With all this talk about gold and silver, what is the real value of the coins currently in circulation?

IMO coins are so tedious they will not be worth the effort. To ever know the melt values for every coin minted. What dates they were minted and at what precentages of what metals blah blah blah...

Again IMO if you are talking about small quantities of precious metals like the amount you might find in a vintage silver dollar or what have you. Then purity is best for ease of conversion. At that point it's all about wieght. Look for grains and grams of whatever precious metal you're inthe market for. And think about owning a scale. Get a mechanical scale don't get digital.

There is a grains and grams convertion calculator

http://www.metric-convers...

purchase silver coins, you can still do it. Just purchase smaller amounts as you can. I make that suggestion because, although I do see the economy crashing, I do not see it crashing like a car running directly into a concrete wall. My own reading of the numbers indicates that there is time left to act; the amount of time is where the real question lies. Use the time and your resources wisely. Better a little late than a little never. Also keep in mind that there are legions of citizens who will make no such plans at all for a currency collapse. They will continue to worship at the alter of the almighty government and place their faith in those elected officials who promise them something for nothing, when we know that they will actually get nothing for something. That fact is a big part of why our system has been allowed to get so far out of control. At some point further down the road in our decline, even they will finally get the message but you will be far better off by having acted ahead of that time. We already see many signs in our own domestic economy of U.S. establishments who are only too willing to accept other currencies (Euros for instance) in exchange for their goods and/or services. That type of commercial attitude caught on many years ago in Canada where commercial establishments regularly dealt in either Canadian or U.S. money. Look for this practice to become much more widespread here in the U.S.

Best of luck to you.

My husband and I have been collecting pennies after we found out that pennies made before 1982 are mostly copper. The copper in each penny is now worth approximately 2 cents. In 1982 some of the pennies were copper, others were zinc with a copper plating. To tell the difference weigh them. 2.50=zinc 3.10=copper.

To collect them you can go to your bank and get rolls and sort out the good ones and cash the others back in (always get from one branch and take back at another to avoid getting the same pennies over again.) Also go through those change jars, the "take a penny/give a penny" dishes (always replace the good ones with the zinc ones when you do that) make it a game for your kids, pick up the pennies you find on the street, ask your friends and relatives if you can go through their pennies- you'll be surprised just how many don't care about their penny jars...

Before long you can build up quite a bit of "treasure" for hardly any investment at all!

Happy Hunting

This site shows the current melt prices of our almost worthless watered down coins we use today & prices for the old real coins. Enjoy for you can still buy a gallon of gas for 25 cents if your quarter is a 1964 or older! :-)
http://www.coinflation.co...

Check out www.coinflation.com. It gives the melt value of US coins. Currently pre 1982 pennies are worth about 2 cents melt value, nickels are actually worth more than 5 cents melt value. They made a regulation making it illegal to melt pennies and nickels, however. This may be changed in the future. I am holding on to all my pennies and nickels. This is a risk free way to speculate on commodities.

coins are out of cirulation anyway. So they don't need to mint more just because people are snapping up the silver change (pre 1964)

I posted this on a thread earlier:

I don't have any money right now (if you read where our business is struggling) BUT I did have $100 in change. Took it, cashed it in and do you know where I went? The pawn shop.

You don't have to be rich or well off to get a little silver. Buy junk silver or pre1965 coins. It taks approximately 15 silver dimes to = 1 oz. It takes 5.6 silver quarters to = 1oz. It take 2 silver half dollars to = 1oz.

I walked into a pawn shop yesterday and bought 17 silver half dollars (90% silver) so approx 7.7 oz of silver. And a coin that the lady had NO IDEA what it was worth. We are meeting with a coin dealer today to find out how much. But I only paid $100. If you go by todays prices. I already made over $50 on what I bought yesterday.

Don't think that you have to go to apmex or kitco or somewhere to buy silver. Find a locally owned pawn shop (not the big chains as they are more apt to keep up with the market.) KNOW how many of each coin it takes to make 1oz of silver (that means knowing their silver content...google it..scroogle it www.scroogle.org ...wiki it whatever) and go spend a little fake money to get you a little real money.

just my 2 cents though :)

Now to add to that I saw where someone below said maybe you should just save your pennies. Well...1 lb of copper right now is only worth $3.77 (or something close) whereas ONE ounce of silver is worth almost $20. See my point? Cash in that change and go get some local pawn shop junk silver (coins). You only want it for the metal that's in it not the value of the coin anyway. And a local coin dealer told us today that "junk silver" is drying up quickly because people are after it.

Me thinks the natives are getting restless.

Can I just go to B of A and order $15,000 worth of nickels? Is there a red flag for this. I know if you make a cash deposit or withdrawl of $10k or more it get's form filed.

Any pennies that are 1982 or before are worth saving. I learned that from dad, he buys silver and does commodities investing. In fact, he's a lot like Ron Paul, sans the tact.

Are coins in any way linked with the Fed? I know the fed produces the FRNs, but aren't coins still printed by the mints of the US Treasury? And if so is that dependednt on the Fed for backing as such, or are they independent?

I am not suggesting that we melt the metal, but as a form of protest to return to the Constitution, it could draw some attention. If the government can steal my coins, I certainly have the right to hold on to coins that are minted by the government.

Find coin metal content and values here:
http://www.coinflation.co...

I have a nickel jar (mostly just for fun and to ensure that my kids really think I'm nuts). The metal value of a nickel (25% nickel, 75% copper) has ranged between 6 to 10 cents over the last year. The Treasury instated criminal penalties for melting coins last year, as they did with silver coins in the early 60's. Other than the bulk storage issue, you can't go wrong with a nickel. If we have a deflationary recession, a nickel is still worth what you paid for it and its purchasing power will increase. If we go the hyper inflationary route, base metal prices will rise. You're covered either way.