Letter Re: Making Change in a New Precious Metals Economy

JWR,
I did some research after reading the recent “Making Change in a New Precious Metals Economy” article. The following will make it easier to determine the metal value of coins. Thank you for your great blog.

Ounces of silver in pre-1965 coins:
Silver bullion coin = 1 ounce
Pre-1965 silver dollar = .77344 (90% silver, 10% copper)
Pre-1965 silver half dollar = 0.36169 (90% silver, 10% copper)
1965-69 silver half dollar = 0.1479 (40% silver)
Pre-1965 silver quarter = .18084 (90% silver, 10% copper)
Pre-1965 silver dime = 0.0715 (90% silver, 10% copper)

There is no silver in most post-1965 coins, except the aforementioned half dollars, and in some proof sets:
Post-1965 clad dollar = weighs 0.260 troy ounce. (copper 88.5%, zinc 6%, manganese 3.5%, nickel 2%)
Post-1970 clad half dollar = weighs 0.365 troy ounce. (nickel plated copper- 8.33% Ni, 91.67% Cu)
Post-1965 clad quarter = weighs 0.1823 troy ounce. (nickel plated copper- 8.33% Ni, 91.67% Cu)
Post-1965 clad dime = weights 0.0729 troy ounce. (nickel plated copper- 8.33% Ni, 91.67% Cu)

Nickel coins:
Mid-1942 to 1945 (56% copper, 35% silver, 9% manganese)
1866 to present except 1942-45 weighs 0.1615 troy ounces. (75% copper, 25% nickel)

Penny coins:
1793–1857 (100% copper)
1857–1864 (88% copper, 12% nickel)
1864–1942 (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc)
1943 (zinc-coated steel)
1944–1946 (95% copper, 5% zinc)
1946–1962 (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc)
1962–1982 weighs 0.080 troy ounces. (95% copper, 5% zinc)
1982– present weighs 0.080 troy ounces. (copper-plated zinc- 97.5% Zn, 2.5% Cu)

Base Metal Content Values
 (The following are as of February 2010. See www.coinflation.com for updated figures)
Pre-1965 silver dollar = $12.47
1965-69 silver half dollar = $2.38
Pre-1965 silver half dollar = $5.83
Pre-1965 silver quarter = $2.91
Pre-1965 silver dime = $1.16

1971-1978 Eisenhower Dollar = 18 1/2 cents
1979-1981, 1999 Susan B. Anthony Dollar = 6 1/2 cents
2000-2010 Sacagawea Dollar = 5 1/2 cents
2007-2010 Presidential Dollar = 5 1/2 cents

1971 to present half dollar (clad) = 9 cents
Post-1965 quarter (clad) = 4 1/2 cents
Post-1965 dime (clad) = 2 cents

1946-2010 Nickel (except 1942-45)= 5 cents
1942-45 Nickel= 91 cents

1909 to 1981 penny except 1943 = 2 cents (95% copper)
1982 to the present penny = 1/2 cent (97.5% zinc)

JWR Adds: Because it was a transitional year, there were a mix of copper and zinc U.S. pennies minted, but all bore the mark 1981. As I’ve previously noted, it is not worth anyone’s to sort pennies by date.. If you are serious about stockpiling lots of pennies, then buy a Ryedale electric penny sorting machine. But be advised that you will need to sort several thousand dollars worth of pennies to have that machine pay for itself. So my more conservative advice is to stockpile just nickels now. At least for the present time, nearly all of the nickels in circulation are 75% copper and 25% nickel. (There are still a few silver “war nickels” floating around out there, but they are very scarce.) But once a new debased nickel is introduced, then we will have the same sort problem that now exists for pennies. The new nickels will most likely be made of steel. Yes, the American people will be robbed of our valid specie once again–just as we were in 1933 (gold) , 1964 (silver) , and 1981 (copper pennies). But this shouldn’t come as a surprise, since the history of coinage debasement is sordid and lengthy–pre-dating even ancient Rome. You’ve had plenty of warning. Stock up on nickels now, or you’ll kick yourself about it in just a couple of years, especially if inflation returns in earnest.

Also, keep in mind that it is currently illegal to melt or bulk export U.S. pennies and nickels, but that would likely be rescinded, if they are dropped from circulation.

Economics and Investing:

Stock Market Analyst and hedge Fund Manager Barton Biggs: Stock A Safe Haven With Food And Firearms To Protect Against Doomsday Pillagers

Here comes inflation! Reader Justin B. pointed us to this: January wholesale prices jump 1.4 percent. Justin notes: “That equates to a 16.8% annual wholesale price inflation rate!”

And now, news that the ratcheting-up has begun: Fed bumps up rate banks pay for emergency loans.

Greg C. sent us this: National Debt, Budget Deficit Scary Forecast for Taxpayers: Obama to Sign Fiscal Reform, Economists Predict Cutbacks, Tax Increases

El Jefe Jeff E. forwarded this little red flag news item: Foreigners cut Treasury stakes; rates could rise

Items from The Economatrix:

US Looks to Reluctant Foreign Investors to Help Fund the Housing Market

Chimerica’s Monetary Management: China Has a Plan, US Doesn’t

China Sells $34.2 Billion of US Treasury Bonds

German Economic Expectations Deteriorate

US States with High Jobless Rates Outsource Food Stamp Services Jobs…To India!

Sacramento, California: Region’s Shuttered Stores Tell a Thousand Stories

Odds ‘n Sods:

Yishai alerted us to this clever set of plastic kitchen products: Jar Tops: Universal Lids for Mason Some Jars.

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J.B. mentioned this: Finns propose ban on handguns after shootings. Who do they think that are they kidding? In a nation with 5.4 million people and an estimated 4 million privately-owned guns, I suspect that the only one of the panel’s recommendations that will actually get implemented will be raising the age threshold for owning handguns.

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Reader R.S.R. wrote to mention that Wal-Mart stores are presently offering a “killer deal” on Coleman dual fuel stoves. They are sale priced at $29.99. This is the same stove that Amazon.com sells for $68.99.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"It is not the function of our Government to keep the citizen from falling into error; it is the function of the citizen to keep the Government from falling into error." – American Communications Association v. Douds, 339 U.S. 382,442

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 27 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.), and D.) A 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Luger, 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo. This is a $249 value.

Second Prize: A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 27 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

How to Prosper in a Salvage Economy, by Tamara W.

