Note: Updated 4-27-2010

I’ve been following Jeff Nielson for quite some time now. I believe that for the average silver coin or silver bullion investor, because his writing is succinct and honest in it’s treatment of a very emotional investment sector.

This is information that the small silver coin investor can appreciate and trust.

I originally “discovered” his silver articles around the web. He does cover a broad range of related topics, but I prefer to stick with the silver articles.

He also shows up at Lemetropole Cafe and other sites from time to time because of his willingness to “treat” price manipulation.

His main “home” is Bullion Bulls Canada. You might try him there first to get broad sense of where he is coming from.

The crux of his writing for me is the fact that he understands and treats manipulation – in addition to covering the fundamentals.

You can trust Neilson for this…which is a relief…It is rare to find writers who approach precious metals with a balanced approach.  It one thing to be “all about” the fundamental and/or technical analysis, or focused solely on the blatant crimes of manipulation being carried out on daily basis, in broad daylight. But to balance these requires a strong determination and commitment to the truth, no matter how unpleasant, bullish, or bearish.

It is painful to face the inconvenient truth about precious metals, but imperative that one recognize the opportunity to not simply make money, but too loose as little as possible.

About Jeff Nielson

As I mentioned above, Jeff Nielson is from Canada and is a writer/editor for Bullion Bulls Canada (BBC).

His background is law and economics.

Bullion Bulls Canada provides general macro-economic and political commentary, since the precious metals markets are among the most complex (and misunderstood) in the world.

What Can Jeff Nielson and Bullion Bulls Canada Can Do For Silver Investor

Bullion Bulls Canada (BBC) also provides basic coverage of Canadian precious metals mining companies. For anyone ready to leap from bullion to bullion producers, this would be a good place to start. Ultimately the mainstream focus will turn to the producers, so you can get ahead of the crowd now, or use it a resource if you have some money to gamble with.

Another feature about Neilson and BBC  that I subscribe to can be summed up by how Nielson spells out his objective: “To slice through the veil of propaganda which taints most mainstream “news” organizations – and deceives rather than informs the general public”.

Again, it is uplifting, if not sobering to have a few places like this to turn to as we experience this great bull market and it’s accompanying grand wall of worry. Nielson’s writing provides a clear voice you can turn to when you need to get back to a fresh look at the fundamentals.

And Nielson has still another bold objective: To highlight the tremendous investment opportunities in Canadian mining (in general), and the precious metals sector, in particular.

From Nielson’s Bullion Bulls Canada: “Even with current prices for precious metals, mining companies trading on Canadian exchanges are getting horrific valuations – near the lowest levels this decade. With the enormous upside still ahead in precious metals, this provides nothing less than a once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity (at a time when most people are reeling from a series of economic “shocks”).”

Where to Find Jeff Nielson

Bullion Bulls Canada

A sample of one of my favorite Nielson series:

History of Silver, Part I: Metal of the Moon

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(Which reminds me of something I’ve been meaning to get across to you. Silver “coins” are not necessarily the same as silver “bullion”. I am technically more interested in bullion or generic silver. The purest may resent lumping coins and bullion together, but most people new to this world will not be immediately familiar with definition of “bullion”).

Now then.

Doug Casey is the Chairman of Casey Research, a unique organization that makes it’s living on subscription services for investment reports on a variety of mostly contrary or overlooked opportunities.

This interview series is one of the many Free subscriptions Casey Research provides and again,  it is highly recommend it for the long-term view and broader market trends.

Doug Casey is a highly respected author, publisher and professional investor who graduated from Georgetown University in 1968.

He literally wrote the book on profiting from periods of economic turmoil: his book “Crisis Investing” spent multiple weeks as #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and became the best-selling financial book of 1980 with 438,640 copies sold.

The timing (of my discovery) is a bit ironic in that from a monetary standpoint, we are in a similar predicament to 1980. Even more ironic, perhaps, is the fact that I saw Paul Volcker testifying before the Senate the other day in what may be only symbolic, but nevertheless interesting, given Volcker’s role as Federal Reserve Chairman in the early 80’s.

