Not to long ago I clicked on an ad for a free investor’s kit from Goldline International. I was skeptical at first entering my phone number and address to a web form for a company I knew very little about. I was afraid of being spammed not only with unwanted emails, but advertisements in real life or even worse phone calls from telemarketers.

Despite these risks I took a chance and filled out the forms. The current climate here in the US has given me some serious concerns about the safety of the U.S. Dollar and my investments in the stock market. I felt like I needed to protect my savings with something I could physically put my hands on like gold or silver.

Within 2 weeks I received my Investors Kit along with only one or two emails, one confirming my sign-up and another monthly newsletter.

I was blown away by the quality of the Free Investor’s Kit. It came in a large envelope packed full of papers and information. Inside was a folder with several high quality full color pages printed on High Gloss paper and several brochures and documents with all the information that YOU NEED TO KNOW.

What Comes In The Goldline Free Investors Pack?

1. Precious Metals and Rare Coins Investors Guide

Tables of Contents:
I: Introduction to Precious Metals
II: Advantages of Owning Gold & Silver
III: Most Popular Coins & Products
IV: Why Investors & Collectors Choose Goldline
V: How To Acquire Precious Metals & Rare Coins

2. Coin Facts For Investors and Collectors to Consider

Facts, risks, and policies collectors should know:
Diversification, Holding Period, IRA Accounts, Buy Back Policy, Delivery, Storage, Risks In Precious Metal Investing, Pricing, Bullion Purchases, Exchange Transactions, Refund Policy

3. Account and Storage Agreement Information

Any and everything you need to know about Goldline International’s Terms and Conditions.

4. One-Time Special Offer Coupon for Free Shipping on my order.

5. Complimentary Issue of The American Advisor Newsletter
Goldline’s newsletter, American Advisor, provides timely news and information about our economy, precious metals and rare coins. The Investor’s Kit also included an offer for 1 Year Free subscription to the American Advisor.

Listen to the American Advisor Radio Podcast Here.

6. Pre-Paid FedEX Air Mail Envelope

7. Vintage Copy of 1933 Executive Order Gold Confiscation Act.

Under Executive Order Of The President issued April 5, 1933 all persons are required to deliver on or before May 1, 1933 all GOLD COINS, GOLD BULLION, AND GOLD CERTIFICATES now owned by them to a Federal Reserve Bank, brand or agency, or to any member bank of the Federal Reserve System.

8. Personalized Letter written to me from my Goldline Account Executive.

How was the customer service at Goldline?

About a week after receiving my Goldline Investors Kit I got the first phone call. Normally I don’t pick-up unknown phone numbers so I let it go to voicemail. It was from the same acount executive that left his business card in my free investors kit.

He was polite and basically said:

Hi John, we’ve got your phone number here because you requested some information online. I’d love to get a chance to talk with you about how we can help you with your investments at Goldline. Give me call back at this number…

It was a short message and not too pushy. I actually did not call them back right away, but my account executive called me two more times in the span of about 2 weeks and left a message each time. After that I did not hear back from him again.

Overall I would say that they were very professional and courteous. I was afraid to give out my ‘real’ phone number, but you can trust not to have problems with Goldline.

How Can I Get A Free Goldline Investors Pack?

1. Call Goldline at 1-800-827-4653 to speak with a Account Exec.

2. Sign up on the web here

3. Follow the links in the side bar.

Faced with a shortage of small banknotes, people in Myanmar are resorting to bartering cigarettes, shampoo and other items.

The bartering illustrates the effects of surging inflation and the curious decision to stop printing small notes.

How shall I give it to you? You want coffee-mix, cigarettes, tissues, sweets or what?

That question is heard often in shops and restaurants in the former Burma, where coins and small notes disappeared years ago and other notes have now started to follow suit.

State banks were main source of small notes for shop-owners, but they stopped issuing new currency several years ago. Today, beggars who collect money on the street now provide shops with the bulk of their small notes, often in return for food.

Rampant inflation also plays a role. Consumer prices rose by an average 24 percent a year between 2005 and 2008, according to the Asian Development Bank. That has taken a toll on Myanmar’s currency, the kyat.

