China Takes the Long View on Gold-Silver … and So Should You

By David Smith

A cursory look at Chinese history can convince you that China should not be underestimated when it sets its sights on a particular goal.

Even before Mao Zedong took over the reins in 1949, and the first Five Year Plan began in 1953, centuries of history demonstrated that long-term planning, while not always meeting expectations, is a core behavioral trait of the Chinese psyche.

And more often than not, it has enabled them to hit the mark.

Expect eventual success for the One Belt, One Road Initiative – the world’s largest construction project, estimated to cost $80 trillion dollars – linking the Asian mainland, (including Central Asia) with Europe via high speed rail, communications links and vibrant financial trading platforms.

And expect this project to be a major factor in bringing about what Doug Casey and others believe could become the greatest commodities bull-run that most of us now living are going to see.

The petro-yuan. A game-changer?

And oh, by the way, China recently officially launched a petro-yuan contract at the Shanghai International Energy Exchange. It marks the first time overseas investors have been able to access a Chinese commodity market – an oil futures contract – that can be settled, not only with U.S. dollars, but also Chinese Yuan, eventually a basket of currencies… and gold.

Asian Analyst, Pepe Escobar, sees clearly where this is heading, saying:

As the yuan progressively reaches full consolidation in trade settlement, the petro-yuan threat to the US dollar, inscribed in a complex, long-term process, will disseminate the Holy Grail: crude oil futures contracts priced in yuan fully convertible into gold…

That means China’s vast array of trade partners will be able to convert yuan into gold without having to keep funds in Chinese assets or turn them into US dollars… Still, the whole petrodollar edifice lies on OPEC – and the House of Saud– pricing oil in US dollars; as everyone needs greenbacks to buy oil, everyone needs to buy (spiraling) US debt. Beijing is set to break the system – as long as it takes.

Meanwhile, gold will continue rising to a level where, at some point, Beijing decides to set a conversion rate. When this “golden moment” arrives, the effects on global oil trade – and U.S. continued supremacy in this arena – will be profound. Mining Analyst, Byron King doesn’t mince any words about it. Says he,

China’s vast array of trade partners will be able to convert yuan into gold without having to keep funds in Chinese assets or turn them into U.S. dollars. It’s a straight-up way to bypass the buck. And what if Saudi Arabia – among China’s largest oil suppliers – agrees to accept yuan instead of dollars? It’ll be a bomb-down-the-funnel for U.S. dollar hegemony in the world.

Gold-for-Oil is just one element which will take precious metals to new all-time highs.

For the last several years, we’ve discussed many of these factors, about which readers can fully test their understanding by perusing scores of reports and essays archived here at https://www.moneymetals.com/news You can also find a steady stream of informative, relevant, actionable information on “The Silver Guru” David Morgan’s Blog.

Once this trend fully gets under way – sooner than most expect – the price you’re looking at for physical gold (and silver with its 90% directional gold-correlation price movement) will quickly recede in the rear-view mirror.

Here are just a few recent commentaries that should give you a sense of the structural changes in these markets, making them increasingly subject to explosive moves on the upside – without sending you an invitation to board the train beforehand.

The bottom line is gold is nearing a major bull breakout above $1365. That will turn psychology bullish and bring traders back in droves. Gold is rallying ever closer to new bull-market highs as evidenced by its massive multi-year ascending-triangle chart pattern now nearing a bullish climax. Today gold is only a couple percent below that decisive breakout, which will finally blast it back onto the radars of investors. – Adam Hamilton, Zeal Speculation and Investment

We see a massive base building in gold. Massive. It’s a four-year, five-year base in gold. If we break above this resistance line, one can expect gold to go up by, like, a $1,000. . . Doubleline CEO, Jeff Gundlach, the “Bond King”

With the growth of high-end consumption and the development in second and third-tier cities, the Chinese market will show its substantial demand, mostly unexplored, for physical gold, as more and more people start to realize gold’s stored and retaining values in the long term. – Song Xin, China Gold Association, April 18, 2018.

So how should you consider handling this situation?

Yes, we’ve been waiting “quite awhile” for this trend to get underway, creating fireworks for metals’ holders. And yes, a few people have become impatient, and actually sold back their metal – which may have taken years to accumulate. But just remember, it’s less a question of if, rather than when this all comes together.

