if we are wrong?

WHAT? No currency crash?

Is that a possibility? Yes, but only for as long as that fiat currency is accepted universally. But, can this go on forever?

So . . . if there is no crash - what about all of what I've been writing then? Haven't I said repeatedly "cash is trash"? Haven't I said the collapse of the dollar is inevitable? Yes, indeed I have. 

Cash is indeed just paper or just zeros and ones in a computer. It simply has no real value, just as I have said time and time again. But, if you accept it, it does have "a" value! That value being your faith in our system. Faith in our government. An imaginary value, but a value none-the-less.

So with that said, let's examine what you will have if you followed my pages and decided to do what I suggested (right above where I always say never take my investment advice!). 

As I explained on a page sometime back, IF you diversify and have 20% of your savings in precious metals (or some arbitrary percentage which you choose) and the dollar doesn't crash, you still will have 80% invested in currency based assets. How can that be a bad thing?

So . . . 

One possibility is that the dollar will be devalued enormously, but not actually crash. If that happens the precious metals will skyrocket in value against the dollar. A good result for you! If you own any that is.

Another possibility is the dollar crashes and becomes worth nothing. This is what I have focused on mostly. This is what I personally expect to see happen.

In this case you will become very wealthy! Wealth after all is measured in what you can afford to purchase and own. Buying with precious metals, when they are astronomically high in dollar value, can't be a bad thing for you. Another good result.

Yet another possibility is everything will stay the same as it is currently. No hyper-inflation. No change. In this case you will have a really nice collection of precious metals (and possible a nice coin collection) to have and to hold and do with as you please. You will eventually be able to pass it on to your children or grandchildren, or whomever. Precious metals never go to zero worth, so your collection will retain value no matter what happens. Plus, you will still have that other 80% investment to use as you wish. This becomes good result number three.

As a matter of fact, I can't think of a scenario in which investing in silver turns out to be a bad thing!

Many of us have inherited items from a parent or even a grandparent. Often some old coins or jewelry and maybe even a stamp collection. Remember how it felt to see that big jar of old dimes? Then you find out they are worth way more today than when people were spending them many years ago! Now just imagine how little Johnny will feel about grandpa(ma) who bequeathed a couple-hundred Morgan silver dollars to him! And remember this is only if things keep going and currencies remain stable.

WOW! Thanks grandpa!

So there it is. No possibility of making a mistake by investing in precious metals. As long as it is only a part of your portfolio that is. Everyone needs to make their own decisions. Some people buy into precious metals exclusively. If so, they could end up required to sell some of it before the prices go astronomical. I have suggested investing and placing just 20% in precious metals. Some suggest 10%. But, I have never suggested to buy into precious metals 100%. I haven't done that, and I doubt if you know anyone who is a bigger proponent of precious metals than I am. 

If you can tell me how (using the method of 20% as suggested) it would be a bad thing financially for anyone, please explain  in the remarks below. I would like to know.

Chapter forty. Buying and selling using precious metals

No. I'm not actually doing this yet. But I'm planning yo do so and I'm conditioning my mind-set to think in these terms.

I have written in here before that we need to stop thinking in terms of how much "currency" we need to buy silver. I'm simply trying to follow my own advice.

Recent financial events have driven me nuts! Silver is up, stocks are up. Gasoline is down. Food is up. What is it with this insanity? How can we tell what anything is actually worth today? 

The base standard is the value of precious metals. In my opinion, that means silver (as you already knew). Therefore, when we have inflation - which is in reality a deflation of the dollar's worth in terms of buying power - we should have higher silver prices. When we suffer deflation - which means the dollar will buy more (sounds back-ass ward but that is how it is) the value of silver should go down in terms of dollars.

Right now we appear to be having stagnation! The dollar buys more gasoline (which drives the liberals crazy!) but fewer eggs. So, it is neither inflation nor deflation. I call it "stagnation". A brief internet search confirms my word choice, as in this quote from someplace in the digital world: 

"DEFINITION of 'Stagnation'

A prolonged period of little or no growth in the economy. Economic growth of less than 2 to 3% annually is considered stagnation. Periods of stagnation are also marked by high unemployment and involuntary part-time employment."

