Tuesday, 22 March 2011

A Few Interesting Facts About 1964 Silver

By Herbert Menfis


1964 silver currency that was made earlier than 1965 is labeled junk silver. This label is referenced mostly by Numismatists or collectors of coins. All metal currency has their face value such as 10-cents, or 25-cents which stays the same during the circulation life of the coin. However, there is an additional value when the currency is melted down and weighed in relation to the commodity market price of the metal.

All silver coinage is forged with a 90-10 ratio of silver to copper. As its face value remains the same, the melt value is based on the price that the metal is being traded in the marketplace, as well as the gram weight of the coinage and percent amount of metal.

The larger the coin, the greater the weight, so it is not surprising that the melt value will be higher on 50-cent and dollar pieces. Availability in the marketplace is another consideration. Two coins with the highest melt value are the Morgan Dollar which was circulated from 1878 to 1921 and the Peace Dollar in circulation from 1921-1935. Both retain their one-dollar face values, but have melt values slightly above $26.00.

The availability of a piece of metal currency can add a premium to its value. Such is the case with the Walking Liberty Half-Dollar. Not surprisingly, the Half-Dollar earned its name as having the face value of one-half of a full dollar. The metal composite ratios of both are the same, but the weight in grams is exactly one-half as well. Two well known pre-1964 pieces are named for U. S. Presidents, Benjamin Franklin and John F. Kennedy.

Some coinage may have a premium value and will be priced slightly higher in their melted stage. Such one coin is the Walking Liberty fifty cent piece. Availability plays a factor is premium melt values. Two other half dollar pieces, so labeled because of their 50% value of the dollar, are the coins named for Ben Franklin and Jack F. Kennedy.

For the investor who seeks low-risk investments, long range statistics prove metal to be fairly safe, as well as providing increased returns over the years. An investor has the choice of buying shares in the metal commodity markets, purchasing bars of bullion, buying up coins, jewelry and sundry tableware for their meltdown value, or a combination thereof.

There is little risk for the investor when the trading is protected by a number of rules and regulations. Some of these rules center on not allowing the hoarding of the precious metal in order to have influence over its value in the world market. Such was the case of millionaire oilmen, Nelson Bunker Hunt and his brother, William Herbert Hunt. At one point, the Hunts owned the majority of all of the silver in the world for the purpose of driving the metal market. They were fined an enormous sum of money, forced to divest their holdings and were unable to trade in commodities ever again.

There are a number of famous people who have chosen coin collecting as their hobby of choice. These include the Roman Emperor Augustus, Louis XIV, the French Sun King, U. S. President John Quincy Adams and in the present day, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Silver coins, whether investing or collecting are a fascinating pursuit.




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