Friday, December 9, 2011

Snitch for American Freedom?


"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face — forever."
O'Brien to Winston, 1984

If you've traveled by air, visited Walmart, or bought a cup of coffee from Starbucks, then you've surely heard the new slogan of American Fascism, "If you see something, say something." That's how the Dept of Homeland Security is asking Americans to spy on one another and report any "suspicious behavior" so we can all be safe...under the government's boot heel!

I was thinking of a name the DHS could use for this program. What do you think of, "Get-Stop-Oh". The thought being that you Get something to report, thereby Stop(ping) an otherwise Oh (boy) moment.

I suppose we could just abbreviate the slogan as "Gestapo", making it easier to remember. Oh wait...is that name already taken?

Rick

America Needs Ron Paul!


America needs
Ron Paul! 

Ron Paul has had
consistent policy positions from the start.
The other candidates simply say what the voters want to hear. Ron Paul warned us about the housing bubble,
the debt crisis, the collapse of the US dollar, the high unemployment 
and
recessions; basically, the entire collapse of our economy.
He is the only
candidate who can get us out of our mess.






Ron Paul is a man
who defends the constitution, civil liberties, peace and prosperity. Paul has the wisdom, foresight, honesty and
integrity to be president.






Ron Paul simply
puts
America First!





Read more: http://www.thestatecolumn.com/articles/ron-paul-pulls-ahead-of-mitt-romney-sits-near-newt-gingrich-in-latest-iowa-poll/#ixzz1g3GNafAZ

Monday, November 21, 2011

And Obama Fiddled as USA/Rome Burned!

Well the super committee failed to come up with a lousy one trillion dollars in cuts over ten years. Keeping in mind that we already owe at least 15 trillion (and actually a lot more)!
Don't be fooled by the partisan bickering either. Neither Dems nor Repubs want a deal...and neither does Obama. They're all only interested in getting re-elected. The Republicans want to say they held the line on taxes, and the Democrats will say they kept all the health and other giveaways intact.

...And Obammy fiddles while USA/Rome burns!

The USA is not the first, but is arguably the longest true republican form of democracy in history. Did you ever ask yourself why? Because the inherent weakness of this form of government is the partisan bickering that inevitably occurs, followed by bankruptcy (give the people free stuff and they'll vote for you), and eventually chaos, civil war, economic collapse, leading to a dictatorship that rises and restores order. Of course, pesky things like individual freedoms quickly go by the wayside in the name of the restoration of law and order.

Don't say it can't happen here! Two years ago I wrote an article about how the USA could have its debt rating downgraded...and commenters said I was an alarmist nut! Well, we all know I wasn't crazy now, don't we?

Rick
Time is running out fast! Hyperinflation seems unavoidable as fiat paper money is being printed as fast as the US presses can run. To protect your wealth and your family, buy gold and silver now from these top companies (below):

CLICK ADS BELOW FOR FREE DISCOUNT!
GoldSilver.com - Buy Gold & Silver

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Un-Safe Deposit Boxes!

Most of us think that one of the safest places to store our valuables is in a safe deposit box in a bank. Who can blame anyone for thinking this - banks after all, have the best 24 hour security and alarm systems. However, recent tragedies such as the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center brought to light that a safe deposit box may not be the safest place to hide your cash! In both of these terrible tragedies, hundreds of people’s safe deposit boxes and their contents were destroyed irretrievably.

To add insult to injury, the contents of a safe deposit box are seldom insured. The only thing that can indemnify your belongings is, of course, your homeowners insurance policy. But, the caveat is - you are not supposed to be hiding cash in a safe deposit box, and thus, it is not insured. Sadly, many people found this out the hard way in the two tragedies mentioned above. The FDIC (or CDIC in Canada) only insures the deposits in accounts held in banks, but not the contents of safe deposit boxes!

With the current unprecedented global economic crisis, it is becoming obvious that more and more people are desperately searching for ways to safely hide their cash and valuables. What makes this even more tense is that banks are failing daily. A recent 2008 Pennsylvania Department of Revenue survey of 687 safe deposit boxes found that 172 had “cash or coins.”

More cautions against hiding your cash, gold, and silver  in a safe deposit box are:

  • In the United States, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security could get a warrant to access your safe deposit box if the bank tips them off due to what they might perceive as “suspicious activity”, which could literally be anything, like too many regular visits. Other nations likely have similar legislation.
  • The often abusive IRS can often freeze assets merely based on suspicion of probabilities, until the courts clear the accused.
  • Creditors can seize your assets with your banks help.
  • If you declare Chapter 7 Bankruptcy your deposit box assets can be confiscated.
  • Various laws allow state governments to declare your safe box valuables "abandoned", permitting sale of your assets at an auction with proceeds going to the robber-state.
  • Bank failures and/or "Bank Holidays" like in FDR's era can throw your safety deposit box into a gray area. Federal laws closing banks can put your wealth just beyond your reach when you need it most, during unstable economic, political, or social disasters.

