What’s a good amount to have?

[rhino]

Junk silver (previously circulated coins) can be purchased at the daily silver spot price. There is usually a different premium (markup) for rounds/bars vs eagles. I've been to a shop where 1 oz silver rounds/bars were a dollar more spot value.

Silver Coin Melt Values with Live Silver Prices - Coinflation

I've never been in a shop or on a website where pre-1964 coins were sold at the spot price for their silver content without some level of markup. Where are you buying at spot price??!!??

 

[IndyTom]

At the moment, JM is just ahead of APMEX on ASEs (decided to pick some up for my kids and myself). Both have free shipping over $100 (one appears to have a minimum order of $100, too, not sure about both).

ETA: APMEX has a much larger selection of BU ASEs - Discovered after looking for their birth years.

 

[luger fan]

I've never been in a shop or on a website where pre-1964 coins were sold at the spot price for their silver content without some level of markup. Where are you buying at spot price??!!??

Really. They work for free?

 

[snorko]

I've never been in a shop or on a website where pre-1964 coins were sold at the spot price for their silver content without some level of markup. Where are you buying at spot price??!!??

Agreed, however for a very short time earlier this year Provident was selling mixed junk silver at spot as a sale/clearance. $1.00 face was priced at 0.715 X spot.

I remember during the 2011 run-up in price, junk silver was commanding a very significant premium, especially on the secondary market.

 

[DefeatingPropaganda]

Bullets and food might be better currency.

I definitely think bullets will be the ultimate barter tool in the immediate aftermath of SHTF.

You can't eat or kill to eat with silver or gold.

I know someone else said they'd never trade bullets as they'd be afraid of them being used against them. But what if you were in need of food/water/antibiotics? I think prepping some extra bullets beyond what you'd even want for yourself is a good idea.

Now I also do think gold and silver are good ideas, but they may be near-worthless at the start of SHTF. Silver in particular may become valuable only after your local region has "stabilized". Silver or gold only have value if other people also value them. And if there is no market in existence, then there is zero guarantee someone could trade your silver for something else in the future, so nobody would want it at that point. If cooperating groups are trading or even a once-a-week market pops up, silver is probably the most practical medium of exchange. But even then, it may have zero value. For quite some time, it may still be bullets.

Gold I think is good for pre-SHTF. Just a hedge against the dollar/etc. Gold bars would be "worth" so much in post SHTF what would you trade them for? Gold has always been the currency for the uber-wealthy.

So I have some gold.
More silver.
Working towards ammo for barter, but don't even have enough ammo for my clan yet.