I look forward to the weekly interviews with Doug Casey because he stands for fundamentals and the long-term – with an eye for interesting recommendations for securities in the short term. And he is one of the few truly outspoken.

Additionally, he covers some broad topics like this recent one on Haiti and this one on education.

Here’s an excerpt from the “education” interview:

“Put it this way. The quality of a person can be determined by how he relates to three critical verbs: Be, Do, and Have. The classical liberal arts show you how to “be” – they help form your essence, your character, your will. The mechanical arts show you how to “do”; they are important, but really are just acquired skills. As a consequence of what you are, and what you can do, you “have” – acquire goods and money and reputation.”

The fundamental analysis is a key for any silver coin investor who desires some semblance of sanity in the world of derived price management and volatility.

Publications like this one, provide this much needed semblance.

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Update: 1-20-2010

Mr. Butler was kind enough to clarify his prespective on the difference between Silver and Gold.

Here’s what he had to  say…

Gold had a mini-rally of $5 during yesterday’s trading, but overnight has sold off $9…

I want to make something perfectly clear, that I’ve talked about before regarding Gold… When I talk about Gold, I’m also talking about Silver… I just don’t want to have to type Gold and Silver every time I’m talking about the precious metals… Silver is another store of wealth… In the December Currency Capitalist, I talked about giving the gift of Gold, and teaching whomever you gift it to, the lessons of wealth building… When my older kids were youngsters, I bought them Silver coins, for I could not afford anything else then… Those Silver coins have proved the point of providing a store of wealth, as they have never gone to zero, and have gained in value over the years!

Thanks Chuck!!

*******************************

What can I say?

I nearly fell out my seat the morning when I read Chuck Butler’s, “Daily Pfennig” where, in a mere instant, he had served up  – and efficiently denied, my beloved silver its proper place in the limelight…

Nevertheless, bullishness manifests in mysterious ways, and (perhaps) we should be thankful for the fact that silver is overlooked and misunderstood by the likes of many – and especially people who (we think) ought to know better.

That is part of my rationalization for sticking with the Pfennig.

The other part is that I just like Chuck.

And, you probably will too.

So why would a silver coin bug like yours truly be so interested in this quick and daily synopsis of currency news?

Here’s why:

Currency traders are technical, but the world is so big that they can never take their eye off the fundamentals.

No matter what, the fundamentals always catch up with the markets.  And, you don’t get much more fundamental than silver.

In addition, the heavy technical aspect to currency markets lends itself to being a good place for getting some training in the language of the markets. You can then apply the lessons to other markets.

And lastly, currency trading is ultimately about money trading and silver has always been money…

Oh yeah, I almost forgot — Not anymore, according to Mr. Butler.

More on that in a  moment.

First a brief overview about the Daily Pfennig and Chuck Butler:

This is a free and fun 10 minute read without much at all in the way of direct ads –

Mr. Butler is a great writer. Funny, friendly, and easy to follow – yet full of vinegar and controversy.

The Pfennig always starts with a personal note to warm up and ends that way as well.

He probably takes some heat for this, but I’ll bet a few silver coins that this is one of the main reasons for his success and thousands of loyal readers.

Essentially, the Pfennig (a penny for your thoughts) was designed to give folks on the trading desk an early insight and flavor before the markets open.

It ends up being a really good way to get a quick re-cap of the news…with the focus on world currencies or the macro-perspective.

Why does a silver investor need this?

Well, us little guys always need to stay a step ahead.  So few seem to get it that we can never be too sure that when discussing gold — an analyst also means silver. You need to be careful in making this assumption as I believe the real gold analysts understand the distinction between the two precious metals.

Currencies are important for a silver investor because Silver is/was  currency.

And I know that “currency folks” are mainly talking about fiat currencies, but that is actually the point. In fact, most currency analysts put gold in the currency category, albeit with super-natural status.

Mr. Butler recently (and rightly) took up reading the Creature From Jekyll Island (another time I almost fell out of my seat) and has since been referring the Fed as the Cartel. You GATA love that. Another huge reason to follow him, regardless of my silver gripe.

Anyway.

Understanding how currencies are traded, printed, and manipulated provides insight into the daily practices of centralized monetary policy and part of that mission is to bash confidence in real money.