They are describing what we see about as accurately as I could imagine. They didn't apply it to silver and the dollar but I believe it applies.

So with this all said, we still must consider why these values fluctuate. Both silver and stocks were going up drastically a few days ago and today silver is down some and stocks up. That is in dollars of course. Remember, silver's buying power and actual value is stable and in reality simply does not change. It is the dollar, and dollar based products, which are unstable and fluctuate - never silver.

Could it be that a manipulation of the silver markets in dollars is occurring? I feel certain this is what we are witnessing. Ponder the following scenario:

Let's say you are one of the super-wealthy. Not just a multimillionaire but a multibillionaire. You make investments all the time through your minions who place these investments (bets?). Right away you discover that with all that wealth comes financial power. You discover that if you purchase vast amounts of anything you can create an artificial shortage of that item. Now, you wouldn't want to buy up a bunch of milk or other perishable items. You could invest in a futures market for milk and gain control that way - but storing milk would smell bad fast!

So, you have discovered that by buying huge amounts of anything and creating a shortage of it, drives the price of that item way up. So, you buy lots of the product and watch the price go up, then sell while it is high. Gaining vast profits all along as you do this. Your minions prevent this being detected - and there are tons of history to learn from to avoid being caught manipulating the markets. 

Enter silver. Applying what I just hypothesized, you buy tons of silver in pretty much any form. What happens then? Prices jump, of course.  Then while they are up, you sell off and reap huge sums of currency. Meanwhile, many people buy at the inflated prices and are stuck holding when it goes back down suddenly.

Look at the recent shortages of the American Silver Eagle.

US Silver Eagle. Often "Out of Stock".

"Out of Stock"

From time to time this appears when trying to buy one of these. If you were that dealer (this is cut and pasted from a dealer web page) why would you run out of something you were selling? Because the product is no longer available. Or, sometimes it's just that they can't produce it fast enough to meet the demands. So, you look around and find it, for a little more currency, someplace else. Prices go up.

As the little guy we must buy at the higher prices and help the super-rich get even richer!

So, what to do? The answer is simple. Never sell off! Stay the course. In the long haul you will win. The losers are those who give up. Eventually even those who manipulated the markets will lose some of what they acquired. They go on and buy up properties and other tangible items with these huge profits so don't feel sorry for their losses! They will never be poor.

When the dollar fails you will be "sitting pretty" as they say.

Getting back to buying and selling in silver . . . You may have a few rolls of silver dimes with which to buy gasoline. Two silver dimes for a gallon seems about right today, and will probably always be right. Buying groceries with silver means you may need four or five quarters for a big bag of food. A nice used car? Break out the big guns! Maybe two ounces of gold (Yes, I know - it's "gold", not silver - so use two hundred-ounce bars of silver then!). No financing available nor needed! Just drive away, and fill it up for a couple silver dimes.

As I have repeatedly said - nobody knows what exactly will happen when the financial system collapses. We all know we will still have our homes. Our cars. Our furniture. And, if you are wise, some silver or gold! Jobs? Some will be needed no matter what happens. Our people will still require services when currency no longer exists. We need trash picked up, cars repaired and of course food. All these things will require some medium of exchange. Maybe a new "dollar" will become our new medium of exchange? One valued in terms of silver and gold perhaps? 

If nothing else the crash of the dollar is going to be exciting. Buckle up and hold on - we are in store for a roller coaster ride beyond imagination!

Chapter thirty-nine. Market manipulation

If, as I believe, the dollar is doomed, why aren't the super-wealthy doing anything to stop this from happening?

By "super-wealthy". I am not referring to millionaires or multimillionaires. Those people will be hard hit in a crash and, if knowledgeable, will be trying to prevent it. But they are relatively powerless in this matter. Why? Because THEY ARE WAY TOO POOR!

