Canadian Silver Coins? When considering junk silver coins all the talk seems to be focused on Pre-1964 US coinage, when US dimes, quarters and half-dollar coins were 90% composed of silver. But US coins are not the only option for junk silver investors. Another great way to own silver coins is to consider Canadian Silver Coins.

Canadian Silver Coins

There are differences between Canadian Silver coins and US junk silver coins that need to be considered, with the primary difference being the amount of silver in each coin and the range of time the coins were minted.

The most common Canadian junk silver coins avail to investors are the Dime, Quarter, Half Dollar, and Canadian Dollar  minted before 1967.

Canadian Coin                                   Composition                                      Oz. of Silver/Coin

1920-1966 Dime*                               80% Silver, 20% Copper                         0.0599

1920-1967 Quarter                            80% Silver, 20% Copper                        0.1499

1920-1967 Half Dollar                      80% Silver, 20% Copper                       0.2999

1935-1967 Dollar                                80% Silver, 20% Copper                       0.6000

*Roughly half of the Canadian Silver Dimes minted in 1967 were 50% Silver, 50% Copper.  A portion of the coins minted in 1968 consisted of the 50%/50% silver coins, although the majority were 99.9% Nickel.

The Canadian dollar has been on a tear the last couple years, gaining in value considerably against the US dollar and most other world currencies, but it is still a fiat currency subject to the vagrancies of political decisions and the depredations of the banking cartels.  In other words, you can’t trust it.  Silver on the other hand has proven itself a reliable way to preserve and protect wealth for thousands of years.

Silver is silver is silver, no matter what Country issues the coin.  As junk silver investors we are interested in acquiring more of the precious metal at the lowest cost available, and this is usually done by purchasing junk silver coins.

One of the advantages of investing in Canadian coins is that, compared to their US counterparts, they are relatively unknown outside Canada.  For Canadian residents these make an obvious great choice for your silver investing…(you can pick some up here), but serious junk silver investors may want to consider them as well. Being only 80% silver they are an even more affordable investment on a coin by coin basis, plus they can vicariously strike your interest in the global silver market.  They are also fun to look at and own.

Own Canadian Silver Coins.

The United States quarter is officially worth 1/4 (hence the name) of the US Dollar, a fiat currency whose value changes daily.

“Shave and a haircut, two bits.” – Yeah, those days are through.

From 1796 until 1964 American quarter dollar coins were minted out of silver, in an alloy equal to 90% silver, 10% copper.  In 1964 the United States debased it’s coinage, the first sign in the decline of a nation’s currency, and quarters minted from 1965 on are basically worthless in terms of intrinsic value.

Silver quarters are an excellent silver coin to both start out and build up a collection of physical silver coins.  Six quarters will give you more than an ounce of silver ($1.40 in US junk silver coin face value = 1 troy ounce of silver) so the quarter is a relatively inexpensive way to pick up silver, a little bit each month.

As I write this silver quarters are worth $5.45 and you can pick them up for about $7 – $8 a piece, less if you buy them by the roll.

Silver quarters are plentiful, either on eBay or at your local coin shop.

Collecting Silver Quarter Coins

Junk silver coins are called “junk” because they have no collectible value, but that doesn’t mean they’re not fun to collect.  The design of the US quarter has changed and evolved as the nation has changed and evolved.  I like to collect the different versions of the all the junk silver coins. Partly because it imparts a sense of history, partly to diversify my coin holdings but mostly because it adds a bit of fun to my silver savings program.

There’s something about holding  a coin in your hands that you simply don’t get from a bank statement or from knowing you own electronic silver somewhere in a distant account, especially when the coin is more than a hundred years old.  It takes you back to a time when the dollar was sound, politicians could be trusted (okay, you can never trust a politician, but they generally kept out of your business back then) and the world made more sense.  It’s visceral, a feeling that shoots throughout your whole being and tells you everything might be alright if we base our actions and savings on something real.