But, understanding the value of international currencies requires a similar analysis to that which you would apply to a company stock or perhaps a commodity — like silver.

But in case you thought I forgot — silver is also money!

Mr. Butler is a big deal in the FOREX world. Formally of Mark Twain Bank, he is now president of EverBank in St. Louis and if I ever hit really big, I’ll probably open up one of their “market safe” CD’s. (That’s not necessarily a plug, by the way).

Mr. Butler is a character. Like an old friend from the neighborhood who may invoke rock-and-roll song lyrics throughout the middle of an important rant or upon delivering these missives, he is very likable and probably would prefer you call him Chuck.

Nevertheless, he disappointed me on silver.

In a recent Pfennig,

“As I said earlier, Gold reached $1,218 yesterday… Kristin mentioned to me that Silver has risen 69% this year, but all everyone ever talks about is Gold, and wanted to know why…

Well… Silver is another excellent choice of a store of wealth… But, it’s just not Gold! There are a number of reasons for this, but the most compelling one is that Gold used to be money, and to many, it is considered to be the only real currency… The practical reason is the fact that if you wanted to carry Gold in your pocket, two coins, worth $2,400 would be just fine… But if you wanted to put $2,400 worth of Silver in your pocket, you would need a lot of people’s pockets to help you carry it!”

At least he said “excellent choice as a store of wealth”.

And no, it’s not gold — it’s more important than gold. Its everywhere and soon silver will be “no where”.

And there is already less silver than gold.  Maybe he can have Kristin do a little project on silver supply.

From the keys under Mr. Butler’s (self-proclaimed) “little fat fingers”, to the refrigerator, washing machine, IPhone, cell phone, silver is in a much of the stuff we use on a daily basis in the industrialized world.

This also includes airplanes, hospitals, medicines, and plastics!

I know you can’t eat it, but there are small amounts of silver in all this stuff that no one thinks about and totally takes for granted – like all the electrical panel switches in your house that magically work every time you flip the switch.

Why do you think central banks got rid of their silver? They sold it to fuel all of these nice industries.

But don’t forget about the strategic uses- the military needs silver badly in everything from batteries to the lubrication on the jet-engine ball-bearings.

It’s always about the ball-bearings.

I’m not so sure that silver has been actually discontinued as “money” – and certainly not because central banks don’t keep it any longer. Are we to assume that because the The Bank Cartel (by Treasury proxy) sold it — that it is no longer money?

It’s funny that all the silver I own was either circulated as money, looks like money, and feels like money. It says in the US Constitution that silver is money. And I can go sell some at the coin shop and get some paper money to buy stuff with…

And finally we come to the practicality of silver versus gold.

I like traveling light as much as anyone, but $2,400 of silver when Mr. Butler dropped this on (me) his readers was about 6 rolls-worth of silver rounds  – or about 10 pounds.

I’m not trying to brag, but on more than a few occasions, I’ve carried this much silver home in the back-pack that I was also carrying my daughter (25 pounds) in — on my way back from the coin shop! And that was for fun.

Maybe I’m not the average reader, but I’ll bet more than a few Pfennig readers could handle 10 pounds of silver in a paper bag to the car.

It’s good exercise besides.

Did I mention that silver is more rare than gold?

Okay, you get the picture. I could go on and on and on.

I’ll send this over to Mr. Butler. Maybe he’ll share this with his readers, creating a new rush for physical silver that finally pushes the already tight physical market over the edge, sending all the shorts running for the hills and we’ll get this adjustment back to fundamentals over with. And then I can put some into one of those currency accounts — maybe have Mr. Butler pick one for me…..

And of course, I’m not mad. I still love Chuck!

Even though this has been  surreal to say the least.

To almost see “my team” in the spotlight.

And that moment, like a slow motion train-wreck, where silver was lifted it up so high for all those many thousands of readers to see, just long enough for it to be “destroyed” as a credible, and for once, untarnished poor-man’s asset.

The horror!

I’ll keep reading Pfennig (and so should you), pretending that when Mr. Butler brings up gold -that he is also talking about silver — sort of — even if he doesn’t know it.

I’m used to it.

It’s the way the world works.