Officially, the kyat is pegged at 5.5 per dollar. But it fetches nowhere near that, trading instead at about 1,000 per dollar. The cost of printing small notes is now far more expensive than the face value of the notes themselves.

A Yangon government high school teacher said most of her pupils had never even seen coins or small notes.

SWEETS AS CURRENCY

In the commercial capital, Yangon, 100 kyat (around 10 U.S. cents) is worth a sachet of coffee-mix or a small container of shampoo. Tissue packets or a cigarette or sweets are the equivalent of 50 kyat.

“The shopkeeper gave me three sweets for change of 150 kyat when I bought a bottle of cough mixture last week,” said Ba Aye, a Yangon taxi driver.

“When I told her that sweets would make my cough worse, she offered me a Thai-made gas lighter. When I said ‘I don’t smoke’, she then asked me to accept three packets of tissues that would be useful for my runny nose.”

General-store owner Daw Khin Aye said most of her customers preferred small items like sweets to notes.

“The small notes that are in circulation are in very bad shape — worn out, torn, stained, dirty and in most cases stuck with tape,” she said.

In Sittwe, the capital of western Rakhine State, teashop owners manufacture their own coupons to use as currency.

“It’s far more convenient to use these self-circulated notes instead of small items,” teashop owner Ko Aung Khine said.

“But you need to make sure coupons can’t be forged. Mostly we use a computer to print it with the name of the shop, face value and signature of the shop owner,” he added.

Officially there are 13 denominations of notes in circulation — starting from 50 pya (one cent) up to 5,000 kyat. But only the three big notes (200, 500 and 1,000 kyat) are common. The rest are growing scarcer by the month.

“So far as I know, they print only 1,000 kyat notes now,” said a retired economist from Yangon University. “The cost of printing is far higher than the face value of most small notes… so they now print just the biggest ones.”

How much money is in circulation is anyone’s guess. Myanmar has not publicly released money supply data since 1996-97, when it put the value at 179.82 billion kyat.

When asked for the latest figure, a senior government official replied: “We cannot tell you. It’s a state secret.”

Online currency exchange offers a massive money making opportunity to the savvy investor who is prepared to take a risk and speculate on the currency market.

Also known as the FOREX or foreign exchange market, this is a global trading arena that is open 24 hours a day from Monday through Friday. This is because no matter what time it may be where you live, there is always somewhere in the world that is open for business.

The Forex Market is the largest financial market in the world. The current amount of daily trading done in the Forex market is around 3 Trillion dollars. By comparison, the New York Stock Exchange trades around 30 billion dollars a day.

The 24 hour market provides many opportunities for traders that do not exist on the normal stock market.

For example, you can still have a day job and trade currency from home in the evenings or early mornings. You are not limited to trading your own country’s currency either. This can be an advantage during times of economic crisis when price movements in one currency pair may be difficult to predict, but others are relatively stable.

Currently the U.S. Dollar is going through a time of great turmoil. With much inflation on the horizon due to stimulus and the printing of trillions of dollars, FOREX can be one way to invest your money outside the realm of the U.S. Dollar.

How To FOREX Trade

Currency is always traded in pairs because you have to give one currency in order to buy another. You will see the different pairs written with their three letter codes, such as EUR/USD for the euro and US dollar. Prices will depend on the economic situation of the relevant countries.

If you are used to dealing in stocks, this may be confusing at first, but you can think of it as if you were buying stock in a whole country.

If you live in Canada then you would need to find out the Canadian exchange rate against the US Dollar or if in Europe the best Euro exchange rate again against the US dollar as the green back is the principle currency of the foreign exchange market.

To get started you just need a computer with a good fast internet connection. You cannot trade forex
with a dialup connection, it would be too slow. Your computer will need to display prices that are changing very rapidly, and you will want to act while the price is in the right zone.

In previous times you needed thousands of dollars to open a FOREX trading account with a broker but that has all changed now. As well as the old style standard accounts, many brokers offer mini and micro accounts where you can trade position sizes that are just 10% or 1% of the standard lot size. This means you can start out with just a few hundred dollars.

