Buying gold and silver for survival has long been recommended as an excellent investment for the preparedness-minded.  Before buying, there are a few things you need to know to make a smart investment in your future.

What Are Precious Metals?

Precious metals like gold and silver are metals that retain monetary value. Gold and silver have a 6000-year history of use as money for conducting day-to-day commerce. As such, buying gold and silver for survival can be an excellent addition to your preparedness insurance plan.

It wasn’t until modern times that some people began to downplay the importance of precious metals.

Buying Gold and Silver for Survival Preserves Wealth

Gold and silver are a great way to protect yourself against the decline of the dollar.

An excellent example of this is in regards to home buying over the years:

In 1964, it took 15,000 ounces of silver to purchase the average U.S. home. Today, in 2017, it will take the same 15,000 ounces of silver to buy the average U.S. home.

In 1964, it took $19,000 in paper dollars to purchase the average U.S. home. However, today, in 2017, it will take $250,000 in paper dollars to buy the same average U.S. home.

Why?

The reason it takes so many more paper dollars to buy the average U.S. home is because of the devaluation of the dollar. However, while the dollar has devalued, silver and gold have maintained their value.

Unfortunately, the devaluation of the dollar is likely to go on. Therefore, as part of your prepping budget, you should consider gold and silver as part of your prepping portfolio.

Should You Buy Gold, Silver, or Both?

If you’re able, it’s best to diversify and buy both. Although, if you can only afford to buy one, then you should buy silver.

Should buying only silver be the course of action you decide upon, it will make you much more secure. You will be more secure because silver is much easier to use for small day-to-day transactions.

Also, should you lose some of your silver, it will be much less costly than losing gold. For example, it is a lot better to lose two silver coins than two gold coins.

What is the Gold-Silver Ratio?

The gold-silver ratio is defined as the number of ounces of silver it takes to purchase one ounce of gold.

Typically, when the gold-silver ratio is high, silver outperforms gold in the next cycle.

What Should You Do When Buying Gold and Silver for Survival?

If you’re buying gold and silver for survival, you should diversify.  Diversification does not just mean buying both gold and silver. It means investing in various types of gold and silver.

It is essential when investing to avoid high premiums. Avoiding high premiums will get you more precious metals for the dollars you spend. One way to avoid high premiums is to contact Craig Hill at Hill and Vaughn Precious Metals. Craig is excellent at helping the average person understand precious metals. He will offer you great advice to help ensure you are as prepared as possible when it comes to purchasing your gold and silver.

When investing, try to focus on easy to recognize silver, such as pre-1965 silver U.S. coins. These coins are known the world over. They are also commonly known to have a 95% silver content. Therefore, they will be easy to trade and use as currency.

What Size of Gold or Silver Ingots are Best for Trading?

First, it’s good to remember that the best metals are the ones trading at the lowest premium.

Right now, the type of precious metal trading at the lowest premiums is 95% silver, also known as junk silver. Junk silver includes U.S. quarters, dimes, and half dollars minted before 1965.

Should I Buy Collectible Coins (Numismatics)?

Buying collector coins is an individual choice. However, collector coins usually have very high premiums. Additionally,