In the meantime, here’s a more formal take (and shameless plug) about the value of silver and gold.

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We like them and its a relief for us silver bugs to have some place to go and ‘talk’ about the safety of coins. I put ‘talk’ in parenthesis, because even thought is not a whole out of commenting, it still ‘feels’ like talk.

Okay.

I think you’ll like them because this is a fresh, clean-looking, well-written (user-friendly) place that covers a broad range of issues that bullion investors need to know.

In fact, you should go over and check out the US Mint Silver Bullion Coin Sales History Chart page right now and get quick look for yourself. There go your brothers and sisters in arms out there buying coins along side of you (or putting them in an IRA). You are not alone.

Here’s what the nice folks over at Gold and Silver Blog provide:

• Timely news and commentary on gold, silver, and other precious metals.

We agree that this is a good place to get a quick fix – a catch-up and review on some of the bigger stories (with links) that you were meaning to get back to.

• Follow world mints that produce and sell bullion products.

US Mint Gold and Silver Bullion Sales July 2009 (http://goldandsilverblog.com/us-mint-gold-and-silver-bullion-sales-july-2009/) does just this.

I am a fan of the local coin man. He is my friend, but he’s a little fish in a big sea of dealers.
Heck, most times I feel like I know the issues better than he does.

The Gold and Silver Blog guys cover the macro-coin dealers – the ‘Whale’-Mints of the world – and while you can’t always trust the information coming out, you do get a worthy ‘retrospective’ on the big movements, especially for silver. Worthy in light of three little things:

1. The growing shortage of physical silver – held under by a mountain of ‘paper’ (short futures) pressure.
2. The small size of the silver market given the inflationary signals and the emerging (mainstream) perception and need for more hedging options.
3. The continued likelihood of more buying opportunities (price dips) as the world currency cycle turns on its head.

• Provide tips and observations on purchasing precious metals.

Okay, we didn’t see a lot of this and but they certainly point out the limitations of paper silver ownership, which is a bigger deal. Personally, I tend to focus not so much on the money I’ll make, but the purchasing power I’m gaining.

See Silver ETF Anomalies, National Gold Exchange, Regan Gold and Silver Coins. (http://goldandsilverblog.com/silver-etf-anomalies-national-gold-exchange-regan-gold-and-silver-coins/)

Again, I like to keep things simple. I’m that little guy buying silver rounds, silver bars, and junk silver from the guy down the street. I like the lower premiums, the ease of storage, and the absence of anyone else’s liability. And besides, something as volatile as silver, you want to keep close.

• Critique precious metals coverage from the mainstream press.

You got to like this one.

This is where you get your ammo for the ‘friend’ who thinks you’re nuts for buying silver coins and likes to point out any gold and silver bearish, propoganda non-sense that makes you fume to the point where you can’t articulate how wrong and ridiculously biased the messages are.

Okay, not everything from the mainstream is tainted. Eventually, they’ll come around in the price spike.

Again, these guys help you come back down to earth by calmly pointing out the flaws in the mainstream’s thinking.

• Round up some of the best gold and silver commentary from around the internet.

A good example of how they follow through is this post, Gold Confiscation, Missing Royal Canadian Mint Gold, Bernard von Nothaus Indictment.

And last but not least…

• Provide historical information and analysis on the price of gold and silver, and the pace of bullion sales.

So maybe this is the driest part for me. I find that a lot of really bright people are drawn to gold and silver for the ‘rationality’ of it all. And being rational can also mean preferring the technical side of life or at least finding comfort and/or escape there. I’m with you on this.

Nevertheless, I find the dollar to be a nagging reality and I prefer not to get too far caught up in the price realm, so I gloss over charts and data about the short-term price movements, ratios, etc.

These two posts, Gold Investment Report – 2009 Second Quarter and Gold and Silver Eagle Bullion Sales June 2009 will illustrate the point.

One of these days I’m going to do a negative Hard Money Newsletter Review. I promise.

This another good one. Gold and Silver Blog are bullish enough about coin silver, but well-rounded and fair enough to include platinum and palladium – which I found quite interesting.

Hey, us silver bullion investors can learn important lessons from these metals. Especially considering price, scarcity, and industrial consumption.