How to Practice Currency Trading

Fortunately, you do not have to start right out risking real money. You can sign up for a dummy or demo FOREX account with most brokers. This allows you to try out their trading platform, opening and closing dummy trades according to the real time FOREX prices. You can also test out systems in demo mode and keep track of your gains and losses.

Online currency exchange is fast moving and high risk. You must expect some losses and if your risk management is not good, you may see your start up funds wiped out. Be careful not to risk too much on one trade, no matter how confident you are.

Also there is no substitution for traditonal learning. There are many online courses that promise you the ability to “GET RICH” over night, with no experience, and no need to do any learning on you own. The truth is you WILL be able to make lots of money on FOREX, but only if you take the time to learn what you are doing. Online courses may be good but nothing beats reading the book first. The same way every college course comes with a professor AND A BOOK. Get a good FOREX training course or book and follow it until you are confident enough to risk real money.

By Puru Saxena

Make no mistake the developed world is drowning in debt and there are only two viable options – a global economic depression or very high inflation. It is our contention that the policymakers have chosen the latter option and over the following years, we will experience the trauma of severe inflation.

The American government is staring at total obligations of US $115 trillion, America’s debt-to-GDP ratio is off the charts and the American public is also up to its eyeballs in debt. Under this scenario, you can bet your bottom dollar that the American establishment will try to reduce this debt overhang through a process known as monetary inflation. If you have any doubt whatsoever, take a look at the chart below, which captures the incredible expansion in America’s monetary base.

Expansion in the money supply

As you can see, over the past two years, the monetary base in America has expanded from US$827 billion to an astonishing US$1.93 trillion! Until now, this surge in the monetary base has not produced a highly visible inflationary impact…yet.

But it is notable that America is not alone in pursuing inflationary policies. All over the world, the developed nations are printing money and debasing their currencies. In this era of globalization, no country wants a strong currency and everyone is engaged in competitive currency devaluations. This massive money and debt creation will cause an inflationary boom over the coming years.

In fact, those who erroneously believe that deflation is unavoidable should review Figure 2, which highlights the mind-boggling expansion in the balance sheets of various central banks. As you can see, America is not the only nation guilty of printing money; the Europeans have also jumped on this train to Inflationville.

Inflation vs. Deflation

Now, we are aware that many prominent commentators are still calling for deflation. “After all,” they argue, “how can inflation be a problem when bond yields are so low?” Well, these deflationists seem to be missing the point because the US Treasury market is no longer an entirely free market. We would argue that the Federal Reserve’s intervention is largely responsible for keeping bond yields artificially low. Over the past several months, the Federal Reserve has purchased most of the net new issuance of Treasury securities. The American central bank is engaged in this desperate act in order to keep interest-rates low. However, it is buying these Treasuries by creating money out of thin air. This is inflationary.

If our assessment is correct, somewhere down the road, the Federal Reserve will lose its battle and T-bond yields will soar. As more and more bond investors wake up to the looming inflationary menace, they will start demanding a higher rate of return on their capital. When that happens, the dyke will break and the Federal Reserve will become irrelevant.

America has run out of choices. If the Federal Reserve does not inflate away this mountain of debt, the biggest sovereign default in history is guaranteed. Now, given the ability of the Federal Reserve to create confetti money, we are convinced that it will opt for the inflationary solution. Inflation would certainly make America’s debt more manageable, but it would also dilute the purchasing power of the dollar. Of course, this inflationary agenda is not a secret and this is why many creditor nations with huge reserves are beginning to diversify away from the American currency.

Where should position yourself

In the past, when inflationary episodes spiraled out of control, hard assets were the prime beneficiaries and this trend is likely to remain intact in this inflationary episode. If our assessment is correct, over the coming years, stocks, precious metals, commodities and real estate will appreciate in value versus paper currencies. Furthermore, on a relative basis, we expect precious metals and commodities to outperform all other asset-classes. Conversely, we anticipate that cash and fixed-income instruments will probably turn out to be the worst assets to own over the next decade.