While there have been quarters around since 1796 here are the ones you’re most likely to find -

1892 – 1916 Barber Quarter – Expect to pay more for these because they are rarer and harder to find than more recently minted quarters.  These are the quarters that saw the United States expand into empire and took us into World War One. Harder to find in junk condition, most of these coins will show signs of heavy usage.

1916 – 1930 Standing Liberty Quarter – As with the Barber Quarter most of the “junk” Standing Liberty Quarters are going to show considerable signs of wear because of heavy usage.  The nicer looking coins will tend to have some collectible status and command a higher price. Then again, there’s nothing wrong with paying a little more money for a beautiful coin.  After all, there are pleasures beyond financial security and coins are a work of art.  I find myself often paying for mint condition Morgan Silver Dollar’s because I simply like the coin.

1932 – 1964 Washington Quarter – This is the one we’re all familiar with (if you’re an American) and there are plenty of them out there.  Even the junk silver Washington quarters are usually in pretty good condition.

If you’re interested in silver coin investing or looking to own or collect silver coins silver quarters are a great way to start.  There are a lot of bargains out there once you know what to look for. (A good place to start is with the change you get back when you’re at the store.  Every now and then, rarely, but it does happen, you’ll get a silver coin back.  Most people are totally unfamiliar with silver coinage or even remember that coins were once made of silver. Their ignorance is your advantage.

Start looking on eBay, which will let you see a lot of coins and let you know what market value is for the various coins.  If you’re so inclined and have one close to you, visit a local coin shop, see what they have and ask questions.  Soon you’ll be a well informed buyer of silver coins.

Start now…Own Junk Silver Coins

When you decide to preserve wealth and value you have a choice between silver, gold and other precious metals against fiat currencies and their instruments.  How do you want to maintain your financial position in a world that is constantly striving to destroy it.  In theory, you own the payment you receive for the work you do and the value you create.  In fact, there are parasites everywhere that want to take it and use it for their own ends and for causes and uses “they” deem more important and useful.

It’s a smart choice to preserve a portion of your wealth using physical precious metals. Starting out with silver coins is an affordable and easy way to get started.

Government’s in the West are going to default, in one way or another.  It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about Greece or any of the PIIGS, other countries in Europe or the United States.  Politicians cannot and will  not stop spending money their governments simply don’t have.

The debt of all Western governments is simply too high – it can’t be stopped or brought under control at this point.  Governments are borrowing money to pay the interest on borrowed money.  It’s a pattern that is not sustainable.

If you’re reading this, most likely, your government is broke, and looking to you to pony up the money they need for themselves and their pet projects.

There is no politically viable plan that will halt the deficits or roll back the debt.  This is a reality.  Politicians make speeches and pronouncements regarding revenues that assume they will come from some magical source somewhere over the rainbow by and by.  It won’t.  The money will run out at some point and as the process unwinds there is going to be a lot of pain involving loss of wealth and freedom.

This is what the future holds for those of us in the West, including the United States and the Eurozone.

The Welfare State threatens your wealth, freedom and happiness

The welfare state, a bad idea that is unsustainable over time, is running out of time. The programs that make up the welfare state, and there are a bevy of them with Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid being the most prominent, require more and more funding, to the point where the funding is unsustainable.  Regardless, the powers that be will become more oppressive and reach ever farther into your pockets in an attempt to preserve the system (and their positions and power) as long as possible.

One of the best ways to covertly steal the wealth of the people is through inflation.  By cheapening the currency the debts become manageable and easier to pay off.  Inflation is here…witness the price of gas and food, and it is going to get worse over time.  I’m sure you know this or have heard it before -

• The dollar has lost 96% of it’s value since 1913, the year the Federal Reserve was created. (For what it’s worth knowing more about the Federal Reserve, what it is and how it operates, to better understand the ongoing economic storm.  I recommend reading both The Creature from Jekyll Island : A Second Look at the Federal Reserve and Ron Paul’s End The Fed.)
• Since 2001 the dollar has lost more than 25% of it’s value.  I find that fact amazing.
• Inflation is a hidden tax…just think, by printing more money (simply increasing the electronic amount of money in circulation) the government has stolen more than a quarter of your savings.  No wonder people are struggling.