There are families - dynasties if you will - who are far richer than a simple millionaire. They own huge things such as the Federal Reserve Bank. Yes - the Federal Reserve bank has owners! It sells stock. Not to you nor me of course. But just to select insiders who are among the super-wealthy, about whom I speak.

Here is a quote from: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

"The 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks, which were established by the Congress as the operating arms of the nation's central banking system, are organized similarly to private corporations--possibly leading to some confusion about "ownership." For example, the Reserve Banks issue shares of stock to member banks. However, owning Reserve Bank stock is quite different from owning stock in a private company. The Reserve Banks are not operated for profit, and ownership of a certain amount of stock is, by law, a condition of membership in the System. The stock may not be sold, traded, or pledged as security for a loan; dividends are, by law, 6 percent per year." (Emphasis mine of course.)

So, there you have it. A guaranteed 6% on a stock purchase! Why would anyone buy anything else? Well, for starters - YOU can't buy in! It is for insiders only. Not for we the people. Is JPMorgan Chase

a member bank? Yep. Of course they are. Other well known big banks are as well. You can go to the aforementioned web site and become utterly confused about the Federal Reserve and its owners. I suspect that confusion is deliberate. What do you think?

Next step in understanding why the super-wealthy aren't worried about the looming dollar crash:

Those people aren't investing just in currencies. They buy properties. They buy tangible assets which will continue to exist after the dollar is history and worth its weight in paper.

They buy gold. They buy silver. This in addition to buying land, buildings and most of all POLITICIANS! Yes, political "influence" is a top priority. How else can anyone explain how they get a 6% guarantee, PLUS the fact that our government borrows from them to print currency.

Think about that last part a little. Our government borrows from the private Federal Reserve to print currency. WHY? Couldn't the government simply turn on the printing press and create currency? The answer is YES! It COULD. and - it did! 

President Kennedy issued an Executive Order regarding the creation (printing) of money which put an end to borrowing from the Fed. It was Executive Order # 11110.

Here is a great web page explaining what he did: Kennedy defies the fed. Then - you know what happens to him . . .

Top is a United States Note (read on the top of it). Bottom is a Federal Reserve Note.

That being said, can we see what is going on? The super-wealthy are going to survive quite well when the dollar collapses. And it is going to collapse!

Is there a sure way for "US" to survive and prosper in the coming calamity?

NO! No sure way. 

Sorry. I'm sure my readers expected me to say yes, buy silver! But, no, that isn't a sure thing. The super-wealthy can manipulate even the precious metals markets. We see some of that happening even now. Silver drops from $34 to $15 an ounce in a few months. Why?  It is manipulated - that's why.

But if you persevere in your strategy, you may possibly come out on the other side well-to-do. The key is just that - perseverance. If you succumb to the market and sell off too soon you will lose. You need to hang in there. Never give up your stash. Until . . .

So, when do you sell? How do you know when? I haven't a clue. I do know that silver and gold have never been worthless throughout man's history. I know that calculating the value in dollars etc. is foolish. It has intrinsic value. It is worth bread and butter not fiat currency. So, when to sell is up to you. You must decide. Should you trade off for dollars when the dollar value of silver reaches $100 an ounce? If you do that and the next day the dollar is devalued or crashes what do you have then? Paper.

I am not writing this blog to give you instructions for investing nor for selling off your store of wealth. I am doing this for two reasons. One, is to make you think about these things and prepare in your own way for future possibilities and/or probabilities. Two, is to make ME think these things through as well. I don't have all the answers. Plus, I am poor as the proverbial Church Mouse.

Chapter thirty-eight. Robert Kiyosaki on silver

The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad speaks about silver verses gold.

These two videos explain how this man feels about investing in silver. They are both about four minutes long. So, do yourself a favor and take eight minutes out of your life to watch and see if you agree with one of the best known investment experts ever.

You all know how I feel. I have repeatedly said to NOT take my advice for investing. I repeat that right now. DO NOT. But, when all the predictions about fiat currencies come true, you may wish you had listened to people like Robert here. 