Bearing in mind the looming inflationary nightmare, we urge you to protect your purchasing power by allocating capital to precious metals and commodities-related businesses. Finally, we suggest that you consider allocating a portion of your capital to the fast-growing economies in Asia, like China, India and Vietnam. Such investments should prosper during the low-growth, high-inflation environment to come.

via: The Daily Reckoning

Children’s cartoons have a better understanding of monetary policy then the federal reserve and our Washington Bureaucrats. When the boys get a hold of a Multiphonic Duplicator they start duplicating money like crazy. In the end the bury the town in money, which leads to hyperinflation. I think we need to send Scrooge McDuck to D.C. to straighten them out.

This list is from the first things to disappear in Sarajevo at the start of the war.

First 100 Items to Disappear in a Panic

1. Generators

Good ones cost dearly, but gas storage is risky, noisy and will make you a target of thieves

2. Water Filters/Purifiers

Increased shipping delays make these disappear fast

3. Portable Toilets

Increased in price every two months

4. Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 – 12 months to become dried, for home uses.

$100 – $250 per cord. Wood takes 6-12 months to become dry for home use.

5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps

Your first choice should be clear oil. If scarce stockpile ANY.

6. Coleman Fuel

Impossible to stockpile too much.

7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.

Protection is most important

8. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.

Lots of people have stored can food, but rely on electric can openers from day to day.

9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar

Honey stores well and is good for you and sugar is important for cooking

10. Rice – Beans – Wheat

25lb Long Grain Rice bag 15$ – 25$

11. Vegetable Oil

For cooking, without it food will burn or must be boiled.

12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid

Will become scarce suddenly

13. Water Containers

Urgent Item to obtain. Any size. HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY – Food grade if for drinking.

14. Mini Heater head

(Propane) Without this item, propane won’t heat a room.

15. Grain Grinder

Non-electric

16. Propane Cylinders

Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.

17. Survival Guide Book.

Knowledge is power, lack of knowledge will get you killed

18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc.

Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.

19. Baby Supplies

Diapers, formula, ointments, aspirin, baby wipes

20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer

For laundry

21. Cookstoves

Propane, Coleman & Kerosene

22. Vitamins

Necessary to fight of disease and avoid malnutrition

23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder

Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item

24. Feminine Hygiene, Haircare, and Skin products.

Don’t get caught without these for extended periods…

25. Thermal underwear

Tops & Bottoms – Don’t get stuck in the cold

26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges

Also, honing oil

27. Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty

Great Cooking and Barter Item

28. Gasoline Containers

Plastic & Metal

29. Garbage Bags

Impossible To Have Too Many

30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels

Toilet paper is a luxury far greater than gold or silver

31. Milk – Powdered & Condensed

Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months

32. Garden Seeds

Non-Hybrid A MUST

33. Clothes pins/line/hangers

A must for drying clothes

34. Coleman’s Pump Repair Kit

http://www.rei.com/product/406006

35. Canned Tuna Fish

In oil

36. Fire Extinguishers

Or large box of Baking Soda in every room

37. First aid kits

May not be possible to call an ambulance.

38. Batteries

All sizes, buy furthest-out for expiration dates

39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies

Anything to make your food more interesting

40. Dogs and dog food

Dogs of all size can be good companionship and will be the greatest home alarm system for you family

41. Flour, yeast & salt

Needed for baking

42. Matches

“Strike Anywhere” are preferred. Boxed, wooden matches will go first

43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators

Paper and calculator may be necessary for barter transactions.

44. Insulated ice chests

Good to keep items from freezing in Wintertime.

45. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts

Wool is more heavy duty and lasts longer than cotton. Also take care of your feet they will keep you going.

46. Flashlights, Lightsticks & Torches

No. 76 Dietz Lanterns

47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks

Keeping notes, journals, writing friends and family, and recording events that should be remembered.

48. Garbage cans Plastic

Great for storage, water, and transporting. Best if with wheels

49. Men’s Hygiene Items

Shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, floss, nail clippers, etc

50. Cast iron cookware

Sturdy and efficient

51. Fishing supplies/tools

Fishing can be a source for food.

52. Mosquito coils, repellent sprays, and creams

Mosquito’s spread disease and pests come hand in hand with living outdoors.

53. Duct Tape

There is nothing you can’t fix with duct tape

54. Tarps, stakes, twine, nails, rope, and spikes

Needed for creating shelter.

