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I have a one dollar silver certificate that I carry in my wallet- I like to keep a $1 Fedeal Reserve note as well so that I can ask people what the difference between the two is, besides age. When I mention that the bills used to be redeemable for $1 in real silver, that is an eye opener. Bonus points for those who carry a Zimbabwe $100 trillion hyperinflation note. More bonus points for those who carry a clad and silver quarter so they can drop the both on a table and hear the different sounds.

I'll bet you that if most people were offered a one dollar Federal Reserve note... or a silver quarter, they'd wind up grabbing
the dollar and grinning like idiots.

Very true.

beauanderos - good point on the paper dollar vs. quarter thing. I would go even a step further and say people would rather use plastic rather than paper (and God forbid they lower themselves to use metal coins). Be it a debit or credit card (mostly credit) people have become slaves to the magnetic stripped plastic. Case in point, my wife coaches the cross country team at the school our boys go to. As a treat on Fridays, she runs the team to an ice cream shop. She tells all the parents to let their kids have some money for the treat. I am standing in line yesterday with 30 kids ranging in age from 13 to 18, and sure enough four of the kids pull out Mom's plastic to pay for a $2.50 shaved ice.

Whatever. Keep stacking all those coins no one else wants.

I usually wait for either or both a teachable moment and a spark of awareness to show before I attempt an eye opener. It's no longer worth my time and effort to try to teach everyone. A sign of the times boys, just a sign of the times.

johnbrickner wrote:I usually wait for either or both a teachable moment and a spark of awareness to show before I attempt an eye opener. It's no longer worth my time and effort to try to teach everyone. A sign of the times boys, just a sign of the times.

I totally agree with this. I might wait for someone to ask me (because they know I'm a collector) "Hey, what do you think this old coin is worth?" (or some similar question showing some interest).

A few years back I bought all the adults in my family a 100 Billion Zimbabwe bill to prove a point. I then shared that I was old enough to remember .25 gas and then told them I could still buy gas for .25 a gallon. After the explanations my 2 youngest kids got it and one in particular has quite a stash of silver now tucked away.

beauanderos wrote:I'll bet you that if most people were offered a one dollar Federal Reserve note... or a silver quarter, they'd wind up grabbing
the dollar and grinning like idiots.

You are probably correct! I would be willing to bet a silver quarter that most people don't know the difference or sound of one when it hits a table. I didn't know a few years ago myself, until...
...I found Realcent!

I had some idea about silver when I started collecting the ASE Proofs every year with a fellow coin enthusiast. I wish that I had known sooner, as prices were quite low back then for bullion.

johnbrickner wrote:I usually wait for either or both a teachable moment and a spark of awareness to show before I attempt an eye opener. It's no longer worth my time and effort to try to teach everyone. A sign of the times boys, just a sign of the times.

I have mentioned silver and other precious metals to some of my friends during casual conversation. They know I collect coins, but they seem to be focused on other things these days.....

Oh well. More for the rest of us!

everyone always asks me if "I still collect coins?" Dude... I am NOT a coin collector... I am just saving my money, in silver and gold, since fiat is
unreliable and banks are untrustworthy.

Recyclersteve wrote:I have a one dollar silver certificate that I carry in my wallet- I like to keep a $1 Fedeal Reserve note as well so that I can ask people what the difference between the two is, besides age. When I mention that the bills used to be redeemable for $1 in real silver, that is an eye opener. Bonus points for those who carry a Zimbabwe $100 trillion hyperinflation note. More bonus points for those who carry a clad and silver quarter so they can drop the both on a table and hear the different sounds.

I will need a fanny pack to carry all that. Might as well throw the verifier in there