Things to keep in mind when storing valuables in a safe deposit box:

  • Read your homeowner’s insurance policy and if in doubt, get legal advice on any ambiguities.
  • Read the safe deposit box contract thoroughly!
  • Take photographs of all of your valuables and place them in waterproof plastic bags, even multiple layers to keep the elements from doing damage to them, should natural or man-made disaster strike. Bank vaults are normally designed to be fireproof, but not waterproof, so if you are in a flood prone area (like the Red River in the Dakotas) you might want to think about this.
  • Do not store original copies of documents you require immediate access to, such as receipts, wills, funerary directives, etc.
  • Find an alternative to hiding your valuables in a bank.
Time is running out fast! Hyperinflation seems unavoidable as fiat paper money is being printed as fast as the US presses can run. To protect your wealth and your family, buy gold and silver now from these top companies (below):

CLICK ADS BELOW FOR FREE DISCOUNT!
GoldSilver.com - Buy Gold & Silver


Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Prices NEVER Go Up!

It drives me crazy everytime I hear a newscaster, financial analyst, or even an average consumer  complain about how prices of food, gas, appliances, etc., are going up. Especially when they then launch into an ill-considered rage at the "fat-cat oil barrons" or the "greedy corporations" or the evil 1%". As a result, I'm going to say this one time only. Prices NEVER go up! The real prices on the everyday items your grandmother and father bought cost the same as they did back in the day. After all, how could prices increase? I mean, an orange in 1963 is an orange today, why would you pay more for it now then you did back then? So, if prices haven't gone up, then what has changed? The value of your money has GONE DOWN.

In 1964 President Johnson announced that starting in 1965 US coins (dimes, quarters, and halves) would no longer be minted from 90% silver, but would be switching to a nickel copper composition. The only exception was to be the 1965 - 1970 Kennedy half which would be lowered to 40% silver. FDR had previously taken gold money out of the hands of US citizens in 1933. Nixon terminated the last connection the US Dollar had to Gold (and sound money) when he terminated the Bretton Woods arrangement in 1971. Now the US was free to print money to its hearts content without the necessity of having something concrete backing the paper money. As the money supply began to increase inflation took off in the late 60's and never looked back. Today you would need over $7.50 to buy what $1.00 would've bought you in 1964!

But wait, doesn't my last sentence above contradict my premise about unchanging real product pricing? If you need $7.50 to buy in 2011 what $1.00 purchased in 1964, doesn't that mean prices did indeed rise? The short answer is basically, yes and no. Yes, prices increased because we use paper funny money and coin slugs today instead of real silver and gold money. However, in silver and gold money prices have remained remarkably steady since the early 1960's! See below:

1964 - One loaf of white bread could be bought for a silver 1964 dime.
2011 - You can buy a loaf of white bread today with that exact same silver dime.

1964 - One nicely tailored men's suit $50.00
2011 - If you saved your money in silver coins you'd have $1250 to buy that suit!

1964 - One gallon of gas cost $0.30
2011 - Three silver dimes would give you $7.50 towards that gallon gas! Wow, change too!

1964 - The cost of $10 worth of 90% silver quarters was...well...$10.
2011 - Go on eBay and see for yourself. Right now you'd have to pony up $250 in funny money to get ten bucks of real silvery money!

So you see, assuming you saved the last real money (90% silver coins) we had in 1964 you'd find that either your buying power would be the same, or that it actually improved!

Hmm, maybe I am wrong. Prices aren't just stable over the last 5 decades, they've gone down!

Bottom Line: Politicians and Big Banking interests are expanding our money supply recklessly to serve their own agendas and enrich themselves. Eventually, the average Joe America will lose everything as the US Dollar inflates to worthlessness. Be aware of their duplicity! Don't complain to the store clerk or the check out worker like a drone about rising prices. Instead, rebel (legally) against a tyrannical government that is debasing the once mighty and sound US dollar and ruining the savings and buying power of a Nation. BUY SILVER & GOLD NOW!

Rick



GoldSilver.com - Buy Gold & Silver




Saturday, November 5, 2011

The Lead (rhymes with) Head Survivalists!

It never fails. Everytime I read a blog on hyperinflation, economic collapse, gold and silver trading, or survival preparedness involving food and medicine, some moronic toad scralls a message boasting how his guns and lead is all he'll ever need. The implication, of course, is that when things get tough this armed grasshopper will just murder his way to food and any other necessity that he needs to survive! 

Leaving aside the obvious anti-social and immoral nature of the plans of such a marauder, I thought I'd just like to examine such an extreme course vs. more conventional preparedness methods from a purely objective viewpoint.

Firstly, lets look at a hyperinflationary economic crisis. Studying examples like Yugoslavia, Argentina, and the Weimar Republic we get a pretty clear picture. In all three of these instances, sporadic lawlessness did occur in cities resulting in food riots, theft, armed robbery, truck and car hijackings, and increased assaults and murder. However, while rising disorder definitely impacted the lives of the average citizen, police and military were usually available for deployment to restore order with a few days to several weeks. Armed criminals were quite often arrested or shot. Neighborhood watches supplemented the law enforcement in the absence or delayed response of the authorities. Curfews tended to dampen down crime, and shoot-on-site anti-looting laws made things quite hot for the sneak thief.

In the country, small communities also kept eyes out for strangers and warned out the shadier types. Of course, instances of robbery and violent crimes did occur in the remote communities as well. However, lingering bands of outlaws were rare in rural environments due to the difficulty of concealment in the small town environment. Reports of thieves being shot and killed were not infrequently reported as well, discouraging stand-out criminals.

In both these cases armed criminals did prey on the populace, but by no means did they get away with their activities for long. Indeed, most were usually caught or shot on a fairly regular basis, cutting down the number of extended crime sprees.