55. Candles

Source of light and heat when there is no power.

56. Laundry Detergent

Liquid

57. Backpacks, Duffel Bags

For carrying and transporting supplies.

58. Garden tools & supplies

Source of food.

59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies

You will have to fix torn clothing, there may not be a convenience store to replace it

60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.

Man cannot survive on bread (and meat) alone. It’s still important to get fruits and vegetables everyday.

61. Bleach

Non-scented: 4 to 6% Sodium Hypochlorite

62. Canning supplies

Jars, lids and wax paper for food preservation.

63. Knives & Sharpening tools

Files, stones, and steel

64. Bicycles and supplies

Tires, tubes, pumps and chains. When gas is not available a bike can get you around.

65. Sleeping Bags

Also blankets, pillows, and mats

66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Battery powered

67. Board Games, Cards, Dice

Something to pass the time

68. D-con Rat poison, Mouse Prufe II, Roach Killer

Don’t forget that pests and rodents will be hungry too

69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets

Catching pests, can double as animal trapping device.

70. Paper plates, cups, and utensils

Stock up, these items will be important when there is no water to wash your dishes.

71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap

Saves water

72. Rain gear and rubberized boots

It’s important to stay dry. Gore-tex is a good new material.

73. Shaving supplies

Razors & creams, talc, and after shave

74. Hand pumps & siphons

For water and fuels

75. Soy sauce, vinegar, bullions, gravy, soup base

Increase the flavor of your foods.

76. Reading glasses

Contacts will run out.

77. Chocolate Cocoa, Tang/, Punch, and Lemonade

Water enhancers will boost flavor and add calories to your diet.

78. “Survival-in-a-Can”

Quick and easy portable survival kits

79. Wool clothing, scarves, ear-muffs, and mittens

Stay warm

80. Boy Scout Handbook

Again knowledge is power

81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit

MANCO – Keep your house warm when there is no power

82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, trail mix, and jerky

Basic dried food and snacks

83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts

Higher fat and calorie content.

84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc

Can never have too much clean underwear

85. Lumber

All types will be useful

86. Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)

87. Cots & Inflatable mattress’s

Place for guests to sleep

88. Gloves

For work, warming, or gardening

89. Lantern Hangers

For lighting

90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts

Basic repair items

91. Teas

Luxury item and water enhancer.

92. Coffee

Luxury item and good source of energy.

93. Cigarettes

Luxury item and people with addictions will pay dearly for these.

94. Wine/Liquors

For bribes, medicine, cleaning, and recreation

95. Paraffin wax

Food storage

96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.

Basic construction items

97. Chewing gum and candies

Trade, barter, and also luxury item

98. Atomizers

For cooling and bathing

99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs

To keep warm

100. Goats and Chickens

Small livestock provide a renewable food source

Important Notes

1. Stockpiling helps, but you never no how long trouble will last, so locate
near renewable food sources.

2. Living near a well with a manual pump is like being in Eden.

3. After awhile, even gold can lose its luster. But there is no luxury in war
quite like toilet paper. Its surplus value is greater than gold’s.

4. If you had to go without one utility, lose electricity – it’s the easiest to
do without.

5. Canned foods are awesome, especially if their contents are tasty without
heating. One of the best things to stockpile is canned gravy – it makes a lot of
the dry unappetizing things you find to eat in war somewhat edible. Only needs
enough heat to “warm”, not to cook. It’s cheap too, especially if you buy it in
bulk.

6. Bring some books – escapist ones like romance or mysteries become more
valuable as the situation continues. Sure, it’s great to have a lot of survival
guides, but you’ll figure most of that out on your own anyway – trust me, you’ll
have a lot of time on your hands.

7. The feeling that you’re human can fade pretty fast. I can’t tell you how many
people I knew who would have traded a much needed meal for just a little bit of
toothpaste, rouge, soap or cologne. Not much point in fighting if you have to
lose your humanity. These things are morale-builders like nothing else.

8. Slow burning candles and matches, matches, matches.

This list was originally written by James Wesley Rawles, former army intelligence officer, author, and survival expert.

Click Here For more information about the author.

