tcsam wrote:thanks guys great info I have a great place to start, is there any preference on the denomination as far as weight is concerned. As in quarters over half dollars

Quarters are by far the most plentiful and are easy to 'make change' in barter situations. For the same reasons I like dimes, too. You'll pay more premium for silver dollars and there's no benefit in silver content.

Commodities
VALUE CHANGE % CHANGE TIME
Nymex Crude Future 86.00 1.58 1.87 12:39
Nymex Henry Hub Future 3.98 0.09 2.21 12:39
Gold 100oz Future (USD/t oz.) 1,856.60 -35.30 -1.87 12:39
UBS Bloomberg CMCI 1,676.32 15.83 0.95 12:48

In talking with a local coin shop owner, he made the point that the more recognizable the coin or bar is the easier it will be for use as a barter item. If you go up to someone with a coin or bar that they don't recognize, they might not take your word for what the silver/gold content is. Stick with well known coins (pre-'65 90% silver US coins, British Sovereigns or Johnson Matthey bars for example) and that should make things a little easier to barter in the post-SHTF world. Midas Resources usually has pretty competitive prices, even after shipping costs they are cheaper than any local shop I've found.

Someone told me about an interesting site the other day....probably already been referenced on this site elsewhere but this thread made me think of it. http://www.coinflation.com

Silver and gold just went on sale. Gold is @ $1764, and Silver is @ $39.85. Both are good deals at those prices. If Gold falls below $1,725, or Sliver goes below $38, then they are on super sale. In the remote possibility that gold drops back into the $1600's, or Silver pulls back all the way to the low $30's, then they are on blue light special, wholesale, door buster, grab 'em when you can sale.

Looks like a day to buy a little bit of silver.

I've never bought it this high...but I'm thinking about it.