Silver has proven to be a better store of value over time than the US dollar has. Need proof, you can still buy a gallon of gas for 10 cents, about what it was in 1964 when the last silver dimes were minted.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Want to start investing and owning silver coins? Start here with Junk Silver Coins.

I want to wish everyone a happy and enjoyable Easter.  Tax season is over this month.  You’ve paid Uncle Sam (actually, you took back a little of your own money) and now it’s time to do something for yourself.  Choose financial freedom, choose Junk Silver Coins.

In the movie “The Matrix” human kind had been reduced to a power supply feeding the needs of a vast computerized and mechanized network.  Rather than be exposed to this reality, people existed in a simulated reality constructed by the machines.  Very few people, apart from the show’s protagonists, realized that what they thought was true wasn’t, and that their energy, in fact their entire lives, were feeding the needs of a distant and unknown entity.

(Great movie by the way, and worth seeing if you haven’t.)

Debt Serfdom

What is “Serfdom”?  From Wikipedia:

Serfdom is the status of peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to Manorialism. It was a condition of bondage or modified slavery which developed primarily during the High Middle Ages in Europe and lasted to the mid-19th century. Serfdom included the labor of serfs occupying a plot of land owned by a Lord of the Manor in return for protection and justice and the right to exploit certain fields within the manor to maintain their own subsistence. Serfdom involved not only work in the lord’s fields, but his mines, forests and roads. The manor formed the basic unit of society and the Lord of the Manor and his serfs were bound legally, economically, and socially. Serfs were laborers who were bound to the land; they formed the lowest social class of the feudal society. Serfs were also defined as people in whose labor landowners held property rights

By acquiring greater levels of debt and financial obligations, whether it be crushing student loan debt, max’ed out credit cards or a home worth less than you owe, we are all becoming debt serf’s to the financial powers that be.  They’ve taken over the government (come on, do you really think it’s politicians who are running the show?) and are slowly, clandestinely, turning vast parts of the population into “debt serf’s”, all the while covertly weaving a Matrix of lies, distortions and untruth’s so that people think they are better off and safer under the new rules.

How to escape debt serfdom

The concept of escaping debt serfdom is easy, simply don’t carry any debt, but the reality of escaping is hard, because debt is addictive, fun and easy.  The cheap and easy availability of debt hides the fact that we are getting poorer and poorer every year.  By using debt, especially unsecured debt, we can live the illusion that we are successful and that all our dreams can become true if we can simply make that “one low easy payment”.  Debt, and the things debt can buy, is like a drug, and just like any highly addictive drug it’s tough to quit cold turkey, especially when the system is set up to “plug you in” and keep you there.

As hard as it is to escape debt servitude here is some advice and tips to make it easier -

1) Stop adding debt. It’s as simple as that.

Click here to view the embedded video.

2) Start paying down your debt. Again, easier said than done and you need a plan to improve your chance of actually achieving it. I highly recommend checking out Gary North’s site, Deliverance From Debt. It will provide you with a workable plan, support and best of all, it’s free.

3) Start a savings plan. Having money means having options and if you don’t have any spare cash at the end of the week you’re freedom will be limited.  No matter what, set aside a certain amount of money as a cash reserve.  I suggest the following:

a) $1000 in cash.  If $1000 is a lot of money, and yes I know that to a lot of people it is, you need to get started now, even if it’s $10/week. (Like the celebrated “a latte a day” strategy.)  Cash really is king and you need to have some on hand.

b) Precious metal reserves, and by this I mean physical metals divided between gold and silver.  I recommend an 80/20 split with 10 Ounces of gold and physical silver equal to 20% of the monetary value of the gold.  As of today that would give you a precious metal reserve valued at $16,687 in Gold and $33,374 in silver.

