Hi Guys:
Silver has now dropped below its total cost of production, which averages about $29. Back in 2007, producers could produce silver at about $22 (which was above the spot price of the time as well) but at a 10% inflation rate, cost per ounce now, about 4 years later is going to be around $30. Ignore mining companies that say they can produce silver at 5 or $6. That’s just mining costs and ignores exploration, smelting, refining and shipping. Back in 2007, if you looked at the top three miners, looked at their production and profits, you could calculate their total cost at $20-$24 back while the spot price was $18. Essentially, silver has been produced below total costs since the 1930's, which is why only 22% of silver mines subsist on silver alone and the other 78% survive on their other metal production with silver as a mere by-product. No straight silver mine makes money, unless it is very, very high grade.

So as of this morning, we are below cost in the spot market. This is back to normal for silver. Silver has re-joined the ranks of food, and forestry as industries which operate below total costs. 100,000 third world farmers committed suicide last year because of their horrible economic circumstances. Meanwhile there were food riots in middle eastern cities of North Africa, and Syria because of the “high” food prices. Does anyone else perceive the logical disconnect here? The problem of course is fiat money, and pricing commodities with derivatives that steal from everyone.

To get back to the thread below, gold and the dollar have risen together until 6 months ago when gold was crushed in the derivative markets but the Dollar held up. The firm Dollar is because Europe is under attack and with it it’s banks and currency. So Europeans pull their money out of their banks and buy either Dollars or gold as a flight to quality. The Establishment doesn’t like the gold buying so a very effective campaign of disinformation, derivative based suppression, and selling by Western central banks has sent the gold market down by 15% over the past 6 months. This cheapened metal has gone east, never to return.

Meanwhile the miners have been devastated and the Dollar has firmed. This is the intent. The World monetary system can be viewed as a huge tent, with a central pole (the U.S. Dollar), surrounded by secondary poles and tie downs. The central pole has become unstable, and as it does, it is the secondary poles and the tie downs that rip out of the ground and fail first, eventually leading to the collapse of the central pole. As the surrounding poles and tie downs (other fiat currencies) fail, their citizens flee to the remaining currencies that still survive, particularly the dollar, and its value rises because of the increased demand. Some, but not a lot of this liquidity flows to gold and other tangibles causing price inflation. So, in the end, gold and the Dollar will appear to rise together. Well, gold has stopped rising, so we are not at the ‘end’ yet. When we do reach the end, I expect a hyperinflationary event, which will drive gold in Dollars to levels which don’t bare mentioning, because in the end, no amount of dollars will buy an ounce of gold. The precious metals have been purposely knocked down here. People forget that although the metals are being slammed in the derivative markets, the decline has only been 15%, which is a moderate correction as these things go….. This could be your last chance to buy politically cheapened ounces. Don’t get upset, buy some more….

The dollar is terminal, for reasons that would take too long to describe. Let us just say that a credit-based fiat currency is eventually destroyed by the build up of debt that it produces. The Dollar’s debt burden has now become so huge that the entire world cannot support the interest payments to keep it viable, even at interest rates barely above zero. So, you have two choices: hold dollars as a storehouse of value for your savings, or gold/silver. There are other things you could convert your savings into, but they are far more cumbersome than Dollars and precious metals, so pick one or the other. One is about to disappear, so choose wisely.