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 Replies: 23 / Views: 3,058 |
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Valued Member
 United States
309 Posts |
I don't think the term itself is elitist, just like anything else, it is all in how you use it. For instance, I wouldn't describe anyone's collection as being junk silver. They put just as much time into it as myself. Just as a matter of interest, my brother intentionally collects the most worn examples of coins that he can find. His only "rule" is that they be identifiable in all aspects. He has plenty of really nice BU coins but the ones he is most proud of are the worn ones. The way I see coins as a melding of two artists (engravers and mother nature), he sees them as a melding of three (engraver, mother nature and father time). The funny thing is that he has no problem finding a '32 Washington but a '64 is much more difficult because they were pulled out of circulation so soon. And the only thing he considers AT is putting a coin in a dryer.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
511 Posts |
I agree, Herman. Silver represented honest money even before today's high bullion prices. Post-1965 clad slugs and the current batch of butt ugly $1 brass arcade tokens are junk.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4008 Posts |
Don't care for the term "junk silver" either. There is no "junk gold", so why should there be junk silver? To me, junk is the old broken ugly stuff that is hauled away and sent to a land-fill. Circulated 90% silver coins are VERY far from junk, IMHO. Most of my 90% silver coins are either BU or proofs... beautiful coins that I very much enjoy getting out and looking at from time to time. Only reason I ever look at junk is when sorting for the recycle bins that the trash guys haul away.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3670 Posts |
We have chatted on this in the past, and I too dislike the term. Sure, you have generic silver if you will and many different levels of silver if you will, for lack of a better word from lesser company's. And perhaps the image is not that attractive or eye catching, but it is 1 oz. of .9999 silver, that is all that matters in the end....
I as well have a friend who collects old Roman coins, and he loves the more popular big name era coins as do most who collect in that genre, via Nero or Caesar. But most I have seen that he is so proud of, and don't get me wrong they are way cool, and an amazing very old piece of history, but not in very good shape, lol. Seems as if a weee bit of circulation may have taken place.
I personally love the look of a perfect coin, via cameo or proof, without a scratch tucked away in a nice airtight case forever, but that is just me. To each his/her own....
Edited by Silverhawk74
05/11/2011 7:34 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2120 Posts |
Just bought 50oz ($70 face) of "junk silver." Was glad to do it, Only paid about a $1 premium per ounce Vs the $4 premium on ASEs and $2 on generic rounds.
If I had another $1800, I would do it again. :D
I definitely agree that with these prices a lot of "junk silver" is going to the melt pot. This is why I prefer 'Classic Silver' coins over generics, Nothing like having two very distinct and separate values on one item.
*EDIT*
I propose that from now on; Any Silver coin previously used in common circulation by any globally recognized Country, Province, State, or Union, with a well known purity, be hence forth referred to as 'Classic Silver'.
Let the term 'Junk Silver' be reserved for Silver that is damaged, vandalized, of unknown purity, or generally undesirable in quality or appearance.
All those in favor, you know what to do.
:D
Edited by Namachieli
05/11/2011 7:55 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
Canada
10743 Posts |
I don't think any of these beautiful metal discs that we collect should be called 'junk'...  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10038 Posts |
I liked the pre-slabbed coin days when nothing was looked at as junk silver b/c they all had their own specific values. If it filled a hole in the book - it could not be considered junk. There was more fun with each coin back then.
Its still fun, but just different from what it used to be.
It will be interesting in years to come to find out what coins have been made scarce by the melting process.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3670 Posts |
The funniest part is see the title junk silver, and a 2700 dollar price tag. Yes, way to talk me into that enticing auction with that eye catching lingo. Last time I checked, junk does not have a price tag on it, and if it does it is not much, via pickers, one mans junk is another mans treasure.... I was having trouble selling on ebay, then I dropped the prices and started talking CRAZY, like a car lot salesmen, or that guy who sells the stuff at 3 A.M., yellin about great deals, via just escaped from the strait jacket, and all out of Prozac, so now I am selling at INSANELY low prices! I am not sure if it was the poor attempt at the comedy which makes my occasional sell, or the CRAZY low prices  .... Edited by Silverhawk74
05/11/2011 11:18 pm
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Replies: 23 / Views: 3,058 |
First Page
Posted 05/11/2011 6:38 pm