So there you go. For the intermediate physical silver investor, Gold and Silver Blog is well-worthy of a book mark or subscription.

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After all, anyone who prominently displays the great Mogambo Guru is a friend of ours – and on video to boot!!

The crew at Gold & Silver, Inc, physically out of Jackson, WY are one of us.

It is a pleasure to see a class act in this space that allows the contrarian viewpoint a place to breath. Especially, for those who, in contrast, were originally indoctrinated by the confusing messages over at Kitco where the main character seems to represent the conspiracy against precious metals.

We really like the logo at goldsilver.com too! And of course, we think it is a hidden reference to the true gold:silver ratio (based on supply) – silver being more scarce, and hence, more valuable than gold.

These guys work on selling physical gold and silver bullion, and if we had an extra $10-20,000 we would be happy to go the website, and order some to test out the process. They seem like  stand-up fellows.

Alas, we silver bugs tend to buy in smaller quantities and while the friendly folks, including Mike Maloney, author of the must-read-for-anyone-reading-this, “Guide To Gold and Silver Investing“, are planning to accommodate smaller orders sometime this year, so far the minimum size is 500 ounces for silver.

Update 8-17-09: Good news. See here, see here. They’ve done it again!

We’re okay with that, because the typical silver coin investor will walk into a local coin shop with a few extra bucks to buy on the dips – which seem to be occurring less and less, and according to a lot of the buzz (Ted Butler),   could be over for a while.

With that last part in mind, I would suggest signing up for the goldsilver newsletter NOW, and then spending another few hours or more going through all the free articles, news, and videos at the website, if you haven’t yet opted for this route – which is really the only way left to truly protect your assets from the ravages of inflation, which the powers that be seem hell-bent on creating, without moving to another planet.

And if you already have your silver (or gold) bullion, we suggest going back to goldsilver.com to review why it is that you are so smart in not only protecting what little you have, but by also positioning yourself for perhaps one of the greatest investment opportunities of a lifetime.

In the words of the Mighty Mogambo, “Whee!! This is investing stuff is easy!!

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This language gives rise to a spectrum of information ranging from the professional investor to the curious amateur-local-yocal-market-observer. Like us.

Those interested in precious metals for asset protection or as a long-term investment need open discussion of the important issues -from all perspectives.

On one hand, gold (and especially silver) are industrial commodities and with the forces that influence the way they trade.

On the other hand, gold and silver have always been money – at least as far as civilization goes.

Currencies trade on the world platform, influenced (and manipulated) according to how the central banks see fit and much of this is on the grand stage of politics.

You probably know some of the bartenders.

We chose three letters for this review – all from the week of July 7. In the midst of summer doldrums, yet in the calm before a storm that seems even more likely on its way.

‘Whiskey’ is an Agora product. It is one of many, and true to form, you get outstanding content with some (gentle) persuasion to reciprocate.

Our only beef is the overly-strategic ’special reports’, interesting stories in and of themselves, but dropped in on the articles.

These are sometimes sent out as separate email offers all together – which are perhaps a better way to cut to the chase.

The overall content certainly appeals to the broad audience – indeed attracting those who are interested in the energy, agriculture, and commodities sectors.

They cover the macro news and politics. And the big companies, the broader economic sectors, as well as gold and silver.

I suppose there are those who routinely stop at the coin shop in order to pick up a few ounces here and there, when the money is available – who might rationalize that the big picture stuff might be a little disconnected from the main street perspective.

Not us.

Our keen manipulation sensors pick up on the basic messages and see them through to the relationship they have to the word on the street.

The whiskey guys deliver more of the news and views that matter:

For gold, they they make the cross-over from commodities to currency without completetly ignoring the politics. We imply the same for silver and understand that our little market attracts less visitors.
Bottom line:

We recommend that you go sign-up (link: http://whiskeyandgunpowder.com/sign-up-free/

It’s practically a necesity and friendly face in your inbox.

A filter for that serves investor diversity, and remains true for the man on the street who just wants to protect what little he has and read a little news to reinforce the vision.

And who knows, when us little guys make it big, we’ll be sure to play some of the options, click on the offers that make the Agora world go around.

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