While gold usually gets all the attention when it comes to precious metals investment, there are a number of advantages you’ll gain from investing in silver, particularly junk silver. You should not be fooled by the name either, as junk silver is anything but.

Junk Silver Characteristics

Junk silver are coins which are comprised of silver and were widely circulated at some point. In the U.S. specifically, it refers to coins which were struck prior to 1965, which includes half dollars, quarters and dimes. All of these coins are comprised of 90 percent silver, and by inspecting the edges you’ll notice that the silver runs through them completely. The reason the term “junk silver” is used is because these coins typically aren’t seen as being collector objects, and as such won’t carry a premium which exceeds their silver content.

The 1965 Coinage Act

For many historians, the 1965 Coinage Act was a major turning point in American monetary policy, which predates President Nixon’s decision to remove the dollar’s gold backing by a few years. This act stipulated that silver be completely removed from any coins in circulation.

This means that after 1965, all the half dollars, dimes and quarters struck in the U.S. were only comprised of nickel and or copper, metals which are inferior to silver. Wise people at the time recognized the purpose behind these actions and immediately begin collecting and storing junk silver coins, especially the Kennedy silver dollars. Throughout history nations and empires have often reduced the quality of their currencies so that they could expand the money supply to fund various operations, which always led to inflation.

Advantages Of Owning Junk Silver

The most basic reason why you should hold junk silver is that it will protect you and your family from inflation, which is increasing prices resulting from a continual expansion of the money supply. It is far more affordable than gold which means that those of limited means can acquire it readily while enjoying the same advantages as gold holders.

Although most governments don’t officially consider silver to be money or use it in their coinage, it can and will be used in this capacity should the banking system become unavailable or ATMs become cash depleted during an emergency. Recent hurricanes in the Caribbean and Southern U.S. along with wars in the Middle East which knocked out power for weeks, months or years at a time should serve as a warning of keeping all of your money in a bank account.

Junk silver is easy to carry, recognizable anywhere in the world, and can be hidden or carried across borders. It is far easier to trade than gold, platinum or palladium, and unlike Bitcoins, Ethereum and other emerging crypto currencies does not rely on electricity or an internet connection. Finally, since junk silver does not have a collection or numismatic value, this means it can be acquired for a price which is not much higher than its melt value.