However, it is the breakdown of society event or "Mad Max" scenario, that the Lead-Heads really begin to salivate like rabid dogs. They theorize that in the absence of law and order theirs guns and ammo will be king, as they meerily roam about the countryside robbing, raping, and pillaging to their black-hearted content. My response to this assertion finds its roots in the Christian Bible, "those that live by the sword, die by the sword". Now, I'm not necessarily implying that God will strike these miscreants down. No, I'm just observing that a life of violent crime preying on a populace that is sporadically armed as well, is just a really high-risk way to make a living!

Vietnam Vets tell us that the average infantyman carried 100 rounds of M16 ammo. The reason they didn't carry more is that most fire fights ended before the soldier could fire more than one hundred rounds. Either the enemy was killed or fled, or the American soldier was dead or in retreat. I see no reason that the mathematical logic of guerilla combat in South East Asia should not be applicable to roving bands of rogues in post-apocalyptic America. They'll also never know just who or what type of resistance is waiting for them around the next copse of trees. Add a lack of medical care and antibiotics for the wounded law breakers to the equation, and death rates even from flesh wounds will inevitably prune back their numbers severly!

I recommend that proper preparedness include food, water, medicine, survival gear, gold and silver, as well as self-defense guns and ammo. If the key to the whole exercise is indeed SURVIVAL, however, I just suggest that the guns and ammo portion of the plan should get as little combat use as possible.

Rick

GoldSilver.com - Buy Gold & Silver

Silver Eagles and Round Premiums Shrinking!


SUNSHINE MINTING 1 OZ. SILVER ROUND

I am not a silver round type of guy. I've always believed that US Junk Silver coins (pre 1965 circulated dimes, quarters, halves, and dollars) along with the American Silver Eagles (world's best selling bullion coins), were the best overall investment. The coins have a lot going for them. They're minted by the trusted US Mint, and are among the most purchased silver coins in history. In a future economic disruption trading scenario, they'd also be the easiest to explain to the average non-savy person. On the other hand, I shrink at the thought of having to explain just what the heck the above pictured silver round is and what it's worth. I know it's one ounce of fine silver by a trusted company, but to the average American in a strange new world it's just some weird slug that he's never seen or heard about before. Indeed, ask the average man on the street what privately minted money is, and he'll say counterfeit 9 times out of 10!

In the past, however, silver round enthusiasts have been able to claim the only advantage available to their precious metal choice -  the round was markedly cheaper per ounce than the American Eagle and junk silver coins. Even that advantage is now disappearing, and the following prices from APMEX.com speak volumes:

Cost per each American Silver Eagle 1 oz. 2011 (Qty 500+)          $37.18            $3.05 per coin premium


Cost per 1 oz 90% American Junk Silver    ($500 face value)           Spot to +5%   0 to +5% premium


Cost per 1 oz. Sunshine Minting Silver Round 2011 (Qty 500+)    $36.18             $2.05 per round
premium

So, what we're looking at now is only one dollar difference between a bullion COIN minted by the US Mint and currently the single best selling bullion product in the world, and a private company ROUND product unkown to the vast majority of Americans. To make matters worse for the round adherents, presently junk silver is selling at anywhere from spot to spot +5%. A great bargain for coins that were once used in everyday commerce, and whose likeness to the present nickel/copper drones requires only quick instruction to bring a trading partner up to snuff!

To sum up, in my book a buck difference between a silver round and a coin that is legitimate US money is just too insignificant to make its inclusion in my economic distress portfolio worthwhile. Of course, silver round boosters are notoriously hard-headed types (although I truly do love you guys). They'll probably hold onto their rounds until the cows not only come home, but also after they're milked and slaughtered for hamburger! They may even take some perverse joy at having to explain their trading medium to every single person they seek to do business with. For my part, I'll just fork over my junk silver and an occasional ASE and be on my way!

Rick
GoldSilver.com - Buy Gold & Silver

Why the USA Deserved the S&P Downgrade!


It's amazing what simple math can show:

Why S&P downgraded the USA -

• U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000
• Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000
• New debt: $ 1,650,000,000,000
• National debt: $14,271,000,000,000
• Recent budget cut: $ 38,500,000,000

Let's remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget:

• Annual family income: $21,700
• Money the family spent: $38,200
• New debt on the credit card: $16,500
• Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710
• Total budget cuts: $385
Rick
GoldSilver.com - Buy Gold & Silver
 

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Entitlement Nation!


"A record 49 percent of Americans live in a household where someone receives at least one type of government benefit, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And 63 percent of all federal spending this year will consist of checks written to individuals for which the government receives currently no services, the White House budget office estimates. That’s up from 46 percent in 1975 and 18 percent in 1940."

"Those figures will climb in coming years. The 75 million baby boomers have only begun their long march into retirement, while President Barack Obama’s health-care overhaul will extend insurance coverage to more than 30 million additional people."

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-10-28/americans-hooked-on-government-as-record-number-get-benefits.html

This is why owning gold and silver is imperative. Ignore the noise from the jackasses and the elephants concerned only with keeping their jobs (Ron Paul excluded). One party is pissing down our backs, and the other says it's just raining! The US dollar is 100% doomed. That's the great secret they don't want you to know until it's too late.

I don't blame the people getting Federal benefits. Many are genuinely needy. However, the USA has been playing rich uncle (Sam) for 80 years now, and there's no sign of a reverse in course or even a slowing of the growth of cash outlays. Rich uncles are great when they actually have the money available to hand out. But our Uncle Sam is borrowing trillions of dollars a year (in our names) to continue to send out more and more entitlement checks. Even if the US doubled taxes (revolution time) and cut benefits in half (more revolution), it still wouldn't be enough. Not even close either to pay off all debt and establish a constitutionally mandated balanced budget!