A salvage economy is a post-production economy. The economy is based on salvage and then reuse or remanufacture of salvaged materials. The current modern equivalent of this are those individuals who sort through trash heaps and dumps for recyclable materials. The historical equivalent of this are the stone masons in Egypt who tore down ancient monuments for building material. For example, the lost Pyramid of Djedefre was thought to have not been built until its foundations were found, including a mortuary temple and queens’ pyramids. Where did it go? Must of it was used to build buildings in Cairo from 1300 through the 1700s. It was easier and cheaper to take apart an existing pyramid near the city than find, mine and transport new limestone blocks from now-distant quarries.

Salvage occurs when the manufactured product is unavailable in a new state, has become too expensive for anyone to purchase, or has a supply chain that has fallen apart to the degree that the product is often unavailable most of the time.

For all of the discussion on survival, why focus on long term survival on a salvage economy? First of all, many people will not set up a refuge in the wilderness. Their best survival opportunity seems to be within the city. While difficult, it is not impossible, especially for those who prepare. Secondly, if we do slide to a post-technical or “eco-technic” society, we should not expect to return to “Little House on the Prairie”. More than half of the world’s population lives in the cities. Those cities will still be there even if some catastrophe, be it nuclear, chemical, biological or EMP, manages to kill most of its inhabitants. And we should not expect all cities to be lost, even if several major ones are destroyed in terrorist strikes or war. If those untouched but partially depopulated or damaged but re-buildable cities can be utilized to rebuild civilization, which should be part of a larger goal. This rebuilding will then requires a salvage economy. And last but not least, if we have a multi-generational decline, we will fall into a salvage economy as manufacturing capacity fades. Even if we retain the capacity for a high-tech manufacturing capacity and find it crippled by environmental regulation and economic depression, we will find a salvage economy as has exploded in California.

If faced with a salvage economy, the question then rises: how do you survive long term in such an economy? More importantly, how can you prosper in a salvage economy?

1. Use creative recycling within your own household. If opportunities present themselves that can be ethically utilized, do so, but avoid scavenging for a living. (Hunting and gathering of food are excluded from this discussion. Here we are only discussing physical materials.)

2. Do not be a scavenger or salvager of materials yourself. This is to literally be at the bottom of the economic food chain. Be the collector or buyer that buys goods from the salvagers and then sells it at a profit to the recycler or craftspeople. This level of the supply chain is safer than doing the manual labor of salvaging, and your supply is both more diverse and continuous than those who do the actual salvaging. There is also less personal risk of injury or illness than salvaging. By becoming a collection point or “depot”, your own time is still mostly spent on survival related activities instead of searching for materials one only hopes to trade for items and resources needed for survival.

3. Have close and direct ties to multiple smelters or material re-processors. This provides more stability in sale price than if there is only one customer. A single purchaser can set their purchase price based on their ability to refuse to buy until you are hungry enough to sell at their desired price.

4. Invest in the replacement materials and goods that will replace salvaged product. After all, salvaged goods will eventually run out. This may be smelting equipment that can melt down the newly recycled metal into yet another material, compared to smelting equipment that melts down old steel beams into new steel goods. It may be plastic grinders and pellet makers that can turn new plastic materials into another form. It may be the act of investing in green energy projects as Peak Oil runs out and salvaging wood and plastic to burn winds down.

5.  Supply the material working tools needed by re-processors. This may be forges to be sold to metal workers or fuel to smelters. It could be molds or presses that can be sold to those recycling plastic. Create or produce what is needed for the salvage economy to turn salvaged goods into useable goods. The additional benefit of this is that there may be more than one re-manufacturer to sell these industrial essentials to, and one can always have the fall back of setting up the re-processing facility on their own property or help a neighbor do the same if the main re-processor shuts down.

6. Help develop the distribution market for existing salvaged goods, whether finding new uses for old salvaged goods or new demand for recycled products. By creating new markets or new customers, the profit margin is higher than competing with the existing salvage economy.

7. If shortages of obviously long-term useful materials are clear, consider stocking up on them. However, it is best to do so only if you can use them in your own business or own property. For example, copper tubing can always be used in plumbing projects or manufacturing of stills – or be sold to those manufacturing their own equipment. However, it is unwise to have hundreds of pounds of copper tubing sitting in storage if the money and space could be used to items with greater value to your household. Having a large stockpile of [cables or] solder wire may be critical if you are an avid ham radio operator and can generate extra income fixing and selling older rigs. But if you have no significant personal or business use and cannot barter it in sufficient quantity to acquire goods needed for life, use the space for food, water, or more valuable tools. However, if you have a small business that could use the materials or goods and it is a critical supply for those who may need it to rebuild technology as we rebuild, consider stockpiling it as a way to profit from the salvage economy.

8. Have the skills to fix salvaged items yourself. This may range from fixing broken toasters and radios to making small car parts to restore a heap of junk to a functioning car. Those who salvage are a dime a dozen. They could have been the migrant poor before the collapse, or they may have been hedge fund managers and bureaucrats who have no others skills than looking for and collecting salvage and scrap items. However, those who can take those broken things and make them functional will be a precious minority. If you do not have these fixer-upper skills, consider learning them.

Consider encouraging younger family members to learn these skills – be it wiring, tool and die cast, equipment repair or even complex mechanical assembly. Learning to read blueprints and manufacturing instructions would be an engaging project for any elementary school child. Fortunately, many of use have already stocked up these kinds of books in our homes, if only in the form of repair manuals for equipment and appliances we already own. Make it a reading assignment for yourself or your family members. Having these skills makes your labor valuable and your teaching ability even more so – and a non-tangible trade good that cannot be taken away.

Three Letters Re: Some Real Life Battery Data

Dear Jim,
I have some comments on the comments regarding batteries:

Nickel Iron (Ni-Fe) batteries do indeed have very long shelf and operating lives. But they also have some significant downsides. Similar to NiMH cells (they are not the same) they have a very high self-discharge rate. In some cases approaching 40% per month. If you have a large solar array that is always making excess power, you are all set. But if you are charging with a generator, and have a large bank to keep power available for extended periods, you will waste a lot of the generator’s output on self-discharge.

Ni-Fe batteries also do not like high charge/discharge rates, which means you may need a larger bank of them for the same type of service. This effect gets worse as the temperature drops. If you have a big bank, you will also need to waste more energy keeping them charged. Basically, there is a penalty for having your battery bank too big for the application. You would want to make the bank last you no longer than a week or so of typical service, thus limiting the amount of energy wasted to keep it charged.