The choice is yours alone. If your investment portfolio is all in currencies and the system crashes - what will be in your safe? If you have silver (gold) in that portfolio what will it be worth if the system crashes? How about if the system does not crash? Will silver (gold) become worthless? Nope. It is a win-win situation.  

The only possible way to lose is if you only have cash to fall back on. 

I know I have repeated this theme throughout my blog. But, it is important to me that my readers aren't able to accuse me of not saying anything! 

Chapter thirty-seven. Counterfeits - How to know

Sometimes, you simply can't!

Do not dismay. This statement is also true about the currency in your wallet right now. Counterfeiters are artists. They earn (sic.) a living by making fake money. And, they are really good at what they do. Even other nations make counterfeit US money. It is simply too expensive for an individual to obtain the equipment needed to make a counterfeit; therefore much of the time they are produced by other nations who can afford that initial expense.

However, there are certain safeguards which you can take to avoid getting stuck with fakes. For that paper in your wallet, you need to simply know what a real dollar looks and feels like. Look for the security watermark for example. Look for that tiny security line embedded in it. And  the best is to compare it to a dollar which you know to be real. Don't bother using that pen with iodine in it which makes a color change to dark black if it is "supposed" to be fake. Most banks have discontinued using that now because all it does is make the iodine react with the starch contained in the cheap paper often used in a counterfeit. So, if they bleached out a one dollar bill and printed a twenty on that paper, you accomplish nothing with that pen. Take some spray starch and treat any paper money with it and that pen it will say it is a counterfeit!

Remember this, if you take a counterfeit dollar - or coin, YOU loose. The banks will not reimburse you. The government will confiscate it and leave you with nothing. If you try to pass it on to the next guy, that is a crime. Once you possess a counterfeit you are simply screwed. End of story.

For collector's coins these things are all the same as with paper "money".

Here is a short video regarding counterfeit American Eagle silver dollars By Mike Maloney:

Fake silver and gold.

UPDATED - 2015.

Here is a great page regarding detection of counterfeits:

14-ways-to-spot-counterfeits

Just as the cruds who counterfeit our coins keep getting better - we  must keep pace!

Here is information on counterfeits of all types from the United States Secret Service: 

Detect a counterfeit

Excerpt from the above cited SS page about coins:

"Genuine coins are struck (stamped out) by special machinery. Most counterfeit coins are made by pouring liquid metal into molds or dies. This procedure often leaves die marks, such as cracks or pimples of metal on the counterfeit coin.

Today counterfeit coins are made primarily to simulate rare coins which are of value to collectors. Sometimes this is done by altering genuine coins to increase their numismatic value. The most common changes are the removal, addition or alteration of the coin's date or mint marks.

If you suspect you are in possession of a counterfeit or altered coin, compare it with a genuine one of the same design and value.

If it is above five-cents in face value, it should have corrugated outer edges, referred to as "reeding." Reeding on genuine coins is even and distinct. The counterfeit coin's reeding may be uneven, crooked or missing altogether."

End of excerpt.

Steps you may take to invest in REAL coins (bullion):

1. Buy only from reputable dealers. Once you can better tell real from fake, you may want to go with individuals, but always be careful! They themselves may not know what they are selling you. Then, once you find out it is a fake - what will you do?
2. Buy certified coins. This is not 100% foolproof, but close. Closer than anything else you can do. This doesn't apply to bullion of course.
3. Befriend an expert. This was my original method. My friend was even employed as a "counterfeit detection" expert at a major dealer at the time. I was safe - for the time being. If you are lucky enough to know someone who can help, let them.
4. Study. Then when you know everything - let me know! Trust me - you will never know it all. I am an amateur and I have been involved since the early 1960s. Today there is a wealth of information online. Search around, read and look. Preserve your wealth by increasing your knowledge. You need to become knowledgeable in this field or you will suffer financially! You need to know enough to buy now - and to sell later.

Always be on the lookout for a good deal. And, always beware if that "good deal" seems too good to be true, it will bite you in the arse!

Blog about fake silver.

Real.

