Economics & Investing For Preppers

Re: Mint error coins

As an investment in non-SHTF times, I would say it’s OK. However, do you really think a double struck 1955 penny will be worth anything but a penny (or less) when the time comes?

Big John

Heard that TexasS,

I like [1964 90% silver] Kennedy Half dollars, They were put in circulation and the taken out [and replaced by 40% silver] the very next year so they are all AU or almost uncirculated. This is double the quarter [face] value but you don’t get any completely worn slugs or culls.

What little chicken soup these coins will get you after the SHTF will be staggering too. At that point an ounce of silver or gold is just an ounce regardless if there’s a mistake struck. In fact I’d be suspicious of such coins being some kind of fake. If you have such a coin that’s high value now, I’d sell it now and buy regular silver and gold while the price is low.

Not only will numismatics be only extra-valuable (over-metal value) in an operational economy with wealthy collectors amazing each other with micro-trivia of coinage, a WHOLE ounce coin of .999 silver may be quite a lot of money when measured in local vegetables. You need pre-1965 dated DIMES with their 0.0715 ozT, each. Even a silver dime might be too significant, requiring you to accept a gram of local wacky weed with 20 pounds of potatoes, 5 pounds of broccoli, and a pound of sausage to avoid money change.

And if nothing happens for another twenty years – what will your beans and band-aids be worth? As someone who has been prepping for decades, I am glad I had other investments and a diversity of assets!

If you want to see something totally worthless, try selling someone’s twenty year old collection of preps! Better yet – save your time and haul their mess to the nearest dump!

Well-stored Y2K prep’s are fine, except for the mogas and Diesel, and they were rotating that, right? I’d be happy to pay ten cents on their Dollar for that stuff, no dumpster!

re: Mint Error Coins
I wouldn’t mind having a double struck penny, or whatever, but I think I’d just cash it in and buy junk silver coins… or little pieces of lead jacketed in copper carefully mounted in a brass setting…

In a SHTF situation if you were able to find someone with excess resources, you might be able to buy something like a dozen fresh eggs for $3 in silver… Its hard to predict, but I think the psychology of the situation might let the buyer and seller agree on a “traditional” value as long as it was “real money”, meaning pre 64 silver coins rather than paper money or pieces of cupro-nickel. Few people would have a practical use for silver or gold as a raw material (a tooth crown maybe?) but might still regard it as a traditional unit of value that could be traded to someone else.

Although, if it were me (I’d have the chickens and hopefully extra eggs), I’d accept the Eisenhower dollar despite not being silver, simply because I like the size and the eagle over the moon, a reminder of a more glorious past, …both the General and the moon landing.

Those that don’t diversify and prepare financially for both a SHTF and “normal” retirement are introducing grave risk to the well being of their families and in some cases will be flat broke when they can’t work anymore. Putting some money into a retirement fund and some into preps is a wise thing. Slow and steady on both fronts wins the race and there’s nothing wrong with changing up the plan if you see true threats on the horizon. Alternative investments like JWR mentions are excellent investment options when carefully chosen.

The problem with buying old preps is not knowing how they were stored! A few months of heat will degrade most food and most medical supplies. Even ammo will degrade without proper storage.

It is easy to detect most water damage, but damage from temperature changes or moisture may not be as obvious.