On the plus side, you can leave the battery discharged for long periods without any problems and they will not freeze (in any sane temperatures). That’s good for a little used location. There is only currently one importer in the US that I know of.

There’s no conspiracy to keep them out of the market, it’s just that most applications work better, smaller or cheaper with lead acid. As the cost of electricity goes up, no one wants to use them for standby applications anymore due to the energy cost with keeping them charged. But as photovoltaic solar power becomes more common, perhaps there will be a revival of the technology.

Regarding lead acid cells with no acid, there are several issues with drying out a new battery for storage. If any acid is left it will cause undesirable changes to the plates. If you attempt to air dry the battery, the air pumped through the battery to dry it out will lead to oxide forming on the plates, ruining the battery in the drying process. There’s at least a few patents out there to address some of these issues, but none of them are ideal. Realistically, you would need to discharge the battery, then partially re-charge it, dump and flush the acid and then use inert gas to dry out the plates. Probably not worth the effort, and the required discharge/charge levels would vary based on
interior construction. Not likely to be economical or produce reliable results.

It’s too bad that none of the manufactures sell “green” batteries that have not yet been converted, but the required acid mixture and charge cycles to form the plates are most likely a proprietary process that they have no interest in sharing.

You can make your own batteries, but they won’t have anywhere near the capacity of a commercial product. Consider that the standard car battery has dozens of square feet of surface area and has been optimized over years of experience. Home made batteries, especially large ones, can lead to seriously unpleasant accidents. Having seen smaller batteries explode due to internal shorts, I would want nothing to do with a 5 gallon bucket of H2SO4 and rolled up sheets of lead.

I’m surprised that no one has mentioned simply not using batteries at all. If you live in a sunny location, one can simply use electricity when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing. Not perfect, but virtually guaranteed to work even after sitting idle for 10 years. Regards, – Cactus

James Wesley;
I found an interesting short video linked at Silver Bear Cafe about Nickel-Iron Edison Cells–a design battery I hadn’t about previously. I thought you might enjoy it. Thanks for the web site and all of the information. Regards, – Joe

Sir:
Monday’s post mentioned the Nickel-Iron Edison battery. During its evening broadcast on 1-29-10 The Intelligence Report described a method to build your own Ni-Fe battery was discussed in the second half hour of the 8 PM broadcast. It was also mentioned where one could get Nickel without having to resort to melting nickels. At The Intelligence Report’s web page, click on “archives” in the left hand part of the screen. Scroll down to 1-29-10 then click on the “8PM” to download the mp3 file.

Great job with the blog! Thank you for the work you are doing. – Mr. C.

Letter Re: The Limited Practicality of Primitive Weapons

Dear James:
I was interested to read the comments on atlatls in yesterday’s post “Getting Prepared: From the Homestead to Living Off the Land”. By way of background, I’ve been interested in atlatls since an anthropology course in junior college, and a couple of months ago bought an atlatl from Bob Berg at Thunderbird Atlatls.

All the points mentioned on atlatls by the writer are true; they are simple to make (my 11-year-old nephew made his own out of scrap lumber in about twenty minutes after seeing mine), and making darts is merely
an exercise in scaling arrows up, although tuning them for best performance is more painstaking. They can launch darts over long distances (my first time out, I made a 63 meter cast without trying too hard) and with really surprising power. And anthropological studies have demonstrated that they are capable of taking game up to and including elephants. I have no doubt whatsoever that in trained hands they are deadly.

However, atlatls shafts are not easy to throw accurately. After a couple of months of occasional practice, I am proud to announce that I am now capable of consistently throwing minute-of-brushpile groups from
fifteen meters. Yesterday I scored two solid heart/lung area hits on a deer target (out of over thirty casts) from the same distance. My aim is improving, but from a survival perspective, energy spent making
an atlatl and dart and hunting with it would probably, unless you’re already an experienced hunter and atlatlist, be best spent on other ways of gathering food.

Best Regards, – A Moderately Prepared Canadian.

Economics and Investing:

Reader B.H. recommended this primer, published by a precious metals dealer: Buying silver, buying silver bullion for survival purposes. JWR Adds: I concur with nearly all of what they recommended on “survival”/barter coins. However, I do see the utility of buying some 1/2-ounce silver bullion coins. I also recommend buying some of the new pre-scored “Stagecoach” one-ounce silver bars a and rounds that can easily be chiseled into 1/4-ounce “bits”, minted by Northwest Territorial Mint. Also, readers outside of the U.S. should concentrate on buying whichever bullion coins are the most recognizable and trusted in your respective countries. In Australia, for example, that might mean buying silver Kookaburras.

GG sent this: Lone voice warns of debt threat to Fed. (Yishai also alerted us to the same Financial Times piece linked over at the Instapundit blog.)

Also from GG, comes this piece by Jim Jubak: Eight Reasons for Investors to Worry

Items from The Economatrix:

Entitlements Threaten to Crush US Under Debt

Federal Reserve Begins Withdrawal of $2.2 Trillion from US Economy

US Government Paying Banks Thousands to Foreclose on Americans

Mortgage Rates Poised to Jump as Fed Cuts Funds

Silver Price Trends Show Signs of a Bottom

No Sharing Allowed (The Day The Dollar Died Series–Chapter XIX)

Kiss That V-shaped Recovery Good-bye; The US “Worse Than Greece” Says Economist

Stocks Rise on Upbeat Earnings, Economic Reports

Data on Industry Output, Home Building Boost Hopes

Health Insurer Humana Plans to Cut 2,500 Positions

Odds ‘n Sods:

The Medical Corps private training organization is holding another one of their excellent three-day Combat/Field Medicine School courses, April 30th through May 2nd. The class will be held near Caldwell, Ohio at the Ohio State University Extension building. Contact: Chuck Fenwick at (740) 783-8009 for details.

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The good folks that organize the EMPACT America conferences are currently lobbying Congress for funding to re-fit some US military bases as EMP-proof “bastions” as centers for rebuilding societal infrastructure, following either an EMP attack or a Carrington-scale Solar Flare event. If the BHO Administration wants to spend money to stimulate the economy, then this seems a much better use of taxpayer dollars than paying for the salaries of hundreds of thousands of ACORN employees to shuffle papers..

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Garnet sent us this: Florida family gives up on small-town North Dakota

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Craig K. suggested a web site with a lot of useful preparedness and military skills reference links: Drum-Runners.com.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"And this is the law of the jungle;
As old and true as the sky.
And the wolf that shall keep it will prosper;
But he wolf that shall break it must die.