Real for sure - plus you know the condition.

OK, if you are at all serious about investing - buy a scale. One ounce of silver will be 31.1 grams - never more - never less.

FINAL WORDS: Be careful. Be informed. No investment is 100% safe. Silver and gold aren't. It's your investment in your future. Know what you are buying.

I do not sell anything. I am not a dealer. I am not a shill for any dealer. Make your own choices. Don't come complaining to me if you get stuck.

Chapter thirty-six. Overview

In a nut shell I am saying the following:

Our nation, and in fact the world, is faced with an epic financial FAIL! Very soon the usual way of doing business will disappear. That cash in your wallet or bank account will turn out to be worth its weight in paper! Actually very little of what we call "money" even exists today. The vast majority (over ninety percent!) is contained in little bits in computers and simply doesn't exist in real life. Just a bunch of zeros and ones. Nothing more. A flip of a switch and it all goes away!

As of now, there is not much we can do about this looming situation. Most people are unaware and distracted by things like Real Housewives and sitcoms. Or worse - sports! There are many online videos of interviews of people showing how utterly ignorant they are about the world around them. Voting hasn't seemed to help much since the elected people are pretty much the same regardless of party.

There are a few who do see what is happening. A very few. Some have come to understand things due to a religion and others through political studies. Plus a few have discovered through both! I am one of these latter people. I therefore believe what I do based on a religious belief plus a serious study in the secular world.

As a result of my training, I do not believe that storing up silver and silver coins and gold will result in a salvation in any religious way. I know those verses which tell us all not to hold our faith in the material things of this world. But I am not speaking about spiritual salvation in this blog! Salvation - that is to say, being "saved from the second death" spoken of in scripture is not what this is all about. I am trying to write about having a future in this physical world for now, and lasting longer and being better off physically than we might be if we became destitute in the coming months or years. I'm writing about having the wisdom to plan ahead for the foreseeable future. That future where our currencies will undoubtedly become worthless. 

Providing for ourselves and for our families into the physical future must be a "physical" matter.  We are, after all, physical beings. Our physical survival is of the utmost importance. We must eat. We must have shelter. We must continue moving ahead - for now. Yes, have your religion. Yes, provide for yourself and family in those "spiritual matters". But, provide for yourself into the future physically as well!

I am always reminded of the story where this family was trapped in a flood. They had to ascend to their house top to avoid being drowned. After a time along came a boat to rescue them. The father said, "Go away. We are relying on God for help." The boat left. Later a helicopter came over with the same results. The father told them to leave because they were waiting on God to rescue them. Eventually they all were drowned by the rising water.

Upon getting to heaven they asked why God let them down? God responded with: "I sent you a boat! I sent you a helicopter....!"

With that said here are a few photographs to fill the page up:

 

Chapter thirty-five. I will NOT buy certain coins advertised on ebay etc.

False advertising!

I have already mentioned a few things which the sellers get wrong. Lately, I have seen this creep in more and more.

Here are examples of advertisement claims which repel me and keep me from even considering biding on a coin regardless of any other interest I may have in that coin.

The following applies to ONLY PCGS slabbed coins:

1. The claim that it is in an old green holder (OGH). This claim means it should be in the old holder - right? Well the coin pictured by them is often in the newer holder, with an old green label inside that holder. This is NOT an OGH! It is an old green label (OGL) maybe, but the holder is the newer style and is actually a different size. In fact, there are boxes which hold the real OGH slabs and the newer ones will not fit into those boxes.

   

   Some PCGS boxes are green some are blue. These are both the same size and hold only the newer, larger sized, slabs.

   

   NGC boxes are a different size from PCGS. Otherwise, I know very little about NGC.

   

   This is both an OGH as well as a "rattler".

   

   New style and newer larger size holder - older green label.
   

    
   Notice the actual holder is completely different at the edges. It is also a slightly smaller size holder, and will not fit into the newer PCGS boxes.

