[Ridge Runner]

What is exactly the reasoning for purchasing gold and silver coins for survival?

What are the situations that you would really need it? When have people needed it in the past? Any historical situations? Would it be better to buy items for barter instead?

What is the best to buy and where? Gold coins? Silver? What should someone have on hand just in case?

When should you buy silver or gold? It it really high now?

Why do you have gold and silver?

 

[Guest]

Federal Reserve Notes were once real dollars when they were backed by real gold. The bottom line is that gold and silver are REAL money....or should I say used for trade since ancient times. Pre 1964 silver coin is real money...and it is a part of my barter items. I say a part because you can't eat silver, but "Beans Bullets and Bandaids" will always be useful.

 

[GunDude]

One of the most sought after items in Bosinia(excuse spelling), where spices! makes that dog & rat just a tad better.

 

[MarineTech]

My thinking on the subject of gold and silver are as such. Gold or silver may retain value assuming you can find someone willing to part with goods and services for them. They are not in and of themselves, valuable as a survival item. Should some natural or un-natural disaster destroy civilization, gold and silver look like much less of an investment. You can't eat them, you can't drink them, they won't keep you warm or shelter you from the elements, they won't protect you, and gold itself is particularly heavy to tote around with you in any quantity.

Gold and silver are only valuable, because we feel they are and society has established their value. If society is gone, all bets are off.

Concentrate on trade items. Guns and ammunition (protects and feeds you), Vitamin supplements (keeps you healthy), and hand tools (keep you sheltered and possibly warm). These are items that are intrinsicly valuable because of their function. If society should totally collapse, a country farmer is probably going to be much more agreeable to exchanging food for a brick of .22LR ammo than he would for that stack of silver dimes.

 

[PAMEDIC]

Basically as stated above. They will retain their value even if nothing happens and if so, will make great barter items because everyone knows what silver and gold are and even a general value for them. I just figured it would be like a few carton of smokes. Supply and demand. When it somes to gold, it will simply fuel people's natural greed, even in SHTF situations.
CS

:lol:

 

[Sustinemus]

Ridge Runner:

Just a quick few notes:

I beleive it was George Washington that called gold "portable land" because it can be exchanged for land anywhere in the world.

For all of human history gold has been recognized as the universal medium of exchange (thousands of years, anyway). An ounce buys a nice set of clothes. Three ounces buys a decent horse. Et cetera.

Since the coinage act of 1792, gold and silver coin have been "the money of account of the United States". And is the only "lawful money" in the United States - but I don't want to follow that thread right now. Only in recent decades have most people "voluntarily" exchanged the common use of their lawful money for the convenience of Federal Reserve paper (which has NOTHING to do with the federal government, by the way) and have therefore "volunteered" into things like inflation. When our common currency was backed 100% by gold, there WAS NO INFLATION. I have an interesting book written in the the 1930's entitled "Will We Have Inflation?" The author was obviously a prophet. He nailed it.

Gold is not inflatable. The only way to make more to expend work to get it out of the ground and refine it. You don't just print more or chance some data bits in a computer. You WORK for it.

Since gold is not inflatable, and retains value over time, it is an excellent meduim for storing wealth for the long term.

Many folks are alive today because they had a little gold to buy their way out of NAZI Germany. Little else would pay the way.

Silver is handy for small denomination exchanges.

 

[FreedomGuns]

Throughout recorded history even uncivilized barbarians in the wilds have valued gold. While you can't eat it, food is a whole lot easier to come by than gold. It is hard to imagine scenarios where it would not be of benefit to have a pile of gold. One of the benefits is the retention of wealth through a catastrofy. If civilization was destroyed, but people survived, civilization would return. Paper money, stocks and bonds from the previous civilization would be worthless (this has happened time and time again, even in the 21st century...Iraq). Most likely gold would retain its value.

 

[Guest]

If society should totally collapse, a country farmer is probably going to be much more agreeable to exchanging food for a brick of .22LR ammo than he would for that stack of silver dimes.

I agree with the above. Consider that in the event of a SHTF scenario, ammo is going to be one of the first means of trade. That being said, I know a lot of people...including me, that may become filthy rich someday. 8) I would imagine that if one wanted to, one could aquire a LOT of gold in exchange for ammo. So it just depends on how you look at the matter. I would not give up any needed ammo for gold, but given the fact that many people will have much excess, gold and silver will be used for trade....especialy with those who do not need anything else. So, it has its place.

 

[Seacowboys]

I bought a bunch of gold last year at 325.00 an ounce, it got to 428.00 for a while a few weeks back. I traded at 425.00 for an FN FAL, three M1As, an M1 Carbine, and a few other weapons. I traded at bluebook but was able to negociate each purchase down at least one grade in almost every purchase. One of the M1As was a Devine, serial number X006. Just a thought for anyone that doesn't appreciate the magic of gold.

 

[bigchoad]

its just that gold & silver have always been desirable and always will be. AS the S is hitting the F, gold & silver will be extremely valuable. Envision a wheelbarrow full of FRN's being worth less than that shiny, 1 oz (troy) silver round. Then realize that a few of those silver or gold bars will pay off your mortgage. In Weimar Germany, more than a few people did well with the hyperinflation.
Gold & silver should be a part of everyone's survival plan, just not the only part.

 

[dug]

Hear Hear.. Bravo!

Gold and Silver are no one promise to pay. The are insurance against the government printing of money and financial mismangement. Eeryone should have some. That is true savings discreet and if handled correctly untaxable wealth.

 

[RotorHead]

As many have already stated, gold is a hedge against "paper currency" inflation (read government budget policies). It has value in a reasonably functioning society, with established monetary values . . . it has much less value in a disrupted society, let alone a survival situation.

For myself I'd rather have 20 pounds of 7.62 than 20 pounds of gold if IT really hits the fan.