As the creeper that girdles the tree trunk,
The law runneth forward and back.
For the strength of the pack is the wolf,
And the strength of the wolf is the pack."
– Rudyard Kipling, The Law of the Jungle (from The Jungle Book)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 27 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A HAZARiD Decontamination Kit from Safecastle.com. (A $350 value.), and D.) A 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Luger, 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo. This is a $249 value.

Second Prize: A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $350.

Third Prize: A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Round 27 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Getting Prepared: From the Homestead to Living Off the Land

Introduction

I currently do not fall in the category of the less than 1% of the population that can afford the real possibility of a “retreat” on 40+ acres, based on a Rawlesian criteria. However, I do have a solid brick house on 1.5 acres in a rural area on the southern plains. For the immediate future this will have to serve as my permanent abode. I have always had an interest in outdoor survival skills, and have lived, vacationed, and worked for extended periods of time in isolated outdoor camps while working “in the bush” with limited modern comforts. These experiences have taught me numerous self sufficient survival skills: basically camping or “roughing it” comfortably while providing clean water, safe and sanitary kitchen facilities, latrines, and other amenities. In addition to some time outdoors spent tracking, hunting and fishing, these experiences have given me an “outdoorsman” background. I also believe that I have a basic “survivalist mentality” and am sure I have a better than average knowledge of the skills and planning needed to survive a variety of chaotic situations the future may bring. However, I have not prepared in the past as I should. I have only recently begun to get organized for any serious long-term survival scenario. Part of this process has been to take stock of my situation. In doing so I have identified many of the pros and cons of my lifestyle and current living conditions (I have a young family, am not close to retiring, have some debts, and am a fairly new homeowner with a mortgage). I believe the end of the world as we know it is already happening in a slow, not so subtle slide. Plan A is to keep preparing for a self sufficient life at home and hunker down, and if TEOTWAWKI is in the form of a dramatic upheaval in society (as many describe) we may have to go to Plan B (get out of Dodge), followed by Plan C (make a last ditch effort to live off the land until order is restored within a few months) or until my family unit can join up with a like minded group. I know that Plan B or C have a less than good chance of “success” (they are for true dire straits), but at least we have a fall back plan. As described below, future preparations are still required to strengthen our plan.

The following outlines my basic situation, which I suspect is comparable to that of many citizens who are in the process of preparing better for an uncertain future, and includes a variety of skills and items I have recently taken stock of. In doing so, I will provide some profile information on my current state of readiness (Part 1) while attempting to offer advice on a few sets of skills and items I haven’t seen on most of the basic “beans, bullets, and band-aid” lists (Part 2).

Part 1: My Homestead and Basic Resources

Based on Rawles’ criteria, my region has a moderate retreat potential.  To start with, the main detractors are that I am less than 10 miles from a large population center (over 100,000), the region has high insurance rates and is drought prone. However, we have fairly strong gun laws in this state with the right to carry a concealed handgun and an improving Castle Doctrine. Other benefits to my immediate region are that the smaller communities nearby and the wider region in general is conservative with strong Christian family values. I have a wife and several children under 13-years old. I have a stable job and pay my bills and taxes. My wife is very frugal and is the list maker. We share the common goal of insuring our family’s future, and contribute to assisting extended family, friends and community when possible. I have not been able to convince her to store the food stocks we should need for a long term period of hunkering down, or some of the other measures suggested by Rawles and others for this scenario. However, the soils are good for gardening and farming. My house is double walled (it was a pier and beam wood frame house that was moved to the current location and then bricked over), our homestead has a deep well (with a brick well house) and septic system. We have piped natural gas for heating and hot water systems, and electricity from a co-op. I have a greenhouse with plumbing, a large garage and shop with an air compressor and well stocked with tools and various home and auto repair materials. We have a small supplemental solar kit that is expandable. We plan to go to a grid-tie with backup system soon and eventually go off-grid with a hybrid solar – wind system. We regularly make a shopping trip to the nearest Habitat for Humanity Restore (we consider this a frugal man’s “home depot”), which has numerous home repair supplies and materials. We stock up on goods such as paint, PVC pipe and fittings, lumber, hardware, solid core doors, appliances and fixtures, etc. for very cheap prices. These are usually used and donated by contractors or home remodelers, and the price we pay is minimal. The money then goes to Habitat for Humanity for their operations. I search online sources for good tools and materials and have found fencing materials, farming and gardening supplies, soil, compost, PVC pipe, steel plates and pipe, appliances, and good used tools. Craigslist.com is one of go to sources for these materials – especially the free and barter goods. We obviously approach these transactions with a “buyer beware” attitude, however we have always had good luck and have met decent and interesting people in doing so. We are always looking for appropriate spare parts, tires, repair kits, hoses, belts, bolts, fluids, etc. on sale at big box stores or in classifieds. We also have other outbuildings and sheds which we have ongoing projects to modify for livestock housing and specialty workshops. I am in the process of designing a self sufficient chicken coop, and goat pens and barn. We are expanding our garden and rainwater catchment system. With any luck, I may in the near future have access to 15-100 additional acres of pasture and woods adjacent to my lot.

Vehicles: I drive a diesel 4×4 pickup, my wife has a fuel efficient VW with a gas engine. I am currently beginning to restore an early 1970s model Toyota Landcruiser. The skills I am learning to restore this vehicle (replace all old and worn mechanical parts, hoses, fluids etc.), and the versatility of this heavy duty wagon will be very useful in an uncertain future. It will soon be a bug out vehicle that can go anywhere, just not very fast. I am developing new “jack of all trades” skills and have always been able to tackle basic home and vehicle maintenance work, but lack experience in advanced auto mechanics or construction. I am planning some long term gas and diesel storage. Since diesel is easier to store for long term, the diesel truck will probably be the last working vehicle we will have if TSHTF.