The price of precious metals can fluctuate in the market quite a bit. So you may ask yourself, “Why should I buy silver?” One of the best answers is that inflation is destroying the value of our dollar and the government debt is spiraling out of control. However, the problems could be much worse in the near future. We are printing money and issuing debt like its going out of style. Over time Silver and other precious metals have always held their value. We can not say the same thing about our own U.S. Dollar. But Silver and Gold are experiencing all time highs why should I buy now?

How can Silver protect me from inflation?

There are many good reasons to own silver. As an investment it holds its value very well over time. It’s price rises with inflation so it will perform better than any of the depreciating dollars you are holding on to.

Perhaps the best reason of all to own at least some amount of Physical Silver is for survival. In the event of a national currency crisis and hyperinflation, owning physical Silver could save your life.

During the great depression FDR declared a bank holiday where all the banks across the nation were closed for 3 days. This was done to stop a run on many of banks. Now those people who had all of their assets either on paper or in a savings account were simply out of luck and could not access their money. This is just one reason to always keep an emergency fund ready on hand, but what if that bank holiday lasted longer than 3 days? Or what if many of the banks never opened back up at all. In places such as Argentina and Zimbabwe hyperinflation has devalued their currency to the point where people literally needed a wheel barrel full of cash just to buy a loaf of bread.

This scenario seems almost impossible in the United States but some financial analysts warn that its much more possible than we would like to believe.

The United States has recently printed Trillions of dollars. Only a few years ago a ‘trillion’ dollars would seem like a made up number. This is a sure sign (and the cause) of inflation. To protect your livelihood from inflation you should invest in a diverse combination of Gold, Silver, and other precious metals. However silver rises and falls faster than gold.

Historically where gold has doubled in some cases Silver tripled or quadrupled in value. It is always possible for the prices to fall from their current highs. However in the current economic climate I would be more concerned with the dollar crashing instead. No matter what Gold and Silver will never be worth nothing. If their prices did take a dive I would just take the opportunity to buy even more and so would most of the countries across the world.

Why should I buy Silver, and not Gold?

Silver stands above all the rest when it comes to a situation where you would need trade and barter. Gold, while it has a tremendous amount of value in a very small volume, would be very difficult to trade with. Your single gold coin that is worth $1000 would surely be enough to buy anything you will need, but how would anyone make change? With worthless paper dollars or pennies and nickels? Silver coins are much more tradeable and come in more useful denominations.

Silver is also much cheaper than Gold and very easy to find. Before 1965 United States Half-Dollars, Quarters, and Dimes were all made with 90% Silver. Today the majority of coins are cupronickel, because even the copper in the pennies became too expensive in 1982 to continue making them. It would seem as if we have been robbed of the use of real money. Today we are issued worthless paper backed by nothing, and coinage with little to no intrinsic value.

How can I buy Silver?

The easiest way to buy silver is by going to any coin trading store, most cities in the country have them. Ask these pre-1965 circulated coins known as “Junk Silver”. It’s called this because it has no value to collectors and it is kept solely for its silver content. There are also many places to buy precious metals online.

The current price for dimes is about 1$, a quarter is $3 based on silver at 16$. A half-dollar goes for about $6 and silver dollars range anywhere from 12-20$ because of their value to collectors. So remember that “junk silver” will have less of a markup because its been circulated and the collectors are not interested in them. I am not interested in collecting shiny things, I am looking to protect my wealth and well being. So junk-silver will do just fine.

Once you have a good amount of Silver that you could use to barter and trade only then would I start to think about buying Silver Bullion, Rounds, or Gold. Gold is like buying insurance for your savings. Junk Silver is more like an emergency spending fund. Whatever you do, don’t sit around and watch your money slowly be inflated away. Protect yourself by owning physical gold and silver.

Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse is part novel and part survival handbook. Many of the lessons in Patriots come straight from the military field manuals. The instructions are seamlessly interwoven into the action of the story. The characters in Patriots use advanced survival techniques to endure the collapse of the American civilization. From how to properly secure your survival retreat with reinforced doors to treating fatal gunshot wounds on your kitchen table and everything in between. Reading this novel could one day make the difference between life and death.