The US is doing exactly as ALL COUNTRIES with fiat money have done in the past - print, print, print, paper money in an attempt to keep itself afloat until the US Dollar isn't worth the paper and ink that went into it! Paper money unbacked by gold and silver (or another valuable commodity
like land) has always and will always fail, dragging down the vast majority of its citizens into the black abyss of absolute financial ruin.

Gold & Silver are the only precious metals that have been used as money for 6000 years. They are the Once and Future Kings. An owner of gold and silver gurantees that he will NOT be a slave to any man or government...ever!

"Give me Liberty, or give me Death!" - Patrick Henry

“Specie [gold and silver coin] is the most perfect medium because it will preserve its own level; because, having intrinsic and universal value, it can never die in our hands, and it is the surest resource of reliance in time of war.” ~Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 1813

Rick
GoldSilver.com - Buy Gold & Silver

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Paper Silver Games!

Let's look at the current situation at the Comex silver warehouse. The Comex inventory of registered silver has been declining everyday and was at 32.132mn ounces as of May 25th. This is a 15 year low. Availability of physical is declining concurrent with falling derivative futures prices. Hmm....

As of May 25th, there were 86,928 silver futures contracts outstanding. Each silver futures contract is a claim for 5000 ounces of silver. Total futures claims for physical silver stands at 434.64mn ounces.

So, that's 32.132mn ounces of silver in the warehouse to back outstanding futures positions, with 434.64mn ounces of futures claims on the physical silver. If only 7% of investors currently long silver futures were to request physical delivery, the Comex would certainly be in a difficult position, to say the very least!

Invest in real, physical silver. Let others play their little silver paper games!

Rick
Time is running out fast! Hyperinflation seems unavoidable as fiat paper money is being printed as fast as the US presses can run. To protect your wealth and your family, buy gold and silver now from these top companies (below):
CLICK ADS BELOW FOR FREE DISCOUNT!

GoldSilver.com - Buy Gold & Silver

Friday, May 27, 2011

Millionaire Wellington Burt Should've Bought Gold!

Wellington R. Burt was a lumber baron from Saginaw, MI who died in 1919, leaving a fortune then valued at $90 million dollars. At the time, he was one of the eight richest men in the USA. What makes him even more interesting is that he stipulated in his will that his estate should not be distributed until 21 years after his last grandchild had died!

Recently, a Michigan probate court finally settled his estate, and will divide an estimated $100 million dollars among a dozen of his relatives. Obviously, money like that is a godsend for anyone, but I have to wonder just where his money had been parked that it's value in US Dollars has virtually stood still. Did they throw it all into some low interest passbook savings account?

I like to imagine, however, what would've happened if he'd converted his entire wealth into gold shortly before his death. At $20 per ounce he could have purchased 4.5 million ounces of the shiny, yellow metal! At a price of $1500 an ounce today, his estate would now be worth 6.75 BILLION USD! A substantially larger sum of money for his heirs to split.

Time is running out fast! Hyperinflation seems unavoidable as fiat paper money is being printed as fast as the US presses can run. To protect your wealth and your family, buy gold and silver now from these top companies (below): 

CLICK ADS BELOW FOR FREE DISCOUNT!
GoldSilver.com - Buy Gold & Silver

Is Paper Money Better than Gold?

A recent article posted on Seeking Alpha was entitled, Gold too Variable to be a Currency. The gist of the article was that the ups and down of the precious metals gold and silver were just too steep and unreliable to form a stable currency. The US Dollar, on the other hand, was lauded as a much more suitable form of money as it's daily and weekly movements versus other fiat based currencies was more gradual.

I couldn't stop myself from commenting on this "interesting" take on money. See my responses and those of some others below:

Rick (i.e., Me): So, gold is too variable to be a currency, but the Federal Reserve Note is the Rock of Gibraltar? Let's put the FRN vs. Gold head to head:

In 1913 (when the FRN was born - illegitimately), the average house cost $3,400 - a millionaire could buy about 295 average homes.

If you bought gold in 1913 with your million dollars at $20 an ounce, you'd have purchased 50,000 ounces. The value of the 50,000 ounces today would be about $76 million dollars.

In 2011, the average house cost around $200,000 with gold at $1520 per ounce. With $76 million dollars you could buy about 380 homes!

If you kept the cash in, well, cash... you could buy 5 WHOLE HOMES now! What happened? The government and the Big Bankers stole your money using a sly instrument called INFLATION.

Sheik Rattle Enroll (alias banking shill): Rick is saying that inflation is predictable whereas precious metals are unpredictable (they can lose 30% of their value in a week). Nobody here is denying the existence of inflation, the author's chart even shows it. What you're doing is called a straw man argument.

You show that straw man!


Rick: I don't believe I am attacking a straw man. We're examining gold vs. paper fiat money as currency based on a predictability or stability component. My example above sought to show stability of purchasing power over a century. I could just as easily have gone back to the Roman Empire 2000 years ago, where an ounce of gold bought a fine toga then, and a fine suit of clothes today. I believe that is a true measure of stability!

