I Need A Reality Check. In Your Opinion..............

OAKSTAR

............how does silver find it's way back into circulation? Let us count the ways Feel free to tag other major CRH'ers. Would like everyone's opinions. You start.....

MasonG

It's been so long that it was in circulation, lots of people don't even think about it anymore. Heck- if you're young enough, you wouldn't even know what it is.

dunkleosteus430

•Kids spending parent's coin collection on candy
•People inheriting silver coins and spending them
•People finding silver coins hidden in their home, yard etc. pre 1964 and spending them
•People knowingly spending silver coins for one reason or another
•Silver coins being stolen and spent at face value by dumb thieves
•Old people finding silver coins in their pre-1964 belongings and spending them
• Cars on their way to coin shows blowing up, sending silver coins flying everywhere, which then get picked up and spent.

daltex

@dunkleosteus430 said:
•Kids spending parent's coin collection on candy
•People inheriting silver coins and spending them
•People finding silver coins hidden in their home, yard etc. pre 1964 and spending them
•People knowingly spending silver coins for one reason or another
•Silver coins being stolen and spent at face value by dumb thieves
•Old people finding silver coins in their pre-1964 belongings and spending them
• Cars on their way to coin shows blowing up, sending silver coins flying everywhere, which then get picked up and spent.

Fourth bullet point is likely people releasing coins for the Great Coin Hunt.

BryceM

I imagine the biggest part of it is people discovering a hoard of coins after their relatives pass away and either rolling it up and taking it to the bank or simply spending it.

That, and the hundreds of billions of minted silver coins simply aren't all accounted for.

conrad99

My sisters would always raid my coin collection when they needed some extra money. And my stamp collection when they had something they wanted to mail. Tried everything to hide these things but they were intrepid searchers.

emeraldATV

There's so many answers for that question, just think of where the other sock went.

johnny9434

Maybe hard times where it's food or starve, just saying

ricko

Cleaning out the sock drawer,
Emptying the coffee can of change that has accumulated for several years,
Some silver is simply still circulating.... There are not as many coin collectors as most collector people think there are out there. Cheers, RickO

OAKSTAR

I would also say that many bank tellers (not all) don't know or understand silver coins. I've been to many banks, "on several occasions" and have seen silver halves in tellers trays. That "white silver" jumps right out at you that's in between those copper clad junk coins! Talk about anxiety!?!......not just seeing the sliver but hearing it as she was counting it out for me. That is heaven on earth!!

Randoms

I believe a large population of non natives also adds a few coins into the mix. Depending on how long you have lived in the country you wouldn’t even know there’s a difference in coins

OAKSTAR

All feasible scenarios that make perfect sense. Thanks gents!

Never heard for Joey. I'm sure he has some thoughts on this.

JWP

The younger generations don't use cash - especially change/coins. There are a whole lot of kids that don't even know how to tell the difference between a cent/nickel/dime/quarter. Of course they don't know what to do with a half dollar. A few years ago I went to a McDonalds drive thru and the employee that gave me my change for a $1.09 order from a $5 bill gave what she thought was $3.91. She actually gave me 3- $1 bills, 3 SBA (not quarters) 2 dimes and a cent. So I got $6.21 in change. LOL If it weren't for calculators these kids and a lot of young adults would have to sipher without t wearing shoes and socks. I don't even want to think about eating out now!

joeykoins

Good answers above!
Main reason, I suppose is that most people are NOT aware of these treasures.

lkenefic

I think Coinstar machines have made it easy to get more spendable dollars. From a convenience standpoint, it just makes sense to take grandpa's jug of change there to liquidate it... you can do it on your next Walmart run...

Cougar1978

Unless it’s due to ignorance (it’s bullion value) It won’t. Or if it does will be end up with collector / investor.

Steven59

About 20 years ago I caught my live in girlfriend stealing my gold coins and taking them to the pawn shop in the neighboring city, I could imagine her grabbing a handful of loose silver coins and buying pop and cigarettes on her trip there. Needles to say, when I got out of jail for "causing a Domestic scene" she had luckily fled the premises never to be seen again.