In addition, I have a 31-foot early 1970s Airstream travel trailer. It has been fully refurbished and is basically self-sufficient with a few modifications. With additional water filters made from four tubes of PVC (gravel, charcoal, fine screen filters, and chlorine) an emergency water source can be pumped from to supplement the tanks. With an added solar trickle charger, the batteries can keep the lights and ventilation fans on. With enough propane, cooking and heating could be maintained for an extended period of time. I plan additional modifications to harden this trailer and improve its utility as our “escape pod”. I do not have a private retreat, but hope to someday afford a sufficient amount of land in a good location (with Rawles’ list of security details in mind) as a retreat. To keep costs down, all I need is suitable acreage with natural resources such as water and timber. We could transport the Airstream for shelter. I had a family member in the 1980s who had some land in the mountains, cut a small road in, leveled an area on the slope, dug a trench, lowered his Airstream trailer into the trench (stocked with guns, ammo and freeze dried food), and buried the whole thing as insurance against a “red army” invasion of CONUS. I never got to see this and do not know how long the stores lasted, but have recently considered a modified version of this tactic. By digging a ramped trench to back or pull a trailer into I could have concealment; using the back dirt as bunkers it would have built in mass for a ballistic barrier; natural insulation for heating and cooling; and other benefits. Mainly it is less expensive than building an underground bunker. In the mean time and until I can acquire private retreat land, with my diesel truck and “escape pod” I can bug out with the family and dogs anywhere within 400 miles on one tank of gas and be self sufficient for several weeks to months. Without additional food and supply stores or the benefit of a sustainable retreat location, this is obviously not satisfactory as a long term solution.

At present, I don’t anticipate many scenarios which would require fleeing the homestead, so Plan A is really to continue to prepare and hunker down. As I mentioned, I am fairly close to a large population, but live in a rural area with dependable neighbors and open land flanking my homestead. In keeping Plan B as a working option, my wife and I plan several trips a year to educate the kids for a self sufficient lifestyle learned from camping, hiking, fishing and hunting and take these opportunities to practice outdoor survival skills. Other Benefits of preparing the homestead  as a “modified full time retreat” include the ability to pay off a few remaining debts as soon as possible. Except for the mortgage, I should be debt free in about 2 years. With a little luck and hard work, we will decrease this time and be financially independent sooner. I live close to work and can be home in 10 minutes, with little chance of running into any escaping hordes on TEOTWAWKI day. By homesteading, I feel I can meet many of the needs that Rowels and others have outlined for surviving TEOTWATKI.

I have a basic set of kits, tools and skills to feel a level of confidence that I can take care of my family in a crisis, and with some efficient planning, preparing, hard work, prayer, luck and protection from a guardian angel, we will be among the survivors if TSHTF.

Battery
Shotguns: I have owned a Remington 870 pump shotgun since I was a young teenager and am proficient in bird and small game hunting. I have studied self defense use of the “scattergun” or “streetsweeper” and feel confident I could protect my family and property if needed. I have recently purchased an 18.5” open choke cylinder barrel (riot gun barrel) and keep buckshot for home defense. I have about 300 rounds of various birdshot loads, 40 deer slugs, and several boxes of the buckshot. I would like to take some self defense training and properly engage in a long term training regimen – for all calibers and categories of guns I currently have. I also have 20 gauge, bolt action shotgun. It is solid, dependable and good for small bird and game hunting. 20 gauge shells take up slightly less storage space then 12 gauge, and we have about 120 birdshot shells in 20 gauge.

Rifles: Col. Jeff Cooper was a proponent of the Scout Rifle. (The specifications: .308 caliber, less than 1 meter in total length, less than 7.7 lbs, with a long eye relief scope (LER) and a tactical sling). I have a pseudo scout. I shoot a Remington 750 Woodsmaster chambered for a .243 Winchester. With a 22 inch barrel and OAL at 39 inches, 7.5 lbs, and full scope, it is meets most of the specs for a scout. Additionally, Col. Cooper lists this type of gun as appropriate for young or small-framed people (like myself). Also, my wife and 12 year old son will be able to shoot this rifle (my wife was formerly in the Army and is one of the only women I know who has qualified on the M16). One thing I like about the .243 is that I can shoot it a lot with no recoil pain. Since I am less proficient with the rifle (compared to the shotgun) I need to practice more often with this rifle. It is a semi-auto feed and could carry five shots. I have a regular neoprene sling and BSA 3-9 x 50 scope, best used for deer hunting. I have left the iron sights installed and could drop the scope if needed. Following Cooper’s criteria for proficiency, I should be capable of shooting less than 4″ in 3 shot groups at 200 yards. I need more practice. I am better with the .22 LR rifle and have two: a single shot and a bolt action. While varmint hunting with friends, I have found that a semi-auto is much more practical (rabbits are not easy to hit on the run). I plan on obtaining one soon. A dependable, basic AR-15 style rifle is also high on my list of needs; we need to protect the livestock from predators/coyotes. I bet my wife will enjoy showing me how to field strip and operate it!

Handguns: I have a Ruger P345. This semi-auto hand gun shoots the classic .45 ACP, but fits my small hand and frame, is relatively light weight (compared to a 1911, or large .357 or .44 magnum revolver). It is appropriate for concealed carry, but I carry my .380 much more comfortably. I have studied Col. Cooper’s Modern Method and have been practicing a version modified to fit my gun’s specifications. I currently have about 500 hundred rounds of .45 ACP ball for targets or varmints, several hundred rounds of JHPs (I prefer the CCI Lawman 200 grain JHP, aka “The Inspector”) and add a box of 50 whenever I have a chance. If I plan on shooting 50 rounds at the range or on a friend’s ranch, I buy 100 rounds. I also have a semi-auto .380 which is easy to carry concealed. It is a Bersa (Argentinean) and a clone of the classic Walther PPK. The .380 Remington JHP 88 grain bullet can penetrate well enough into a solid wood backstop I use for target practice. It is half the size of my .45 and works well in an everyday concealed carry situation. I don’t shoot this weapon as much as I should, but am more accurate in short range (under 20 feet) with it. To quote Cooper: “The purpose of the pistol is to stop a fight that someone else has started, almost always at close range.” He also stated that a pistol is used to help get you back to your rifle if you are separated in a fight.

I keep a few of Jeff Cooper’s quotes handy to always remind me why I have a small battery. He also states that, “the police cannot protect the citizen at this stage of our development, and they cannot even protect themselves in many cases. It is up to the private citizen to protect himself and his family, and it is not only acceptable, but mandatory.” I also learned from Cooper to think strategically more than tactically and demand of myself proficiency in my gun use. In addition to shooting at targets basically in my backyard, I try to practice shooting in non-target range situations. Hunting and plinking on a friend’s ranch offer some of the few opportunities where I can practice scenarios in handling and shooting firearms in real life situations of being constantly armed with long and short guns (proper gun handling with a group of people, in and out of vehicles with weapons, hunting & target practice in different seasons and different times of day and weather).