Secondly, accepting that inflation is a part of life is the core of the problem with the US and Europe. Inflation is non-existent in money that is backed by gold and/or silver. It has only become an accepted part of reality today because every sovereign government in history granted the power to print money on demand has abused the power, thereby reliably debasing the money. Personally, I don't see why I should prefer a thief who steals from me, just because he does so reliably!

Lastly, it's true that governments and banks have also "reliably" manipulated the price of gold and silver downwards as a means to prop up their fiat paper. However, we shouldn't blame the victim for being raped by the attacker on a consistent basis, should we?

I received no further replies from the Sheik.
Rick

Time is running out fast! Hyperinflation seems unavoidable as fiat paper money is being printed as fast as the US presses can run. To protect your wealth and your family, buy gold and silver now from these top companies, APMEX Gold and Silver and Silver American Eagles.

CLICK ADS BELOW FOR FREE DISCOUNT!

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Should You Buy Foreign Gold & Silver Coins?

Starting out as a coin collector when I was seven, and eventually evolving into a precious metal bullion investor as an adult, I consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable about the subject of gold and silver coins. At least USA coins, that is.

Investors are confronted with a myriad of silver and gold coin & bullion choices today. A heck of a lot more than when I first started collecting. There are the American Gold Eagle (AGE) one ounce coins, the American Buffalo gold coin, the half ounce Presidential Spouse issue, the American Silver Eagle (ASE), junk silver (pre-1965 dimes, quarters, halves, silver dollars) among others. Of course, all of the above coinage are US Mint products. When you include the Coins of the World, however, choices expand exponentially. Suddenly, you must contend with the Canadian Maple Leaf, Austrian Philharmonic coins, the French Roosters ( pictured above), the Swiss Gold Helvetia 20 Franc, the Chinese Panda, the Australian Kookaburras, Mexican Silver Pesos and the Silver Libertad, etc.

So, if you're a US citizen interested in acquiring silver and gold coins as hedges against inflation, hyperinflation, and survival trading, should you buy substantial amounts of gold and silver coins from foreign countries? My answer is no, and here's why:

1. Most Americans do not speak foreign languages. A coin featuring anything but English will be treated with suspicion and trading reluctance.

2. Foreign coins originally designed for circulation may not be easily convertible to troy ounces. The Swiss Gold Helevtia has 0.1867 troy ounces of gold. For Americans already challenged in the math department, that type of coins means a lot of multiplication and moving of decimal places. American Gold and Silver Eagles bullion coins in contrast not only feature familiar images but easy-to-read troy ounce information. Even junk silver coins can brag of familiarity benefits, and a quick education course including these 90% silver coins can include a snippet about how $1.40 in junk silver equals one troy ounce of pure silver.

3. Many foreign numismatic coins and bullion products carry higher premiums than US Mint products. For example, the ASE carries a current premium of $4.59 on APMEX.com, but the Chinese one ounce Panda has a hefty $10 added cost above spot! Collectors who anticipate a healthy market for specialty coins in the future may find such high premiums acceptable, but those preparing for anything from hyperinflation to economic collapse may see these tacked on costs above silver spot price as wasteful.

4. Lastly, the knowledge equation. Most Americans today know virtually nothing about gold and silver pricing, much less the differences between US coin and bullion products and those of foreign nations. A crash course will be required before trading with the previously uninformed during a crisis. For US bullion coins, the silver content markings of the US Mint on the hundreds of millions of ASE's in investor closets will tell them all they need to know. The prep course for US 90% junk silver is slightly more extensive, but the fact that they're all dated pre-1965 and that $1.40 in any combination of dimes, quarters, halves, and silver dollars equals one ounce of pure silver, can be absorbed fairly fast.

Note: I think that 40% silver Kennedy halves (1965 - 1969), proof coins, and private bullion products should be avoided mainly due to the fact that they make the education process markedly harder. In addition, Americans have been exclusively using US Mint products as money for over 200 years. I firmly believe, (despite vociferous believers to the contrary), that privately minted bullion "rounds" will be an anathema to the average American. Besides, the US Mint has never to my knowledge been accused of short-changing their products as far as precious metal content is concerned. Mainly, because there is no profit motive to do so. Private companies, on the other hand, have had and would continue to have a powerful incentive to sell debased PM products at full purity pricing.

Rick

Time is running out fast! Hyperinflation seems unavoidable as fiat paper money is being printed as fast as the US presses can run. To protect your wealth and your family, buy gold and silver now from these top companies (below):

CLICK ADS BELOW FOR FREE DISCOUNT!
GoldSilver.com - Buy Gold & Silver

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Should You Buy Copper Rounds?

Today with the rising prices associated with gold and silver, some people are turning to the number #3 monetary metal - copper. The US government doesn't make any 100% (or close) copper coins anymore for collector's or circulation, and hasn't since the copper penny was phased out in 1982, so private companies are stepping in to meet the demand. The above picture of a copper American Silver Eagle - type round is just one example of the copper investment round in action. Other rounds featuring Ron Paul in copper have also been produced. Copper bars have made a rather heavy appearance on the scene as well.

So, should investors who haven't boarded the physical gold or silver trains to date hop the copper express? In a word - NO!

The first, and most obvious reasons for leaving copper out of your physical investments is painfully clear. At $3.99 USD a pound it makes silver at $35.44 per ounce seem like a lightweight! If you could actually buy copper for spot price you'd have to buy 4000 pounds worth of bars just to manage a modest $16,000 investment! That's twice the weight of a small car! Who wants to store a couple of cars worth of metal in their broom closet?

