For a couple years close relatives who worked with cash and coin were watching for them and pulling them out. Hard to believe, but people are still spending silver dimes and quarters!
The net result is that we've got a few POUNDS of the stuff locked up in our safe. We've also got as much cash (several hundred) dollars in there, too in anticipation of 'banking holidays'.
Of course we've also got other precious metals (lead, brass, and copper) in usable forms by the thousand lot.
Believe it or not now we're concentrating on what I think in the short term will be the most valuable form of currency.
The calorie.
L
I have silver rounds 10-1 over AU. I also get a roll of nickels every time I go to the bank. It’s still 1963 for nickel! In a year or two when they replace nickel nickels with some base metal, you will wonder why you didn’t load up.
I recall the story of a German minister who tossed all of the collection plate copper pfennigs (sp?) into an unused bathtub for decades. He was able to feed himself through the Weimar hyperinflation with those pennies, because a copper penny was still a store of value.
When countries switch to “New Pesos” or “New Dollars” with zeros whacked off, they usually leave the metal change unchanged.
Forty genuine nickel nickels may still buy a loaf of bread when a billion dollar bill will not. SInce banks will (today) hand you all you want, why not stock up?