Working Dogs
Although all of our dogs are pets and part of the family, they serve multiple purposes. I decided to mention them in my profile for others to consider the attributes of these breeds. I have a Catahoula. This is a multipurpose dog supposedly bred from the first Spanish War Dogs that the Conquistadors brought to the Americas in the 16th Century mixed with Native American dogs. The Catahoula is a ranch dog bred in Louisiana and trained for various tasks: cattle or goat herding, small varmint hunting (they can tree coons and are even known to climb trees in pursuit), hog hunting (they can be trained to pursue and kill wild hogs in specially trained teams of three dogs), and bird hunting (they can point and hold). Although a single dog cannot be trained to do all of these tasks, this is a very versatile breed or working dog that I think would make an excellent survival breed. They are very intelligent and loyal as a family protector, have a medium to large build (50-70 lbs), and are good guard dogs. They do have short coats and would not be a great choice for an outdoor only dog in a location with long cold winters. We also have two Chihuahuas (my wife’s dogs), the only use I have for these little dogs is that they make great indoor alarms. If the doors open, windows rattle, or a vehicle comes near the house, we hear the Chihuahua alarm! They are bred for rodent catching and I wish I could use them for this task, but my wife is afraid that they would die from eating poison ingested rats or mice if we used them for such… In a SHTF situation, I would unleash them in the food storage area and let them earn their keep. They are very small and need minimal food and water. If allowed to do what they were originally bred for, I wouldn’t doubt they would contribute to the family security by keeping the vermin out of the food storage area.

Our “need to do” list is long. It includes:

  • Food preparation and storage
  • Improved garden
  • Solar pump and new well and storage tank sufficient for several days of no sun
  • Propane tank to convert from natural gas, if necessary
  • High security fence around 1.5 acre homestead
  • Complete reloading bench & tools (have basic scales and brass)

Part 2: Primitive Survival Tools & Skills

If we have to fall back on Plan C (G.O.O.D. and live off the land – at least to supplement our diet), then I have a basic knowledge of primitive outdoor survival skills that should help me to work hard at supplying my family with some basic necessities. In addition to hunting, fishing and tracking skills, I have practiced the primitive arts of making a fire using a fire bow, making and using a hand drill, and flintknapping. I do not offer the following as a substitute for modern tools and techniques, but as an emergency supplement or replacement. We have progressed from Stone Age tools to steel and computer age materials to our own benefit, but the stone age tools and techniques helped man survive for many thousands of years and they could have a use in modern survival situations. Just as with any modern tools (firearms, chainsaws or a 4×4 diesel truck), the manufacturing/maintenance and use of the “primitive” tools is not easy to learn and one should not acquire these skills after your life depends on them. Also, just because these are referred to as “primitive” tools, doesn’t mean they are not carefully and expertly made or mastered. I have a lot of practice and can manufacture (through flintknapping) a basic stone knife and set of scrappers that would be suitable for wild game and food processing. With additional practice, I continue to improve my skills in manufacturing stone dart tips for arrows or spears. I have not attempted to make a bow and need to practice this, but have assisted an old friend in the process. However, one expedient tool I can make for throwing a projectile is the atl-atl (or dart thrower).

The atl-atl is a primitive weapon which was used by our early ancestors for thousands of years before the bow and arrow was invented and copied. It is capable of launching a projectile (called a dart) very accurately and with enough velocity to penetrate and kill large game efficiently. Native Americans hunted bison and other large game with this simple tool kit. It is made by carving a shaft of wood with a handle and a spur (or cup) which the dart is seated in before launching it. The atl-atl is about 24-30 inches long, and can be carved from a tree limb (ash or many other hard but not brittle types of wood can be used) with a small hook or stub of a branch left for the spur. It is advisable to attach two finger loops on the handle end. These make it easier to keep the atl-atl in one’s hand while throwing the dart. This simple tool allows the kinetic energy to be stored while the arm is in motion (a lot like a baseball pitcher’s motion using the arm and wrist). The dart can be projected 6 times farther than a hand-thrown spear with 150 times the foot-pound energy. With practice, the atl-atl can be accurate to 100 meters, but is best used at close range of around 20 meters. Its value as a survival tool is that it can be easily manufactured and operated silently. Hunting can be conducted with no noise to attract unwanted attention in any situation. One drawback with its use is that the hunter (or thrower) is basically standing and in the open while launching. With practice this can be minimized with camouflage and technique. One uses an atl-atl with minimal effort, and throws it by taking a step or two forward and launching the dart with a quick snap of the wrist. It really doesn’t take much effort and is successfully done using a motion like casting a fishing line with a rod and reel. In fact, during demonstrations with 8-16 year old school kids, I have observed that the girls who are just trying to learn to do this without too much embarrassment out-throw the boys who are going for world record launches! 

The atl-atl’s “ammo” consists of darts about twice the length of a standard arrow up to 5 or 6 feet. In fact, two modern aluminum arrow shafts can be screwed together with one set of fletching and one dart tip or point. Using natural stems of cane, willow shoots, bamboo, reed, or straight saplings would require a series of steps to complete a working toolkit for the atl-atl. A dart can be made in three parts: a foreshaft, a shaft, and fletching. The fletching is a row of feathers, usually short, trimmed one-sided wing feathers, glued to the base end like on an arrow. They are in three rows with a slight twist to provide steady flight and rotation. One outdoor survivalist (Alloway, 2000) also suggests using credit card strips set into the shaft, what a great way to put that plastic to use after TEOTWAWKI! Instead of a notch, like on the base of an arrow, the atl-atl dart base has a round divot for seating the shaft of the dart to the spur on the atl-atl. The foreshaft (made of a short 3-4 inch piece of shaped hard wood) is attached to the stone or metal point with glue (or tree sap) and sinew. All of the joints or areas on the shaft, foreshaft, and fletching that could spilt have to be reinforced with cordage or animal sinew. Acquiring these materials takes time and knowledge as well, but natural fiber string and “gorilla” glue or similar glue works great. Tree resin (such as pine) works as a natural glue to help hold the cordage intact. Once assembled, the foreshaft is jammed into a joint or hole on the “front” end of the shaft (opposite the fletching). This replacement technology allows for the need to make and carry only a few shafts, which are labor intensive to make, while having multiple foreshaft sections to reload with. The shaft sections also must be straightened. One way is by steaming and drying the wood or reed shaft while bending with a shaft straightening tool (a small block of wood with a round hole through it will work or a stone with a straight groove in it to run the shaft through until it dries). Use the “pool cue” or woodworker’s test to eyeball it and see if it is straight. The shafts can and should be retrieved after launching. The other benefit of the foreshaft is that upon impact with the prey, it separates from the shaft leaving the sharp metal or stone point and 3 or so inches of foreshaft embedded where it causes massive internal bleeding as the prey’s muscles contract and expand while running. The shaft can then be retrieved and reloaded with another foreshaft armed with a point. A blunt dart shaft or foreshaft can be used to stun or kill small birds and prey with just a fire-hardened wood tip – no need for “expensive” (labor or material cost) points. A side note on terminology: the term “point” or “projectile point” refers to the head, as in “arrow head,” of the “projectile” – which is a general term for an arrow, spear or dart. The atl-atl “dart” is not a “spear” (which is a short, inflexible stabbing weapon). An atl-atl dart is a very advanced tool and took our ancestors many years of trial and error to develop as a silent, multi-component, high velocity, manual weapon. 

