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While watching the HSN channel last night they were selling a set of gold plated statehood quarters. Got me to thinking, "Would these coins be worth anything in a SHTF situation?" Seems like the gold plate would be worth at least 25 cents which would make them worth something in trade. And to a lessor extent, all of those mini gold coins that proliferate ebay. Right now all I can afford is some fractional silver rounds (mostly 1/10th oz) but I really would like to put some gold in there and thought gold plated coins could be a good way to go. I would appreciate everyones opinion. Thank you

Robert

"GOLD PLATED" Is a come-on that many use to try and add value. Basically the layer is so thin that the increase in value is nothing. It is only a cosmetic thing and actually destroys the potential collectible value of a coin. Avoid it unless you just like "shiny" stuff.

In my opinion the only reason to have a stash of gold plated coins is to have them as a decoy if you get robbed. Thieves are usually dumb so if the see some sort of gold then they will just take it and move on.

Well if you can buy a gold plated quarter for a quarter then go for it. If you pay much more than that you are probably getting your brain mushy from too much TV and the Home Shopping Channel.

Thanks guys for the input. I don't usually watch shopping channels but last night I couldn't sleep so I started watching TV and while flipping thru channels I came across HSN selling coins. When they brought out the plated quarters that's when it hit me. Anyway I won't be buying any gold plated quarters. I'll just stick to my silver rounds. Per cost the 1/10th round isn't much more than (1) plated quarter.

CtrlAltBernanke wrote:In my opinion the only reason to have a stash of gold plated coins is to have them as a decoy if you get robbed. Thieves are usually dumb so if the see some sort of gold then they will just take it and move on.

I think that is a great idea. A decoy. I like that idea. Keep a bunch of worthless gold so if you get robbed they don't get the real stuff. Make the worthless stuff easy to find so they don't look for the real stuff. Now to figure out the logistics so I don't have to spend too much.

Most of us have a "diversion" box of nice bright shiny junk that a would be crook will find and think they have the mother lode. I even have a few of the chinese made Morgan's in mine. Of course I have a list of all the fakes so I can give it to the cops to hand around to the pawn shops. Would love to be a fly on the wall when they try to get anything for the junk.

Can you see the look on the cop's face when I explain that there was a robbery and they got all counterfeit stuff?

EDIT:
Sheesh... I just had a thought... the fireproof box is probably worth more than the shiny contents. LOL

One of those news programs tested how much gold plate was on those quarters a while back. The result?

It only had 25 cents worth of GP on it.

Thanks for the info. So in this day and time they aren't worth it, unless gold goes to 10 grand an ounce. Think I will pass on the plated quarters and stick with the silver rounds.

At the local coin shop they give them out for change. I asked were they get them and was told when the widow cashes in the late husbands coins in a lot that part of it is just worth face so they give it out as change.

If you really want them, buy a rock tumbler to clean the coins and you can buy bottles of gold dip that will coat the coins. What you get will be a conversation piece only as the numi value has been destroyed.

http://www.taylorgifts.com/item/instant_gold_dip/31287

I once read that an ounce of gold was enough to plate 14,000 pairs of earrings. Not much AU on plated items, that really put it in perspective for me.

Z00 wrote:Can you see the look on the cop's face when I explain that there was a robbery and they got all counterfeit stuff?

It would be wise to use the word "replica" stuff instead of "counterfeit" stuff. As "knowingly possessing" counterfeit coins is a crime, and at the very least you would possibly pave the way to a visit from the Secret Service, or even be served with a search warrant and have all of your genuine stuff confiscated. tread softly and choose your words carefully if you ever are speaking with law enforcement. You dont want to incriminate yourself.

Rob72830 wrote:Thanks for the info. So in this day and time they aren't worth it, unless gold goes to 10 grand an ounce. Think I will pass on the plated quarters and stick with the silver rounds.

Avoid these In ANY day and time, not just THIS day and time.
The famous $50.00 gold buffalo replicas, as seen on TV. The ad states that these contain 14mg .999 24k pure gold (I highly doubt theres that much gold plating on these).
Spot = $1470.00 / 31.1grams = $47.26 * .014g = 66 cents
- If/When Au goes to 10K-
Spot = $10,000.00 / 31.1 = $321.54 * .014g = $4.50

- THE GOOD NEWS! -
For some affordable certified gold, check out IGR 0.5g .999 LMBA Certified gold bars. Premiums are not outrageous on these at the moment. Selling for about $30.00 and under, with a melt value of $23.60.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/0-5-G-GRAM-999-9-24K-GOLD-BULLION-BAR-LMBA-CERTIFICATE-COA-/111067859073#ht_1380wt_1191

cesariojpn wrote:One of those news programs tested how much gold plate was on those quarters a while back. The result? It only had 25 cents worth of GP on it.