The author James Wesley, Rawles is the editor of the “Survival Blog” the Internet’s most popular blog on family preparedness. Rawles was also a former U.S. Army intelligence officer.

I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone and everyone who is interested in preparedness. The knowledge in this book is truly priceless. A fantastic wealth of detail provided, as in product names, exact numerical measurements, version numbers of equipment, and all relevant reference manuals cited as sources.

Synopsis:

Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse

America faces a full-scale socioeconomic collapse in the near future. The stock market plummets, hyperinflation cripples commerce and the mounting crisis passes the tipping point. Practically overnight the fragile chains of supply and high technology infrastructure fall, ans wholesale rioting and looting grip every major city.

As hordes of refugees and looters pour out of the cities, a small group of friends living in the Midwest desperately tries to make their way to a safe-haven ranch in northern Idaho. The journey requires all their skills and training since communication, commerce, transportation, and law enforement have all disappeared. Once at the ranch, the group fends off vicious attacks from outsiders and then looks to join other groups that are trying to restore true Constitutional law to the country.

Reviews

Claire Wolfe stated: “First the stock market and monetary systems crumble. Riots, then disease, stalk the cities. Tens of millions die. Survivors—in this case, a small band of well-prepared young men and women in rural Idaho—hang on for years, defending their redoubts against roaming looters.

Then things get really bad.

A provisional federal government shows up, bringing UN troops and national ID cards. The survivors become warriors, striking to take their country back.

Once again I cannot stress enough how important it is that you gain the knowledge from this book and Rawles and then share it with your friends and loved ones.

What is inflation you may ask? Rather than explain using complicated economic terms and charts I will show you first hand. Allow us to take a time machine back to the year 1960. A used car costs close to $800, a gallon of gas $0.31, a gallon of milk $0.49, and the cost of a new home was a mere $16,000. Reach into anyone’s pocket at that time and you will find something very different than you would today…Real Money. Quarter’s and dime’s were both made of 90% silver. By today’s current silver prices ($16.50 / oz) a single quarter would be worth about $3.00 and a dime would be about $1.20. Now just imagine if you could return to today’s time with a pocket full of 1960′s quarters and dimes.

Inflation and Fiat Money

So what happened between 1960 and today? Long ago our nation decided to stop the practice of backing our dollars with gold, silver, and precious metals, known as the “Gold Standard”. Instead they issued money which was backed only by our governments charming smile and word of honor. This is known as “Fiat Money”, our currency has value because everyone believes in it and is backed by the government. However our country’s love of the printing press over the years had increased the total money in circulation. Therefore continuously decreasing the value of our dollars, and silently taxing away the wealth of its citizens.

Since coins are different from paper money, in that they are made with metals that have real world value, it becomes inevitable that the cost of the materials to make the coin exceeds value of the coin itself. This is the reason that silver coins were replaced with copper coins, and copper coins were replaced with zinc. As recently as 1982 the cost of minting the 90% copper penny became too expensive as a result our new pennies are 97.5% zinc. A pre-1982 penny a worth about 2.5 cents and climbing.

Gresham’s Law

1/4lb Bag Silver Coins $99.00

The reason why you have never seen a silver quarter or dime given to you as change at the store is known as “Gresham’s Law”. Bad Money Drives Out Good. Currently pre-1982 pennies are still circulated regularly, but only at a rate of about 15 per roll (15/50). As soon as a person realizes that when placed side-by-side one penny is worth more than twice the other, they will choose to keep the more valuable one and pass on the worthless one to the next person. As a result higher concentrations of bad money is circulated.

Since the 2008 credit crisis began our government’s spending addiction has gone out of control. Trillions of new dollars has flooded the market, and the value of our dollar is once again in decline. One easy way to judge the value of a dollar is by the price of gold, and this week the price of gold shot up over $1000 per ounce. (4 quarters = 1 ounce) Once again it may become necessary to debase the value of our coins as our current Nickel which has remained unchanged since 1945 has a precious metal value of $0.05 (75% copper 25% nickel) but costs $0.08 to make. With skyrocketing inflation and metal prices our treasury will be forced to issue a new composition for the nickel which will be worth much less than the ones today.