Secondly, investing in physical copper rounds and bars is cost-prohibitive. A one ounce round of copper goes for about $2.00 on ebay! That's 800% over the spot price of copper. Copper would have to rise to close to $32 a pound just to break even on such a so-called investment!

Thirdly, no clear route of resale. You can take gold and silver coins, bars, and rounds to numerous coin shops, internet sites, and refineries and sell your precious metals quickly and easily. With copper...not so much. I called Midwest Refineries to find out if I could sell any copper rounds or bars to them for cash...and the guy just burst out laughing! When he calmed down, he said it just wasn't anywhere near economically feasible to deal with relatively small amounts of copper in the refinery process. In fact, they bought huge log-like copper billets or enormous piles of scrap when they were running a copper melt. These billets often weighed 4200 pounds and up, and were delivered on a regular contract with a major copper producer.
Bottom line: the only way you'll be able to re-sell your copper rounds is if you can find other poor souls who are willing to make a bad investment to relieve you of your bad investment!

So, is getting on board the physical copper investment train a sound investment decision? Heck, no!

PS: 5/19/11 - I just received an email promoting copper rounds from the respected Gainesville Coins. Their selling point is that the coins are only $1.81 premium per coin. To those buying silver eagles and rounds that sounds on the surface to be a good deal. For example: Apmex is currently asking for a $5.00 premium above spot on American Silver Eagles (ASE's).

Once again, however, if you look closer the numbers just don't seem all that peachy. Firstly, the one ounce copper round has a current metal melt worth of $0.28 - so when you add in the premium you get to just over $2.00 per round. It's all just a sales smokescreen, though.

Bottom Line: you're paying about 800% over current copper price of about $4 a pound for your one ounce copper round. Copper would still have to climb to $32 per pound before your "investment" in copper bullion can break even. Your only hope of seeing any profit, or even just get your money back, means you're going to have to find a sucker willing to take the terrible investment off your hands.

Rick
Time is running out fast! Hyperinflation seems unavoidable as fiat paper money is being printed as fast as the US presses can run. To protect your wealth and your family, buy gold and silver now from these top companies (below): 

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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Smug Liberals and Willful Ignorance!




















This is my favorite picture of SMUG OBAMA. I think it typifies the arrogant, smug, condescending attitude that liberals enjoy inflicting upon anyone not sharing their worldview.


In the article below you'll find a great example of the same willful ignorance in the face of obvious dangers to the US Dollar and the very existence of our republic.

The article is short, but you'll find it replete with insults, mockery, and accusations of racism against anyone who hasn't drunk the Liberal KOOL-AID!

Have a nice day!


My comment is IN BOLD at the end.

(Following article by "Dick Destiny" aka George Smith)

05.06.11

Fiat money, Zimbabwe, Weimar = code

Posted in Extremism, Phlogiston at 9:00 am by George Smith
Quote of the day, from the Economist, referring a Paul Ryan claim about examples of old hyperinflated currencies being handed out:
And then finally, Mr Ryan said, America needs sound money. He told stories of traveling around Wisconsin and being handed pieces of currency from Weimar Germany and Zimbabwe, he remarked on how nothing was more insidious than inflation …
It’s rotten ol’ Tea Party fruit, the crop from years of Fox News’ hourly gold bug commercials, Glenn Beck and parades of experts. One in particular, whose name I forget, was fond of showing an example of some astronomically numbered Zimbabwe note.
He had turned it into a souvenir business.
The phrase “fiat money” is more code for the same thing. Here, a sample from Google — it’s all Ron Paul, goldbuggery, catastrophe, conspiracy and fear & loathing associated with quantitative easing. Another example, as if you needed one, of how Google results can easily be bombed into trash by the practices and world beliefs of a relatively small social class. (An it’s also an example of what story one uses to persuade people who aren’t such hot thinkers to vote for tax cuts for the super-rich and elimination of social programs and public school education.)
All Tea Party articles of faith, now firmly passed into the realm of fears associated with a life driven by superstitions. And it’s exclusively a baseball-capped or blobby disgraceful white man’s disease.
If you run across people like this — and I see the house of one of ‘em everyday when I cross the el Molino Street bridge on the way to Rick’s at lunch, a place with a big lawn sign advertising some kook AM radio host — it is best to cross to the opposite side of the street.
How do I know this? By-product of census work.
An even money bet is that the people who buy souvenir Weimar marks and Zimbabwe dollars also have Confederate and Gadsden flags to fly, too.
More code: Fair Tax, abolition of IRS, Bretton Woods, questions re “What do you think about a consumption tax?”

1 Comment »

  1. Rick said,
    May 11, 2011 at 4:39 pm
    Guess what the US Dollar, the ZIM Dollar, and Weimar marks have in common? Everything!
    Oh, wait. Unlike Zimbabwe and Weimar Germany, the USA has a balanced budget, no debt, and responsible politicians who don’t spend more for entitlement programs than we net in taxes.
    Never mind, our FIAT DOLLAR is safe!

Time is running out fast! Hyperinflation seems unavoidable as fiat paper money is being printed as fast as the US presses can run. To protect your wealth and your family, buy gold and silver now from these top companies (below):

Rick
CLICK ADS BELOW FOR FREE DISCOUNT!
GoldSilver.com - Buy Gold & Silver

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Seeking Opportunity with Top Notch Coin Dealer!