This would mean that if they are found while silver searching, they're worth keeping? RIGHT? Who does? Who doesn't?

Z00 wrote:Most of us have a "diversion" box of nice bright shiny junk that a would be crook will find and think they have the mother lode. I even have a few of the chinese made Morgan's in mine. Of course I have a list of all the fakes so I can give it to the cops to hand around to the pawn shops. Would love to be a fly on the wall when they try to get anything for the junk.

Can you see the look on the cop's face when I explain that there was a robbery and they got all counterfeit stuff?

EDIT:
Sheesh... I just had a thought... the fireproof box is probably worth more than the shiny contents. LOL

I'm curious as to what the cops say when you tell them you had counterfeit coins. They're against the law to posess you know.

pennypanner wrote:

Z00 wrote:Most of us have a "diversion" box of nice bright shiny junk that a would be crook will find and think they have the mother lode. I even have a few of the chinese made Morgan's in mine. Of course I have a list of all the fakes so I can give it to the cops to hand around to the pawn shops. Would love to be a fly on the wall when they try to get anything for the junk.

Can you see the look on the cop's face when I explain that there was a robbery and they got all counterfeit stuff?

EDIT:
Sheesh... I just had a thought... the fireproof box is probably worth more than the shiny contents. LOL

I'm curious as to what the cops say when you tell them you had counterfeit coins. They're against the law to posess you know.

The only thing counterfeit would be the fake Morgans. all the other shiny stuff is the stuff that is legally sold ( as long as it made to look like any US Gubbermint issued coinage). Good stuff for a diversion "box" or diversion "safe". And do we really think the SS is gonna come down on someone for this act when people are on CL and Ebay selling real counterfeit stuff knowingly!? And getting away with it as long as they return the money to the victim. I would be shocked if the was any questioning the victim let alone an SS investigation. See "Counterfeit Detection and Discussion" at the top of the page for "Silver, Gold, Bullion..." forum. Some of the stories there will kill any idea of SS coming down on you. And I guess if they did, all you would have to do is tell them to bring you the thieves and you will be happy to replace it with genuine real stuff, and then they can arrest their butts!

uthminsta wrote:

cesariojpn wrote:One of those news programs tested how much gold plate was on those quarters a while back. The result? It only had 25 cents worth of GP on it.

This would mean that if they are found while silver searching, they're worth keeping? RIGHT? Who does? Who doesn't?

Recovering the gold would far be economically infeasible, even if you had a vast quantity of them.

cesariojpn wrote:

uthminsta wrote:

cesariojpn wrote:One of those news programs tested how much gold plate was on those quarters a while back. The result? It only had 25 cents worth of GP on it.

This would mean that if they are found while silver searching, they're worth keeping? RIGHT? Who does? Who doesn't?

Recovering the gold would far be economically infeasible, even if you had a vast quantity of them.

But if they're quarters, and they have 25 cents worth of gold on them, wouldn't they have an intrinsic value of about 29-30 cents? We're not talking about melting, just as we don't melt the copper cents we save.

uthminsta wrote:But if they're quarters, and they have 25 cents worth of gold on them, wouldn't they have an intrinsic value of about 29-30 cents? We're not talking about melting, just as we don't melt the copper cents we save.

Removing the GP from the quarters is the key. Chemical solutions alone would decimate the miniscule amount of gold value.

again, i'm not talking about removing it. just the intrinsic value.

uthminsta wrote:again, i'm not talking about removing it. just the intrinsic value.

no. there is so little gold on these things it is funny. Six or so years ago I was the high bidder in a live auction for $100.00 in face of these ( I won the whole lot for $80.00). They were in hard plastic round coin holders, each were the Delaware issues in a special linen box, with room for additional quarters as they were issued. I took one out of the holders and carried it around by itself in my pocket to spend for fun. Within 24 hours of rubbing against the linen of my pocket some of the "gold" had worn off, and you could see the CuNi underneath. I believe that these are electroplated, which has a far less amount of gold than something marked gold plated.