In 1964, U.S. minimum wage was $1.25 an hour. That’s 5 quarters, which at the time were made of 90% silver. There was 0.18 oz of silver in each coin. With silver priced at $44/oz today, the melt value of those 5 silver quarters is now $39. So minimum wage in 1964 was equivalent to $39 an hour today, as priced in silver. 1964 would be the last year that U.S. quarters and dimes contained silver. The half-dollar was reduced from 90% silver to 40% from 1964-1970, but even that became untenable eventually. One catalyst that led the government to...