Date: 7/1/2013
To: Numismatic and Precious Metal Bullion Dealer
From: Rick Pyle
Re: Sales and Management Opportunity


My specialty is to create new successful divisions or revamp ones bleeding red in need of retooling! 100% successful history!

I am currently looking for a sales or sales management opportunity with a top numismatic and bullion dealer. I have over 25 years of sales and sales management experience (see attached resume) in industry, and have successfully bought / sold gold & silver coins and bullion for the last two years. I have used my growing blog SurvivalUS and my Youtube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/rickpyle1 to help promote my internet-based sales effort.

My sales and management philosophy is based on integrity and complete honesty when dealing with all prospective and present customers. I deeply believe that gold and silver investments properly custom-tailored to each customer, remains the single best response to the ever-growing debt and failing fiat currencies of the US and Europe .

When you have an opportunity, please review my blog and Youtube Channel to get an idea as to my sales approach and knowledge concerning the ever-changing numismatic and bullion markets.
I currently live in the Philadelphia, PA area. I was looking for an opportunity in the area, or one that was internet-based that would allow me to work remotely. If this works for you, please advise by email to discuss my possible employment.

Please LEAVE A COMMENT and I WILL CONTACT YOU!

Regards,

Rick Pyle
rickpyle1@yahoo.com


Time is running out fast! Hyperinflation seems unavoidable as fiat paper money is being printed as fast as the US presses can run. To protect your wealth and your family, buy gold and silver now from these top companies, APMEX Gold and Silver and Silver American Eagles.
CLICK ADS BELOW FOR FREE DISCOUNT!

Buy Gold Online Today at APMEX.com

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Is The Silver Sky Falling?

The spot price of silver took a bit of a tumble recently, sending silver-futures prices down to $35.28 an ounce from nearly $50 in just five trading days. The prime culprit was the COMEX, which increased its margin requirements 84% during the week. Margin calls came in fast and furious, forcing many small speculators to sell their positions to cover. The COMEX (sometimes called the CRIMEX), claims the increased margin requirements were instituted to decrease the "volatility" in silver futures trading. Others say it was a last ditch attempt by the troubled trading entity to avoid default, due to woefully inadequate silver reserves on hand to cover paper positions.

No matter what you chose to believe the question still remains: Is the silver sky falling?

Firstly, the bullish long-term financials of silver have NOT changed. See Why You Must Buy Silver Now!

Secondly, the paper spot price of silver may have been manipulated downwards, but physical silver is already recovering. I've seen rolls of silver eagles and junk silver recently selling on eBay for as much as 20% above the current spot price. I like eBay because it illustrates what the "real market" price is for silver coins, bullion, etc. The banksters can manipulate the paper spot price with a variety of shady tactics, including raising margin requirements, but the thousands of small auctions happening everyday on eBay are beyond their powers (or even notice). In addition, huge internet sellers like APMEX are not only out of silver eagles until May 13th, but they're charging (and getting) a $5.29 premium on each eagle they sell. All indications are that any physical seller that actually tried to sell close to spot would probably be out of stock in a matter of hours.

Lastly, trust in your physical silver. Continue to buy on the pullbacks. Check out the latest "silver bears" video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v­=u9LcKcXpCDE for some interesting insight into the insider manipulations behind the present price drop. WARNING: The bears work blue. If strong language bothers you, beware.

My opinion? The Silver Sky is NOT Falling!


Rick

Time is running out fast! Hyperinflation seems unavoidable as fiat paper money is being printed as fast as the US presses can run. To protect your wealth and your family, buy gold and silver now from these top companies (below):

CLICK ADS BELOW FOR FREE DISCOUNT!
GoldSilver.com - Buy Gold & Silver

Sunday, April 17, 2011

How Reliable is the Old Gold / Silver Ratio?


Many traders, speculators, and investors focus on the gold/silver price ratio in determining which metal is under or overvalued. In recent weeks and months the ratio has collapsed from above 65:1, down to a current low of around 36:1. Throughout the twentieth century, the gold/silver price ratio went to nearly 100:1, occasionally dipped below 30:1, and only briefly hit a ratio of 17:1 in 1980. But few seem to question how misleading this ratio may be, let alone question why the ratio matters for a monetary system that (for the time being at least) is no longer based on gold and silver.

Gold/Silver Ratio as a Relic from Bygone (for now) Monetary System

First off, a quick review of where the interest in the gold/silver ratio comes from. When governments and their people used gold and silver as a medium of exchange, the official mint would dictate at what ratio they would coin gold and silver. In the case of the “American Act for Establishing a Mint” in 1792, all private persons had the right to have bullion coined at “the legal ratios.” The ratio was set by the U.S. government under the direction of the Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton at 15 ounces of silver for every one ounce of gold, often expressed as a gold/silver ratio of 15:1. This relative value had been present in Europe more or less since the late 1500s, when large amounts of silver had flooded into Europe from the huge discoveries made by Spain in Mexico and Peru (which are still the two largest sources of silver today.) This ratio was supposed to be a reflection of the commercial value of gold and silver on the market in Europe—or the proportional value of the two metals in western trade. The European gold/silver ratio of 15:1 was much higher in gold’s favor than in India, parts of Africa, or East Asia, where gold/silver ratios were reported (in isolated cases) as low as 1:1, and generally stayed well below 10:1. Of course, the fixed Anglo-European ratio got out of whack with the market ratio, which is part of the problem with fixed bimetallic systems, but that is another story.