You can start your precious metal savings now…Save Money with Junk Silver

c) For most people achieving the above reserve requirements is  a pretty tall order that will take some time.

Getting out of debt slavery is going to take more than three simple steps we can all follow.  True freedom from debt is going to require a new way of thinking, or actually an old way.  We need to think like our grandparents and great-grandparents did – debt is bad and is best to be avoided.  Like many bad things, the appeal of debt is seductive and can easily ensnare the unwary.

The best time to get started is now, and all it takes is a decision.

photo credit: Alex E. Proimos

Retirement has evolved from a dream, throughout history very few people were actually able to “retire” into a life of ease, shuffleboard and travel, into a perceived “right” for all.  The truth is that retirement, as presently conceived, is a relatively new development.  Most people most of the time worked until they simply weren’t able to anymore and then were taken care of by their families for the short period from that point until death.

But now of course we want our retirement – “Damn it…I put in my time, deserve it and someone else should pay for it.”

But this present idea of retirement isn’t sustainable, it’s as simple as that.  There isn’t enough money in the pot for us to pay for all the promises and perceived entitlements people expect.

Now in a recent article in the Wall Street Journal comes some more bad news, the financial landscape will change even more in the very near future, and not in a good way as far as financing a comfortable retirement is concerned.   Financial investment returns will be even more anemic than they currently are and the ratio of retirees to workers will simply be too high.  You can, and should read about it here…Baby Boomer Retirement.

From the article;

“The problem in a nutshell: The ratio of retirees to active workers in the U.S. will balloon. As retirees sell stocks and then bonds to support themselves, there will be fewer younger investors to buy those securities, keeping a lid on prices. Meanwhile, strong demand from boomers and a limited supply of workers will boost the prices of goods and services the boomers need.”

The word “Unsustainable” comes to mind.

Junk Silver coins for retirement?

So how can junk silver coins help with this situation?  Simple.  I believe precious metals, both gold and silver, are a great hedge against the coming changes in the financial landscape.  Conversely, junk silver coins are the smart way to invest in and own silver, one of the traditional monetary metals and an asset that should outperform the more traditional investments in the coming financial environment.

Junk silver coins are a smart way to start hedging your bets and seem to me to be a smart component of any serious financial plan.  You can pick up some junk silver coins here.

photo credit: kenteegardin

We live in uncertain economic times, that is one of the premises of my blog here at junksilveronline, and owning silver is one of the ways to prepare for a time when the economy gets worse. Junk silver coins are the most economical way to acquire and own physical silver available to the man (or woman) in the street.  Easy to find – heck you may even find some junk silver coins in the change you get back from the supermarket, a known quantity and with the least amount of mark-up of all the precious metal options junk silver is the way to go for just about everybody.

Junk silver coins are readily available on eBay, so you can pick them up as easily as ordering a book on Amazon.com.  Heck, you can even order the coins on amazon.com. Here is a typical listing…90% US Silver JUNK Coins PRE-1965 1 oz OUNCE MIXED LOT

Junk silver coins should be part of everyone’s portfolio because it’s smart and the easy way to start building up your stash of silver coins.  With inflation in our future, and the potent mix of higher prices and a lower dollar it makes sense to hedge your bets and protect your finances,  Silver and gold have been used for literally thousands of years to protect and preserve wealth.  Gold is expensive (although you should still get some while the gettings good…American Eagle coins) and silver is cheap.  Think and act differently.  Start now by starting to build up and collect silver coins.

Buy junk silver here.

“We are in danger of being overwhelmed with irredeemable paper, mere paper, representing not gold nor silver; no sir, representing nothing but broken promises, bad faith, bankrupt corporations, cheated creditors and a ruined people.” – Daniel Webster, 1833

Taken a look at the interest your earning on your savings lately?  Pretty bad isn’t it?  Those days when you could safely put your money into a savings account and get a reasonable return are gone, and from the look of things they aren’t coming back anytime soon…Saving account interest rates move closer to zero.

