Jim asked a reasonable question, which sparked a debate and a long thread, but no answer.

Can anyone help?

I was unable to locate the prior message posted that stated what the metal content and values are for the different values of strikes. Can someone email me or better yet repost this info on the strikepoint. I especially wanted to know if a $20 is all .999 silver with gold plate or as some have stated .999 on the rim with a brass center. Thanks for the help.

Jim

My question would be, what's the silver content in a "Silver Strike" since only the center is silver?

And here's the answer to another couple of questions. You will find all sorts of varied numbers, some claiming as high as $86 an ounce. Try this for size.

In 1973, the Hunt family of Texas, possibly the richest family in America at the time, decided to buy precious metals as a hedge against inflation. Gold could not be held by private citizens at that time, so the Hunts began to buy silver in enormous quantity.

In 1979 the sons of patriarch H.L. Hunt, Nelson Bunker and William Herbert, together with some wealthy Arabs, formed a silver pool. In a short period of time they had amassed more than 200 million ounces of silver, equivalent to half the world's deliverable supply.

When the Hunt's had begun accumulating silver back in 1973 the price was in the $1.95 / ounce range. Early in '79, the price was about $5. Late '79 / early '80 the price was in the $50's, peaking at $54.

Once the silver market was cornered, outsiders joined the chase but a combination of changed trading rules on the New York Metals Market (COMEX) and the intervention of the Federal Reserve put an end to the game. The price began to slide, culminating in a 50% one-day decline on March 27, 1980 as the price plummeted from $21.62 to $10.80.

The collapse of the silver market meant countless losses for speculators. The Hunt brothers declared bankruptcy. By 1987 their liabilities had grown to nearly $2.5 billion against assets of $1.5 billion. In August of 1988 the Hunts were convicted of conspiring to manipulate the market.

By the way, the price of silver was about the same in 1986 as it is now. You would have done better putting your money into a bank and getting a few percent, because there's the 10% fee you will pay when buying and selling silver.