Within a few years time our nickel may go the way of the penny. Where its real value may exceed the face value by 2-3 times. Following Gresham’s Law the old nickels will be systematically pulled from circulation and once they are a trader’s market will emerge. You can even see this principle being applied on websites like eBay and Penny Bullion, where you can purchase bulk copper pennies for roughly 2.5 face value.

Advantages of Nickels over Pennies

While a copper penny is already worth about 2.5 times face value and a modern nickel is only worth 1x face value (Quarters and Dimes are both worth about .15x face value) there are several advantages of collecting nickels. First it is much easier to acquire nickels than it is copper pennies. You may walk into any bank and simply ask for 20 dollars worth of nickels and that is what you will receive. If you were to ask for 20 dollars in pennies you would receive a random mix or both copper pennies and modern zinc pennies. Once you had returned home you would have to sort by hand through hundreds of pennies, and out of your 20 dollars worth of pennies you would only receive about 6 dollars in copper pennies.

The second advantage of nickels over pennies is they are easier to store. Would you rather have 200 dollars in pennies or 200 dollars in nickels filling up your closet. By volume this would be quite a considerable difference. Also while pennies are made of 90% copper, nickels are 75% copper and 25% nickel. So they are also subject to increases in the price of the nickel market. In the future the value of a nickel may far exceed that of the penny.

Allocation of Wealth

The goal is to protect your money against the coming tidal wave of inflation and if possible to make a profit. Therefore if you can afford it your primary assets should be in Gold and Silver. Now if you are poor like me, or you have extra money around then you should consider investing in a small stockpile of nickels. Now that you have this information you should know better than throwing out your pennies and nickels, because they are NOT worthless. I’ll give you a nickel and next year you give me 3 nickels. That’s a deal I’ll take anyday.

Conclusion

The spectre of inflation has been haunting the American people for a long time. In the darkness of night grows ever stronger. Do not be fooled by the slick words of our politicians, the wealth and savings of our country is being looted from within. Many people have been warning of a possible collapse of the dollar in total. In the days to come you must be wise, and use your cunning. Save and scrape every penny, nickel, and silver dollar you can get your hands on. In this way you will come out ahead. You can watch as the population en masse panics as their worthless paper dollars struggle to buy little at all.

“Hyperinflation Nation” starring Peter Schiff, Ron Paul, Jim Rogers, Tom Woods, Gerald Celente, and others. Prepare now before the US dollar is worthless. “When you print giant amounts of money…throughout history that has led to inflation.”

“If you’re worried about 4 dollars a gallon gasoline, you better worry about 8 dollars a gallon gasoline.”

Did you know that the rising price of copper has made pennies created before the year 1982 worth almost 2 cents today? In the year 1982 the US mint stopped creating pennies from 95% copper. Currently pennies are now made with Zinc. What it means is that newly created pennies (1982-2009) hold almost half of the value of a penny. ($ 0.0048) While pennies created 1909-1982 are worth $.018 by based on current copper prices.

Which makes it the only U.S. Currency that is actually worth more money as a precious metal than it is as currency. In years past United States currency used to be made out of gold, silver, and copper giving our money real world value in addition to value as a currency. Today even copper the cheapest of all the precious metals has been removed from some of our coins. Dimes, Nickels, and Quarters are still made with copper, but as for their precious metal content they are worth little more than the pennies of old.

How Much Is A Penny Worth?

“Look at it this way if you took a quarter and traded it for 25 pennies. The value of the quarter would be $0.25 US but the value of the metal would be only $0.038 or 4 cents. The 25 pennies (pre-1982) would be worth $0.25 US but the value of the metals would be worth $0.425 or 43 cents. Interesting.”

If runaway inflation takes place and the dollar becomes a worthless piece of paper, all experts have said to invest in gold to protect your savings. If you can’t afford to buy gold then silver is the next best option. If you can’t afford silver….then save your coins, because they at least have some inherent value. That is except for any penny made after 1982. So next time you are about to toss aside a penny think again because it may have more value than you think.

Disclaimer: It is a federal crime to melt or destroy US currency including coins. I advise only holding on to these for trade or sale.