   
   

   I know the one on the top is a "rattler" because the coin is up-side-down in the holder.  Known as the “rattler” holder, the early PCGS holders were used from 1986-1989 and are still seen sometimes today. The coin rattles around inside the old holder and sometimes moves around like the one pictured. This cannot harm the coin in any way. PCGS cured this problem after 1989, and the revised holders looked exactly the same but held the coin tightly. This "problem" of the coin being spun around can be fixed by the buyer, making the coin right-side-up. I'll keep my method of "fixing" it to myself though,  thank you!
   
   Bottom line is this. There are two style and sized holders. The old size is usually called an old green holder (OGH). Some of these are also a "rattler". The newer sized holders from 1989 forward used to have a green label in them. PCGS switched to a blue label then a gradient blue label more recently. There are other variations as well.

   
   

   I also know that some sellers would disagree with me about what to call a newer holder with a green label. That's fine - but, I AM THE BUYER.  Or . . . NOT!

2. The claim the coin is "proof like" when, in fact it is not. The certified coin pictured in their offering will not have the letters PL or DMPL on it, but the seller somehow knows better - right? His/her claim is that it is PL, in spite of the expert opinion of the grading service's label on the slab which says otherwise! I have even seen coins which have a little gummed sticker on the outside with the letters PL hand written on it by the seller, as if that made it official! Nope - I wont buy from that guy.

   

   What I think is a particularly nice looking MS64+ coin. Notice it is NOT graded PL or DMPL.

   
   

   This one is indeed graded DMPL by the grading service. They know FAR more than I do.
   

   
   
3. The claim of "Semi-proof like". That isn't even a grade. It is simply a made up claim by the seller. If he wishes to tell you how nice the coin is, fine. But the official claims (PL) should be avoided. He could say it is PQ (premium quality) or shiny, or has great eye appeal or blast white. But, reputable sellers will (should) avoid confusing a buyer with "almost" or "semi" this or that grade.



Side by side. Left is OGH. Notice the actual size of the slab is smaller. These require a different storage box. One which is no longer made. They are available on eBay sometimes at a premium. Right is new style holder, blue label in the photo, but some also have other colors including green.

4. And of course, the obvious reasons. The start bid price is already above the value of the coin. I'm sure some people will not do all the research and buy these or bid as the case may be. As for me - nope.

For other than PCGS slabbed coins you are on your own. I have only ever owned a few coins slabbed by other grading services and simply don't know enough to tell you anything about their slabs.

Chapter thirty-four. Coins can be a good value in this market

When silver dropped from around thirty-four dollars an ounce to around fifteen recently I noticed that the certified coins stayed about the same in value. Yes, there was a small drop in prices across the board, however, not even close to going to half price.

The numismatics market held its ground. Coins that were selling for around a hundred dollars each dropped to around ninety-five. A few went down more, but just a few. The coin auctions seemed to have fewer bidders as well. I guessed because the money was going into bullion purchases instead of certified coins.

Even the raw coins didn't take a hit nearly as much as the bullion. An un-certified or raw Morgan dollar which sold for about thirty dollars went down to the mid twenties. A small drop and certainly not 50% less.

Circulated, un-certified raw coin.

So, I have reached a point where I believe the best bang for the buck in silver now is in certified coins. The only risk would be if the dollar crashes and those certified coins loose their numismatic value. I have to bet that never happens. It hasn't happened in this downturn and I need to bet it wont then either.

Certified Morgan dollar. 1921 is one of the most common dates and a "bargain coin".

There is certainly nothing wrong with having a supply of bullion too. It's just that from what I can tell, these coins will fare better for now.

Have a bunch of these too if you can.

This is not to say one should go buy up expensive certified rare coins. As I have said before, the real investment coins are in the common date high production MS64 and MS64+ area. MS65 jumps way up in price. And below MS64 they are just a little less than what the 64s are in current dollar prices.

So my thinking is that when silver goes to a hundred dollars an ounce, about six times what it is today  (and it will) these coins in MS64 and 64+ should go to about six times what they are today or more for a whopping 4 to 6 hundred dollars each. At least I can hope!

As always - just my opinions in here.