Great tip! Something normally over looked! I am also investing in foreign currencies from these countries/currency trends;European Union,China,Brazil ,India,Russia,finland,nigeria,monogloia,vietnam,switzerland,,new zealand,taiwan,and Latvia,chile. Because someones economy has to either withstand or pickup after a financial collapse. Some of these countries I listed you proboally never heard of but they are predicted to be possibly one of the worlds leading super powers (in a few decades).

But generally I would invest in silver and gold like you said because silver is one of the worlds most common currencies and who doesn't like gold? Great post and good luck!

I can see an issue with foreign currency. You have to go to a money trader to get rid of it and he wants a cut. Real silver dimes and quarters, bullion coins (gold and silver) will go directly to the end user- no middleman. Large bullion bars have the same problem as other cash, you need that middleman.
Plus there may not be a fast collapse, more likely is the high inflation route. Metals are a good insurance. Most suggest 10% in PM's but I'm more of a 25% guy.

Mike Maloney explains this topic very well on his web site. Something that far too many people do not understand is the difference between 'money' and 'currency' (AKA Fiat currency).

This link will take you to Mikes site and a great little 26 minute video that explains both money and currency in simple terms. I would recommend this and his other videos to anyone.
http://hiddensecretsofmoney.com/videos/episode-1

Looking for some advice on procuring bullion PM. I've never bought any and I'm more concerned about rip off than with Big Brother knowing I own PM. I would go to a bank if I had one but I do all my banking through President Choice online.

I'm more looking at PM to protect against inflation than for eventual bartering, though I see an advantage in coins (Maple Leaf and Krugerrand) than bars.

Thanks in advance off the tips.

I'm a newbie at all of this, so please forgive the naive questions. Where would I find the gold and silver coins to purchase? What would be the best source? Would coin shops be worth checking out? Can I buy just a few dollars worth at a time?

I wish there were precious metal beads you could buy in small denominations like $100 at a time ,that were produced to be international standard and certified. Easy to have on your person if need be , easy to divide for trade or add to your holding . Is there such a thing ?

Syn,

The closest I've seen to what you're talking about is : http://silvergoldbull.com/silver-bars/100g-100x1g-valcambi-silver-combi-bar . Though I'm not sure of the recognized value of those small pieces. What I mean by that is there is an advantage in getting krugerrand coins for example as they are easily recognizable and any somewhat knowledgeable person would recognize the coin and value. Other PM may not be so acknowledged and trading them or selling them may be more complicated.

I wish there were precious metal beads you could buy in small denominations like $100 at a time ,that were produced to be international standard and certified. Easy to have on your person if need be , easy to divide for trade or add to your holding . Is there such a thing ?

You can buy 1 oz. silver coins 99.999% at any of the major banks.

You can also buy 1/10, 1/4, 1/2, and 1 oz gold coins 99.999% at any of the major banks.

They are stamped by the Royal mint, so the authenticity is should not be a concern. These are not the double/triple stamped coins collection sets and can be touched by the bare hand.

Unless its a large branch, you usually have to order them in and wait 3-5 days for delivery. Its not a complicated ordeal though. I asked a teller, and they directed me to an "associate" who put the order in. Took about 10 minutes to place the order.

I've seen them on amazon and ebay also. You might be able to save a buck or two on them this way...if you can find em.

Watch the markets, as the cost for the coins fluctuates with the cost of that particular metal. You won't save a bunch, but if you can catch a metal on a lower day you might be able to save a few bucks per coin.

For sure NOT the banks. They charge a hefty fee. Coin dealers yes, dedicated bullion dealers in your area would be best. Shipping insurance is expensive so look for someplace you can pick them up. Not collector coins, look for bullion coins- Maple Leafs, Pandas, Philharmonics, Eagles, that kind of thing. Standard denominations like an ounce of .999 pure. You want something easily recognizable by anyone, easily valued without a lot of math. I prefer 1 oz coins. Too small to counterfeit, spot price measured by the oz - you always know what each will bring and so does the other party.
https://online.kitco.com/bullion/completelist_USD.html#silver
Some will cost $3 /oz over spot price, some more, some less. You're just buying the silver so go for the best deal this week.

Pull up google maps on your area and search for gold coins or silver coins.

I wish there were precious metal beads you could buy in small denominations like $100 at a time ,that were produced to be international standard and certified. Easy to have on your person if need be , easy to divide for trade or add to your holding . Is there such a thing ?

The Valcambi CombiBar. 50 grams of .9999 pure gold. Peter Shiff demonstrates...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cNwaA5sNr8
Not quite the beads you are after because 1 Troy oz. = about 31 grams (if memory serves) but still very divisible into as little as one gram wafers.

Edited to add: In Calgary I prefer using Albern Coins. (located just south of 16 Ave N on the west side of Center St.)

I also prefer 1 oz. silver maple leafs that would allow you to purchase smaller value items than gold bullion coins allow.

Junk silver (circulated Canadian 90% silver coins from 1967 and earlier) is another way to have a silver coin that is realistic for smaller purchases. For example a silver $1 coin contains .6006 oz. of silver with the 50 cent coin having 1/2 of that. A useful tool is...
http://www.coinnews.net/tools/canadian-silver-coin-calculator/