Gold/Silver Price Ratio Is Distorted by Government Bias against Silver

Over the course of the nineteenth century, for various reasons, gold was increasingly favored first by European nations, then by the United States, supposedly as a more stable monetary asset due to its rarity. The prejudice in favor of gold and against silver was due to many reasons, but the bottom line is that silver began to be demonetized in the late 19th century. This demonetization only accelerated throughout the twentieth century as countries from China to the U.S banished their silver from currency circulation. It also did not help matters that huge new discoveries of silver in places like the American West dumped ever more silver on the market. Yet without governments getting rid of silver stockpiles, or refusing to coin new silver bullion at the mint, the monetary demand for silver would not have dropped to as great a degree as it did. Governments took part in a campaign to demolish the monetary value of silver, really, and this cultural legacy has left its scars on the importance of silver as an investment. By the early twentieth century, the value of silver was nearing 100 ounces to 1 ounce of gold, the lowest in history. Yet, the mine production of silver was not 100 times that of gold, nor was the relative abundance of silver money 100 times that of gold.

You should note, then, that the prejudice of the official sector (governments and mints) in the US and Europe has played a factor in the widening of the gold/silver ratio away from 15 to 1, to anywhere from 35: 1 up to 100:1. The dumping of silver on the market by government continued right up until a few years ago. Between 1965 and 2000 governments sold over 3 billion ounces of silver, versus roughly 150 million ounces of gold over the same time period. Moreover, another billion or so ounces of silver was consumed by industry, as opposed to private gold stockpiles actually increasing. The official sector, beginning in late 2009, has begun to buy back some of this gold. They have not begun to do the same with silver. Should we be wondering when they might start?

Keeping with the issue of official sales, governments at present only hold at most 60 million ounces of silver, as compared with 1 billion ounces of gold. Among those who run our world, silver is now far rarer than gold.

With Silver, the Ants (Investors) Will Carry Away the Banks’ Picnic Basket

Given that the official sector can’t dump any more silver on the market, this dramatically increases the importance of the individual investor in the silver market. It means that the vast majority of silver bullion in the world is held by investors. This is quite different from the last silver bull market, where official exchanges and governments stood ready to release several hundred million ounces for consumption.

But just because average investors are the ones who hold most of the silver in the world, please do not take this to mean that there is widespread ownership of silver among retail investors! In fact, up until recently, most people who bought precious metals only bought gold. During the decade from 2000 to 2010, the dollar amounts invested in gold far outstripped those invested in silver. Yet in the past few months something has begun to change.

So far in 2011, dollar demand for Silver Eagles has been nearly equal to that of gold. Inflows into the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) have been greater than inflows into the GLD ETF, and Eric Sprott, of Sprott Asset management has similarly reported that investors are buying more silver from him in dollar terms than gold. Additionally, James Turk of GoldMoney is reporting silver sales near gold in dollar terms. These statements, like them or not, mean that in terms of investor interest the gold to silver ratio is 1 to 1. Since there is less silver above ground than gold, it really means that the gold to silver price ratio should be in silver’s favor.

Please Pay Attention to Gold/Silver Ratios in Terms Other Than Price

I understand if you think that this is a bunch of hyped BS from someone getting carried away with an asset that is dramatically outperforming nearly everything else in the investment universe at the moment. But remember, investment manias take on a life of their own, and when the human investing herd changes directions, you need to learn to get out of the way. I write this with old silver and goldbugs in mind, who perhaps understandably can’t believe the price action on an asset many have owned since it was under 4 dollars. I will address the various metrics for valuing silver today in a different article, but rest assured, with the amount of money printing or monetizing going on, silver may be as cheap today as it was when its price was 10 dollars. Hard to believe, but I think its true.

And at some point, more articles online may begin to quote other ratios between the precious metals. For example, about nine times as much silver as gold comes out of the ground each year, but the vast majority of this silver is used by industry, much of it destroyed. And miners, believe it or not, only believe that there is about 6 times as much silver in the ground that can be mined, according to the USGS. I have read or heard others claim that there is 15 or 20 times more silver in the Earth, but much of this may never, under any circumstance, be economical to mine (this ratio, in other words, is the natural occurrence ratio, not the reserve base ratio). In addition, you might think that producers will just be able to ramp up production in silver to increase the amount of silver bullion or coins to a level greater than gold. But this has not happened yet: the amount of new gold and silver bullion and coin production is not that far from 1:1, even if more silver is produced. And over the past decade, 35-40 times more silver was not earmarked for coins and bullion, which is what the price ratio of gold to silver would lead you to believe.

In short, if you are going to use gold/silver ratios, you may want to think about the possible relevance of other ratios:

9:1 is the ratio of silver to gold annual mine production 6:1 is the estimated ratio of economic gold to silver in the ground (USGS) 5:1 is the estimated physical ratio of all silverware, silver/gold jewelry and other stocks above ground (according to CPM Group) 1:1 is the year-to-date ratio of investment dollar demand. 1:3 (more silver than gold) is the physical ratio of gold and silver coins/bullion These gold/silver ratios are not as familiar to traders, hedge fund managers, or the investing public. But I think that someday in the not so distant future they will be.


Time is running out fast! Hyperinflation seems unavoidable as fiat paper money is being printed as fast as the US presses can run. To protect your wealth and your family, buy gold and silver now from these top companies, APMEX Gold and Silver and Silver American Eagles.

Rick
CLICK ADS BELOW FOR FREE DISCOUNT!

Buy Gold Online Today at APMEX.com