Survival Chronicles of Jim – Chapter 12

Continuing my Urban Survival Preparation with Survival Gear and Equipment procurement, I ordered and received two Motorola MR350 FRS/GMRS radios and charger. Although I preferred to have FRS radios that worked on replaceable AA batteries so I could simplify my power supplies through recharging the AA batteries with my 12v Energizer vehicle charger, these radio came with re-chargeable batteries. I can charge the batteries, in a crisis, using a 12v to 110/115v vehicle inverter which I’ll need to buy.

Before my son left for college, when he was in middle school through high school, I was in the habit of putting all my change in a glass jar for him. Once a year or so he would take the coins to the bank and convert to paper money. I have continued to do that but the glass jar has grown to several containers. A few days ago I emptied out the jar and found six pre-’65 Roosevelt dimes, four pre-’65 Washington Quarters and eleven post-’64 Kennedy Half Dollars.

Using the Silver Coin Melt Value Calculator from http://www.silvercoinstoday.com, I determined that the Roosevelt dimes were worth $7.98 (from a $0.60 face value); the Washington Quarters worth $13.30 (from a $1.00 face value); and, the Kennedy Half Dollars worth $29.92 (from a $5.50 face value). Wow! Now I have over $50 in melt value of silver coins to add to the 10 one-ounce Silver Rounds I just bought for close to $200.

I am going to re-double my efforts to look at every coin that passes through my hands,...maybe I can find some more old Silver coins valuable for their silver melt value.

I also went to COSTCO and bought three 50 lb bags of dog food, two 10 lb bags of rice, and two cases each of Green Beans, Peas, Dinty Moore Beef Stew and Campbell's Vegetable Soup. As I finish up each case or bag, I’ll replace it so I always have a supply on hand. Remember it’s just me. Although Neomi may end up staying with me in the immediate aftermath of a collapse, my Urban Survival Plan includes Bugging Out to the family cabin in the mountains.

I still plan on buying some more dehydrated food, mainly fruit and powered eggs, from EarthWaveLiving.

Be ready.

Financial Survival Planning – Melt Value of Silver Coins

We recently received another question from our post on Financial Survival Planning. “In your Urban Survival Planning - Financial Survival post you mentioned that as a guide we should have $1,000.00 face value of pre-1965 dimes, quarters, and half-dollars per person. I know that pre-’65 Quarters have some silver, but could you explain the silver value of the other coins and how much they are worth?”

Yes Sir, here’s the deal: There are a lot of U.S. coins, circulating or not, that contain silver. We’ll call that “melt’ value. As of February 8, 2010 the melt value of these U.S. coins are as follows:

1942 – 1945 Jefferson War Nickel, $0.05 face value, worth $0.85 melt value

1916 – 1945 Mercury Dime $0.10 face value, worth $1.10 melt value

1946 – 1964 Roosevelt Dime, $0.10 face value, worth $1.10 melt value

1932-1964 Washington Quarter, $0.25 face value, worth $2.74 melt value

1916-1947 Walking Liberty Half Dollar, $0.50 face value, $5.48 melt value

1948 – 1963 Franklin Half Dollar, $0.50 face value, $5.48 melt value

1964 Kennedy Half Dollar, $0.50 face value, $5.48 melt value

1965-1970 Kennedy Half Dollar, $0.50 face value, $2.24 melt value

1878-1921 Morgan Dollar, $1.00 face value, $11.71 melt value

1921 – 1935 Peace Dollar, $1.00 face value, $11.71 melt value

1971 – 1976 Eisenhower Dollar, $1.00 face value, $4.79 melt value

The above coins’ melt value does not consider their worth to a collector. A proper appraisal of each coin prior to sale (during normal times) should be accomplished.

You can also prepare with silver by purchasing Silver Bullion in the form of bullion bars or silver rounds. There is usually a premium for each piece, bar or round, above the price of the silver you are paying for.

We remember the oil crunch of 1978 or 1979 where gas stations were advertising a gallon of gas as so much in conventional currency or a much smaller amount (face value) of U.S. silver coinage. That’s the way we envision another severe economic crunch. Paper money being useful only for a short period of time, then silver and gold would be used as a currency before bartering for goods and services would take over as the major form of currency.

Stay on top of U.S. silver coin melt value (click here)