Opinion on 40% silver coins

[LowerSW]

Interested in other peoples ideas of keeping 40% silver coins in my prepper stash. I have just picked up some 40% silver proofs for face value and normally I would just sell them and then buy 90% silver coins.
(Sorry guys, I'm not a big lover of rounds)
Being that this time of the year I like to be lazy I was wondering if I should just keep them instead of turning them over.

So in a SHTF situation do you think that it would be to much of a problem trying to explain that the coins are 40% silver blah, blah, blah.... Or do you think most people would have the 1964 and before is silver and nothing else is in their minds.

Looking to see what other people would do.

 

[Indy60]

face value only. Buy hard liquor with the 40% silver instead and stash that.

 

[michaelw2608]

Interested in other peoples ideas of keeping 40% silver coins in my prepper stash. I have just picked up some 40% silver proofs for face value and normally I would just sell them and then buy 90% silver coins.
(Sorry guys, I'm not a big lover of rounds)
Being that this time of the year I like to be lazy I was wondering if I should just keep them instead of turning them over.

So in a SHTF situation do you think that it would be to much of a problem trying to explain that the coins are 40% silver blah, blah, blah.... Or do you think most people would have the 1964 and before is silver and nothing else is in their minds.

Looking to see what other people would do.

Honestly, I didn't even know about the 40% silver coins until I just looked it up ha. I wonder how many of those I have actually spent.

That being said, I would probably sell them and reinvest it in coinage that even young pups like myself know is silver.

 

[Liberty1911]

Everyone hates 40% coins, at least dealers who have to handle them do. Most of the public don't know they exist.

I'd dump them for 90%.

 

[LowerSW]

Indy 60 - currently Coinflation.com show the value of 40% silver Kennedy halfs at $4.86 per coin. From the looks of Ebay I can sell them around that price. So I won't be using them for face value.

Otherwise, I agree that the dealers hate them and since it looks like some people do not even know they are silver I will be selling them after the New Year.

Thanks for the feedback and a better understanding on if I should hold them.

 

[Indy60]

Indy 60 - currently Coinflation.com show the value of 40% silver Kennedy halfs at $4.86 per coin. From the looks of Ebay I can sell them around that price. So I won't be using them for face value.

Otherwise, I agree that the dealers hate them and since it looks like some people do not even know they are silver I will be selling them after the New Year.

Thanks for the feedback and a better understanding on if I should hold them.

I was establishing or setting the value in a crisis situation. I am pretty certain if you are trying to buy some food or gas in a SHTF situation the person on the receiving end of the transaction is going to look at the numismatic value and not the intrinsic. A quarter is worth a quarter in that situation in my opinion. Yes the 40% silver are a sound investment in a functioning society but iffy in a crisis.

 

[LowerSW]

Indy, You are correct on that point. Sorry I took it wrong.
That also clarifies my thinks about selling them. Thanks for your extra response.

 

[Justin Case]

Face value! Please PM me and let me know where you got these. I'm warming up my car now :-)

 

[Liberty1911]

Face value! Please PM me and let me know where you got these. I'm warming up my car now :-)

Yeah, that's the thing about 40%, you can often find them in rolls of halves from the bank.

 

[teddy12b]

So in a SHTF situation do you think that it would be to much of a problem trying to explain that the coins are 40% silver blah, blah, blah.... Or do you think most people would have the 1964 and before is silver and nothing else is in their minds.

Looking to see what other people would do.

To each their own, but I don't buy any coins other than silver eagles and those are very few. My stash is all bullion bars and rounds that clearly show the weight of the material in the plastic and brand new. Sure if disaster hits you might run into someone who's spent time on disaster forums learning about precious metals and memorizing the % of precious metal to particular coins by the year, OR you might run into the rest of out 99.99999% population who doesn't know jack about precious metals and will need the value of them spelled out for them. More than likely they aren't going to take anyones word for the weight or value so it's nice if the weight would be clearly minted on the material.

For me, I think bullion bars and rounds dumby proof bartering with precious metals. I don't think I'm going to able to convince some hillybilly that a really old beat up nickel is worth some of his egg laying chickens, but a couple of nice new clearly marked bars or rounds maybe might.

 

[Stubz]

Sorry to thread-jack but, this has me wanting to sort my change before I roll it now. (Already always check for Wheat Cents and Pre'64s..or a '43 cent.)

Am I understanding it correctly that only Half-Dollars minted '65-'70 are what're refereed to as "40% silver coins" ?

 

[undeRGRound]

Am I understanding it correctly that only Half-Dollars minted '65-'70 are what're refereed to as "40% silver coins" ?

YES. The rest are 90% except the 35% "silver war nickels".
I will sell my War Nickels and my 40% in 2013. On FeeBay.
I only buy these 2 items if they are out of the good stuff.
I agree that these items will be likely worthless in SHTF scenarios.

 

[Knight 1]

Dumb question

If you have all your stash in large bars or expensive gold coins how do you batter for smaller expense items, change back?

Newbie

 

[LowerSW]

If you have all your stash in large bars or expensive gold coins how do you batter for smaller expense items, change back?

Newbie

That is the main reason I do not like rounds, I think I would rather barter some silver quarters for a chicken instead of having to give up a whole round because that is all I have.

 

[Liberty1911]

Sorry to thread-jack but, this has me wanting to sort my change before I roll it now. (Already always check for Wheat Cents and Pre'64s..or a '43 cent.)

Am I understanding it correctly that only Half-Dollars minted '65-'70 are what're refereed to as "40% silver coins" ?

Dimes, quarters, and half dollars, 1964 and earlier are 90%.

Correct on 1965-1970 halves, they are 40%. Dimes and quarters are not.

And as the person above pointed out. Some 1942 nickels, and all 1943-45 nickels are 35% silver. The way to tell is they have a large mintmark (P,D,S) above the dome on the reverse.

 

[Indy60]

Cash may be king in a sane society or in a somewhat jacked one. Believe me if the SHTF, prescription pain pills, methadone, Xanax, antibiotics, liquor, and crack, will be the preferred currency accepted by the desperate. Hold all of these items for when the time comes and you shall survive.... or die trying to defend your stash.

 

[undeRGRound]

And as the person above pointed out. Some 1942 nickels, and all 1943-45 nickels are 35% silver. The way to tell is they have a large mintmark (P,D,S) above the dome on the reverse.

And a good way to hunt for these in coin rolls is to look for a dull gray, slightly dis colored edge. I check them all, but usually the gray ones first. Found a couple war nickels in rolls. Worth nearly $2 each right now! ($1.85)

 

[undeRGRound]

Check dates too, because the 1938-42 regular nickels are more rare than the silver war nickels.

 

[LowerSW]

Cash may be king in a sane society or in a somewhat jacked one. Believe me if the SHTF, prescription pain pills, methadone, Xanax, antibiotics, liquor, and crack, will be the preferred currency accepted by the desperate. Hold all of these items for when the time comes and you shall survive.... or die trying to defend your stash.

Actually, that sounds like Chicago right now. I could only shudder when I think about what it will be like after SHTF.

 

[Cozy439]

Almost Great Idea

face value only. Buy hard liquor with the 40% silver instead and stash that.

this would BE a Great idea except I have never been ABLE to STASH Alcohol. There seems to be an inventory control problem. Anyone else experience this?