As of this writing, according to Bankrate.com the average interest rate being paid on Savings and Money Market Accounts in the United States is 0.13%.

For 2011 the inflation rate averaged 3.14%.

Let’s see, you’re earning 0.13% and losing 3.14% of value…seems like a losing deal.

Which begs the question, “Why should you put your money in the bank, any bank?”  You’d be just as well served placing your money in the proverbial coffee can and burying it in the backyard.  (Maybe someone will dig it up in a few years and have a collector’s item, sorta like old Confederate dollars or Greenbacks.)

photo credit: ▲Bonard▼

Perhaps you should think about alternative ways to save your money.  Perhaps it’s time for a new way of thinking about wealth.  Because it’s not a question of saving dollars, Euros, Pounds or whatever, it’s a question of preserving wealth.

Historically paper has been a bad bet…and it’s a bad bet now.

“Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value —- zero.”

I suggest looking at the two traditional ways people have preserved their wealth and the value of their savings…silver and gold.

And to get started on saving with precious metals you can start here…Junk Silver coins for savings

Times have changed. Do something different. Trust in silver and gold.

photo credit: h.koppdelaney

I just can’t get enough of these projections, forecasts, predictions.  Here’s another one…

10 Predictions for Work and Economics in 2012

Especially relevant to this website are predictions #3 & #4:

#3 – The US Economy will do poorly

#4 – Well paying jobs will be ever more scarce

I tend to agree with the author because the root cause of both these woe’s are structural and not temporary.  The cure is simple – less tax, less regulation and less Government involvement, but this is not what government does.

Silver prices in 2012

Silver prices are still lower from their highs last year, which represents a great opportunity to pick up more coins and bullion at bargain prices.  I’m adding to my positions in both silver and gold in anticipation of a rough economy later this year, especially after the election.  For me, this is a buying opportunity.

Buy Junk Silver Coins

photo credit: sirqitous

The United States Mint has announced they have sufficient quantities of gold and silver eagles on hand for 2012 and does not need to release additional coins during the early part of 2012…http://yhoo.it/sjKQAU

They cite falling demand for these bullion coins during the fourth quarter of 2012 as a result of falling silver and gold prices.  This falling demand means there are sufficient stocks of the coins on hand to meet the needs of investors and bullion dealers in the short term.

What the article fails to mention is that the best time to buy silver and gold is when the prices have fallen due to lower demand.  This is the key component to “buy low, sell high”, which in practice is lost on most investors.  This is a great time to pick up some Silver Eagles or Gold Eagles.

photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar

Well here we go, 2012.  The festivities of the holidays are over and soon it’s back to work.  Here’s a final round-up of economic predictions for this year.

“Give me a one-handed economist! All my economists say, On the one hand on the other.” - Harry S. Truman

I’ve posted some gloomy predictions of the year ahead the past couple days (see Jim Rogers and Gerald Celente’s forecasts) but now, with the year actually here I’d like to post some forecasts from the mainstream establishment economists because the quote above is true, depending on variables, luck and chance there is often more than one possibility going forward.

Here they are, economic predictions from Top Economists…Economists make 2012 predictions.

• The economy will grow at a faster pace…depending on events and happenings in Europe.  (It’s that two-handed thing.)

•  Unemployment will remain relatively unchanged.

The economy remains vulnerable to outside shocks which may plunge us into recession.

All in all there’s not a lot of substance in these predictions, which makes sense seeing how the economists surveyed (“three dozen private, corporate and academic economists”) all represent the mainstream economic establishment.

As you would expect…

 A majority (56 percent) of the economists say the economy will get a lift from Federal Reserve policies. The Fed has said it plans to keep short-term interest rates near zero through at least mid-2013 if the economy remains weak. The central bank also has begun a campaign to try to push down mortgage rates and other long-term interest rates through next June.

Good luck in the new year.