Fire making is another primitive art that is extremely important in an outdoor (or indoor) survival situation. A “fire bow” kit is easy to make out of natural materials found in most environments (desert, forest, mountain, plains, etc.) and is easy to master with practice. The kit contains a fireboard, socket, drill (or fire stick), and bow. The small bow (made like a toy bow and arrow) is made using a curved, stout but flexible branch or stick (about 24 inches long) with a bow string. The string can be made from a shoelace or parachute cord (natural fiber cordage can be used but tends to break from the rapid motion and friction it has to endure). The string is attached with enough slack to twist a short fire starter stick (called a drill or shaft) in it. It should be adjusted to be just tight enough – not too tight to be difficult to turn, and not too slack where it won’t create the friction need to start a fire. The bow is rapidly manipulated (in a motion like a hand saw) to twirl the fire stick rapidly on a notched plank (called the fireboard). The fire stick (8-12 inches long) should be of soft wood (like willow or cottonwood) with a rounded, dull tip on one end that will help produce the ember; and a pointed tip that will seat in the socket (which is held in the non-bow hand) on the other end. The socket has to fit in the hand comfortably and is gripped to hold the twirling fire stick in place. It should be a cupped rock, but hard wood or a dish shaped piece of scrap iron can work. The notch on the fireboard, or plank, is to allow the fine saw dust (created during friction) and the important small ember to fall through on a bed of tender. Dry grass, a dry bird’s nest, wasp nest, pine needles, cotton, or steel wool make good tender. The fireboard (plank) should be of dry wood, at least a half-inch in thickness, and thick bark is often the best plank. Pine is very useful in starting a fire due to its flammable resin content and can even be used when damp. Care should be taken to have all materials ready before starting to use the fire bow. This takes some effort, but preparation is most of the battle. Only a small ember is created in the process and must be handled appropriately. This is “cardio vascular” exercise and can produce a quick sweat. Use care to keep sweat from dripping onto the tender or plank and extinguishing your ember. Google these tools for pictures and other tips. One the ember is produced and lands or is placed in the tender, blow long, steady breaths to get a flame. Add this to your pre-set kindling and build up a good fire. (See other entries in the survivalblog for light security and safe methods of laying in wood.) 

One item in everyone’s G.O.O.D. kit, BOB, vehicle glove box, bedside table, pocket, belt or boot should be a good steel edged knife. It is one tool that we should all hope to never leave home without. However, if separated from a good steel blade, or to supplement a small knife in a survival situation, one can manufacture a substitute tool kit from stone. Flintknapping is a skill our ancestors used for thousands of years to produce most or all of the tools needed to hunt, gather, and prepare most if not all the food and materials needed to survive in most of the climates humans have ever “survived” in. Hunting, butchering, and game processing, vegetable gathering and processing, hide scrapping and prepping, leather work, wood work, and many other tasks (including mortal combat) can be conducted with stone tools. A basic flintknapping tool kit for producing these tools includes: one or more hammerstones, soft hammer billets made from wood and/or deer, elk or moose antler, antler tines for pressure flaking, and a leather pad for protecting the palm and leg. It is not easy to do, and has a steep learning curve. I will outline the basics and suggest further research, kit assemblage, and practice be planned as part of one’s overall survival strategy. There are numerous flintknapping groups across the U.S. and a variety of resources to help one get started. Besides the basic “knapping kit” described above, the main resource needed for flintknapping is a good quality “flint.” There are various minerals that can be knapped (chert, obsidian, fossilized wood, quartzites, and others) and identifying useful materials is something knappers and archaeologists who study these primitive techniques do. I suggest Google research on this and a trip to visit a local geologist, rock quarry, rock shop or mountainman’s rendezvous to start learning how to identify the right raw materials.

Once preparations are made, please remember that this is a potentially hazardous activity. Knapping is done by smashing a “core” (usually a fist sized cobble of a quartz material) with a “hammerstone” (a stream rolled dense stone, also usually quartz which needs to be solid and hand held). This is done usually by holding the core in or near one’s lap or on the thigh. A near miss can cause pain or injury, and rock spalls are the desired result (which can fly in all directions and penetrate flesh, eyes, or bystanders. This should be done over a tarp (to help in cleanup) or in an area that is not a living space, especially one that isn’t walked on barefooted, by people, pets or livestock, or used for food processing or sleeping, etc. Eye protection, leg padding, gloves or a leather pad are necessary personal protective equipment (PPE). By striking the core with the hammerstone at a controlled angle, a “flake” can be produced. In fact, one of the longest lasting technologies known to man is called “flake technology.” Numerous flakes can be created in just a few minutes of knapping from one core. These are then selected for their ultimate use: arrow points, dart points or spear points; double edged or beveled knife blades; hide scrappers, etc. A core can be used multiple times and reduced to a very small fragment. A good knapper can pick up a core, visualize what he or she wants/needs to make, take a whack or two, pick up the flake, and continue the process. To make a bifacial tool (sharpened on two sides to hold an edge longer and able to penetrate flesh better) the knapper then can switch to the next tool in the kit, a soft hammer billet. These are “soft” hammer because they are softer than the stone material being shaped. In general terms, I think of knapping as whittling stone. These billets are about the size of a hammer and held and operated the same way. They are made from solid antler (deer, elk or moose) and sawn or cut to length. The base of the antler makes the working end of the billet and is ground or sanded round (a lot like the round end of a ball-peen hammer). This is then used to more accurately strike the chosen flake (held by a piece of leather in the off hand and held stable against the padded thigh or a bench) and continue to shape the flake and sharpen its edge. The billet can be used to get the basic shape of the tool set up. The final step is to use the antler tine (or a rigid copper wire with a wrapped tape handle) as a “pressure flaking” tool. The prototype tool is then held firmly (with a glove or leather pad) against the thigh or bench, and the pressure flaking tool is placed just off the edge to be sharpened/worked. It is pressed firmly with a short popping motion toward the working edge which is away from the midline of the tool (difficult to describe, but fairly easy to do with a little practice). This is done to take off very small bits at a time (called micro-flakes) and continued around the sharp edges of the tool until the final shape and sharpness is obtained. To make arrow, dart or spear points or other tools like knives (that have to be hafted to a handle or dart shaft to be usable), the base of the stone tool will be shaped to fit a handle or shaft. The hafted end will need to be dulled (so it doesn’t cut through the cordage used to haft it or bind it to a shaft) by gently grinding it on a stone. Even expert knappers have relatively high failure rates doing this, but practice helps with the odds. Beginning with the basic flake produced by cracking open a core, one can expediently produce a sharp cutting implement that is sharp enough to cut deeply into flesh. A raw flake will lose its edge quickly, but with ample stone cobbles around, this technique can be repeated and improved with practice. A raw flake with a little bit of work along the edge can hold a fairly sharp edge for small cutting tasks, and be “retouched” with minimal effort to maintain its sharpness to complete a job like butchering small game, cutting edible parts of a useful plant, etc. Again, these are no substitute for a good, American made, steel knife blade, but just may be needed in a survival situation. Hopefully, none of you will have to rely on these tools and techniques to survive, but I also hope you find time to learn a little more about them and practice once or twice, just in case you do need to rely on some primitive survival tools.

