Freedom's Metal>Silver

[NoTime4marxists]

I love silver and have collected it since I saw my first silver mercury dime.  At the time, I loved it for its' beauty and rarity.  Now, I love it for its' utility and its' role in history.

 

The Greeks had discovered a large silver deposit, which was used to fund and build the Greek army and fleet used to stop Persia.   Without the silver, Greece, more than likely, would've fallen. 

 

Does anyone else have a historical and or economical example of silver role in protecting or propagating Liberty?

 

 

[RichardY]

Not sure if having slaves dig the metal out of the ground, refine it, mint it, transport it and all the ancillary costs etc was a good way of propagating or protecting liberty. From a military perspective "Blood and Iron" maybe far better. With the silver the Athenian elite still had to purchase ships from another city state, they may have decided possibly to build temples or public works instead to maintain their political power. Other metals like copper, or salt may have far more transactional and use value to most people. Mining silver perhaps a good way of accumulating political capital at the time however.

 

Silver contributed to inflation in the Spanish Empire and was used to fund wars in Holland. Control over the trade in precious metals badly effected Spanish industry whilst Britain prospered. Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations".

 

Silver helped contribute to viking raids "Danegeld".

 

Debased silver currency badly affected trade in the Roman Empire. Debased in the UK post 1920.

 

Played a part in the Opium Wars.

 

Silver paid to betray Jesus. 

 

Having said that, I think silver has a positive equalising affect in trade, its equitable distribution often being tightly controlled to maintain political power. Also a useful antibacterial agent, various modern day manufacturing uses. May well be a useful currency/money again.

[NoTime4marxists]

Not sure if having slaves dig the metal out of the ground, refine it, mint it, transport it and all the ancillary costs etc was a good way of propagating or protecting liberty. From a military perspective "Blood and Iron" maybe far better. With the silver the Athenian elite still had to purchase ships from another city state, they may have decided possibly to build temples or public works instead to maintain their political power. Other metals like copper, or salt may have far more transactional and use value to most people. Mining silver perhaps a good way of accumulating political capital at the time however.

 

Silver contributed to inflation in the Spanish Empire and was used to fund wars in Holland. Control over the trade in precious metals badly effected Spanish industry whilst Britain prospered. Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations".

 

Silver helped contribute to viking raids "Danegeld".

 

Debased silver currency badly affected trade in the Roman Empire. Debased in the UK post 1920.

 

Played a part in the Opium Wars.

 

Silver paid to betray Jesus. 

 

Having said that, I think silver has a positive equalising affect in trade, its equitable distribution often being tightly controlled to maintain political power. Also a useful antibacterial agent, various modern day manufacturing uses. May well be a useful currency/money again.

I loved your quote from Planet of the Apes.   But, what I noticed from your historical examples of silver was the evil that governments do when they get their hands on any source of money(wealth).  Inevitably, governments will use it for war.  It is a shame, but it is the truth.

[RichardY]

I loved your quote from Planet of the Apes.   But, what I noticed from your historical examples of silver was the evil that governments do when they get their hands on any source of money(wealth).  Inevitably, governments will use it for war.  It is a shame, but it is the truth.

Thank you I like it as well, has a very eerie vibe about it. When I was thinking about silver, gold also came to mind, specifically the Boer war. Another disaster, plain and open greed. Recently I guess there was Libya, with the gold dinar. Hard to think really when precious metals have been used well. I heard of some guy trying to get people to use silver liberty dollars that he had minted, didn't go well, another had a website for people wanting to use gold as currency didn't go well either.

 

I like the idea of using silver as money rather than say bitcoin. I guess Gold superseded silver as political capital, and paper over Gold. I have seen news stories of Banks manipulating the spot price of silver to keep it lower than it should be, similar to the LIBOR rate rigging perhaps. If Trump manages to stay in office, maybe some of those near abandoned mining towns around the USA might get working again.