Dear James,
Do you still recommend saving nickels [as you suggested in SurvivalBlog, in 2007 [1]]? Thanks for all you do. I’m planning on ordering the new edition of your novel on April 8th, and I’m currently re-reading the original [edition]. May God continue to bless you and your family. Sincerely, – Steve B.
JWR Replies: Yes, nickels (American five cent pieces) are still “the pauper’s silver”. Since base metals prices pulled back in advance of current the recession and have remained low, it looks like we may have another one or two years available to amass nickels. (For now, they are still being minted, with their long-standing metal content–75% copper, and 25% nickel [2].) But once double digit (or higher) inflation kicks in, nickels will likely be the first US coins to be dropped from circulation. Zinc pennies will follow soon after. In a major inflation cycle, eventually all coins–except perhaps for ersatz coin plastic or aluminum tokens–will be dropped, since their base metal content will begin to grossly exceed their face value.