References:
Desert Survival Skills by Alloway, David. Published by University of Texas Press. Austin, Texas. 2000. 

The Art Of The Rifle

Letter Re: Making Change in a New Precious Metals Economy

So, given that the USA Federal Reserve currency, the US dollar, is going down the tubes, something else will replace it. There will undoubtedly be attempts by various governments to reinstate some version of fiat money, but people are going to see through that, and will not accept it, since fiat money is, at it’s core, an undeclared, and essentially unlimited, tax on those who produce.

Ultimately, people will probably return to a means of exchange with more than 4,000 years of history;  Gold and silver.  Here in the USA, in the aftermath of the coming economic collapse, there will be barter, at least at first, but as economic activity revives, something more convenient will be badly needed.  I am sure that there will be all sorts of private minting of gold, silver and even copper ultimately, but in the meantime, before private mints are established to meet the demand for real money, I expect, as many others have postulated, that pre-1965 US silver coinage will be a recognizable means of exchange.

There is a problem, however, with silver coinage.  Just as gold coins have too much buying power, even in 1/10 troy ounce sizes, for many transactions, so even a US silver dime may have too much buying power for many da- to-day local transactions.  Someone wishing to buy a needle, or a couple of fishhooks is not going to spend a whole 0.0715 ounces of silver (the amount in a pre-1965 silver dime) for a single needle.  Smaller change will be needed, and needed badly.  What to do?

At present (mid-February, 2010), based on the present commodity prices at Coinflation, a silver dime is worth $1.10 US based on spot prices for silver.  A US nickel is worth about 5 cents, for the metal content.  Clad dimes are about the same value as pre-1982 pennies (~2 cents), while clad quarters are slightly less valuable than nickels (~4 cents) and clad halves are worth about 8 cents in US currency.  While most people have not put aside precious metals as such,  (gold or silver coins) there will be a substantial quantity of clad coinage in circulation, and this could be used as smaller change for silver coins.

It is my intention, as economic activity is resumed, to exchange clad quarters and US nickels as 1/20 of a silver dime, essentially ½ of a ‘silver penny’ in exchange, and clad dimes and pre-1982 pennies as half of that value, or ¼ of a ‘silver penny’. 

For example, let’s suppose that I have #6 fish-hooks for sale, at the rate of four hooks for a silver dime.  Mr. Jones wants to buy just two hooks, but has no silver, all he has are clad coinage.  I’d sell him the two hooks for 5 clad halves, 10 nickels or clad quarters, or twenty pre-1982 pennies or clad dimes. 

Another example-  Mr. Smith wants to buy a pound of 8d cement coated nails.  I’m offering to sell ‘old’ factory made nails (not my new handmade ones) at one silver dime per pound (maybe a screaming bargain for him!)  Again, he has no silver coins, but has a bunch of nickels;  I’d sell the nails for twenty nickels.  Local commerce and trade would be facilitated by such an arrangement. 

Until private minting fills the money gap, this would appear to be a workable solution for small local transactions, which is where most of the trade would be, at least to start with. – Larry W.

Letter Re: Terrain and Arboreal Camouflage for Retreats

Mr. Rawles,
Well, we survived this latest storm but it gave me time to finish your novel “Patriots”. It was a very easy read and full of useful information. I know I have so much to learn. It really has helped me put things into perspective as far as priorities and what is or isn’t important in life. I can only think of two areas that were not covered well enough that I feel would help in this type of environment:

The first area is the design and use of landscape and terrain to help conceal a retreat. The impression I got from the story was that the farm and access drive to it were clearly visible from the main road. Of course I am using person recollections of remote homes and drives from my personal experiences to expand to the story. It has always been my thought to have a residence that was “around a bend” and not clearly visible from the road. This may have its own fallbacks though if line of site to an access road was needed from a retreat. As far as the entrance drive is concerned, my impression from the story was that it fell just short of hanging a welcome sign next to it. Having the gate at the road would indicate that something of value was there. A curving entrance with the gate set back and out of site may prove more effective. But this is just my personal thought. The access drive to the retreat should also have several bends or slowdown methods to it so a straight run to a second barrier would be difficult. This would also allow for tree and brush growth to help hide the retreat and ambush sites. A cattle gate or two would also be effective for drive barriers. These gates and their components could be removed to provide mini motes. Just some thoughts.

The other area that I thought was glossed over was personal hygiene and the downside of many people in such close proximity to each other. I got the fact that these folks were already friends and acquaintances and had similar values and ideals. But conflicts and bad feelings will arise especially in stressful times. There was a lot of useful information provided about preparing for personal hygiene but little indication of how it was put into use at the retreat except for scheduled bathing times. Of course I am extrapolating from personal experiences when many family members have stayed with us for extended visits.

All in all I thought it was an excellent book and full of useful reference information. I do wish I would have found the glossary before I finished. There were many references that I had to look up before proceeding. Thanks again, – John G.