silver dollars

[telegramsam]

Are silver dollars going to be the only dollar left that's worth anything? Is silver as good as gold to invest in?

[Ineffable Aces]

Silver has value but that, like gold can change depending on the situation. In an economic collapse, precious metals will always have intrinsic value, but in a SHTF scenario, I'd rather have a case of corned beef hash than a pound of solid gold.

[LeveeBreak]

How much are silver dollars worth?

[bkt]

Originally Posted by LeveeBreak

How much are silver dollars worth?

It depends on what you're talking about. Any "silver" coin made after 1965 has very little silver in it and is worth only the denomination stamped on it.

Peace and Morgan dollars are the most popular bullion coins (except those dates/mint marks with numismatic value). They are 90% silver and weigh in at 0.77 troy ounce.

I have a large number of those as well as a large number of silver bullion "rounds" which are .999 fine silver and they're 1 troy ounce.

Pay a visit to a local coin dealer and have a look around at what they have in bullion silver.

Expect to pay a couple dollars over spot for silver and between $25 and $50 over spot for gold.

[Narsil]

All coins made of precious metals have value based on a couple of criteria. The least value that any precious-metal coin has (unless you're foolish enough to hand the Wall-mart clerk a Morgan silver dollar to pay for your candy bar) is whatever that amount of precious metal is worth. For example and I'm pulling these numbers out of my rear, if your silver dollar weighed 0.25 Troy ounces (silver is usually weighed in Troy ounces), was made from sterling silver, and the current market value for sterling silver was $400 per troy ounce, then your silver dollar would be worth no less than $100.

Depending on what type of coin you have, it could be worth much, much, more. If the coin is a particularly rare coin, it will be worth much more than the going rate for the metal from which it is minted. If it is in very good condition, it can be worth even more to collectors.

If you don't care about the future state of the financial system and are looking for something to invest in, precious metal coins are an interesting way to do so. This forum is not the place to learn about it but there are many books, clubs, and probably forums on collectible coins to learn about it.

If you are looking for just a hedge against a financial collapse, non-collectible silver and gold coins are a great way to do so. They will always have the intrinsic value of their metal while not having collectible value which will diminish rapidly in a financial collapse situation.

[bkt]

Originally Posted by Ineffable Aces

Silver has value but that, like gold can change depending on the situation. In an economic collapse, precious metals will always have intrinsic value, but in a SHTF scenario, I'd rather have a case of corned beef hash than a pound of solid gold.

Back in the time of the Roman Empire, you could use an ounce of gold to purchase a very fine set of clothes, belt, sandals, etc. Today, you can use the value of an ounce of gold to get a very fine set of clothes, belt, shoes, etc.

The value of gold to other commodities has remained roughly stable. It is only the value of the dollar that has fallen which makes gold "cost" more.

By all means, you should stock up on food, water and other supplies. But if finances permit, it would not be a terrible idea to stash aside some gold and silver.

Don't think of it as an investment. Think of it as having a tangible, tradeable asset in lieu of currency that may be worthless.

[bkt]

Originally Posted by telegramsam

Are silver dollars going to be the only dollar left that's worth anything? Is silver as good as gold to invest in?

I recommend (and store) both gold and silver, but some folks are buying platinum and palladium as well.

Gold can be purchased in 1/10 ounce coin sizes, so you can actually acquire gold without putting a huge dent in your wallet.

[landshark]

Where would you go to purchase these small amounts of gold?

[bkt]

Originally Posted by landshark

Where would you go to purchase these small amounts of gold?

Coin stores. American Eagle, Canadian Maple Leafs and South African Krugerrands all come in 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 ounce sizes.

[coinguy]

Originally Posted by LeveeBreak

How much are silver dollars worth?

The more common dates trade according to supply and demand. They contain .77 oz of silver, and currently should run in the $16-18 range. The premium is higher than for other silver coins, such as the 90% coins dated 1964 and earlier, and the current American Eagle, Canadian Maple and other govt. issued bullion coins, and private made 1 oz 'rounds.' They are high right now, and have been for some time. I recommend to my customers to have some of them, for barter purposes, but to buy whatever is cheaper at the time. I have seen the silver market flat and dollars jump up, drop or sell just over melt. For barter use, 90%, Eagles and rounds are probably your best bet.

Stay away from numismatic coins, coins that are rarer and sell for a collector price, unless you want to take the time and energy to learn about the FIRST before buying. DON'T buy from a telemarketer hawking the 'best buy on the market' or other such drivel. I do have numismatic holdings but keep in mind that during a total SHTF situation, they won't do anything for you that 'cheaper' coins will do cheaper.

Gold and silver do have a 6000 year history of always maintaining value, but I would put food, guns and ammo aside first.

G