Successful metals’ owners who have prospered since the beginning of the bull run in 2000, got there – and stayed onboard – by following a few sensible rules.

Does this look like an established trend? (Courtesy goldchartsrus.com)

They listen to the “experts” and pay attention to big changes, like the Chinese yuan-for-oil event we’re discussing here.

In addition, they look at what the charts tell them – that Asia continues to suck up gold and silver from the West like a proverbial vacuum cleaner. The Silk Road Gold Total Reserves Plus Demand chart nearby confirms this in spades. They touch base with risk tolerance, taking stock of their financial capability to participate. And acquire metal on a regular basis (without going ‘all in’ at any particular price point), regardless of that the price is doing that month.

They understand that profoundly positive things come to those who are patient, have a plan… and who then act on it. So, ask yourself today, “Am I willing – like the Chinese – to persevere for ‘as long as it takes"”?

David Smith is Senior Analyst for TheMorganReport.com and a regular contributor to MoneyMetals.com. For the past 15 years he has investigated precious metals’ mines and exploration sites in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Bolivia, China, Canada, and the U.S. He shares his resource sector observations with readers, the media, and North American investment conference attendees.

Now is the time to buy gold, major commodities team suggests

(INTELLIHUB) — A Goldman Sachs commodities team suggests that gold may “outperform” in the coming months amid growing fears of an upcoming stock market bobble.

A man by the name of Eugene King leads a team of Goldman Sachs analysts who believe now is the time to invest in gold.

“Last week, the Federal Reserve approved the widely anticipated quarter-point rate hike to put the new benchmark funds rate at 1.75 percent. Central bankers, led by Jerome Powell in his first meeting as chairman, also hinted the path of rate hikes could be more aggressive,” as CNBC reports.

Historically speaking, when the stock market has fallen from rate hikes gold typically climbs which is what makes the tangible metal such an appealing investment.

“Based on empirical data for the past six tightening cycles, gold has outperformed post rate hikes four times,” one analyst explained.

©2018. INTELLIHUB.COM. All Rights Reserved.

The post Now is the time to buy gold, major commodities team suggests appeared first on Intellihub.

Gold and Silver Possession Is a Constitutional Right – and a Practical Imperative

By David Smith

It’s a safe bet that most readers of this column who hold physical precious metals – gold, silver, platinum and palladium – do so because they view them as a store of value. Gold and silver especially, have served in the role of honest money for at least five millennia.

With a melting point 700 degrees higher than gold, the Spaniards weren’t able to determine how to utilize platinum, but they still considered it to be valuable, calling it platina – “little silver.” It would be tossed it back into a stream so that it might be able to “grow up”!

Gold, silver, and copper were monetary metals – not chosen because some authority decreed it, but through trial, error, and successful application in everyday life. (Under certain situations, as when India briefly banned gold importation, platinum and silver demand as substitutes, spiked.)

Today, cautious “stackers” don’t widely advertise what they hold, not because they are doing something nefarious, but as a practical matter to avoid the possibility of being robbed!

And more fundamentally, because like many other things in our personal lives, it’s really no one else’s business, unless we decide to make it so.

Historically this has more than once become an intensely practical matter, as when Jews fleeing Nazi oppression in the 1930s secreted gold out of Germany, disguised as box hinges and belt buckles painted black. In the case of fleeing Vietnamese in the 1970s (or more recently, Middle Eastern families) it has served as an exchange for life-saving transportation to a different continent and a new life.

Closer to home, Americans felt the sting of government intrusion in 1933 when they were ordered by Federal decree – not long after the President had stated publicly that he would not do so – under penalty of fine or imprisonment, to “turn in your gold.”

Banks were closed for four days “in order to prevent the export, hoarding, or earmarking of gold or silver coin or bullion or currency.” (So much for storing precious metals in safety deposit boxes!)

Soon thereafter, the official gold price was raised 70%, enabling the government to print money and continue financing record expenditures while keeping the currency backed by the required 40% gold minimum.

All of us are (or should) be aware by now that our privacy across the board has been, if not completely destroyed, then eroded to a point close to it.

The old canard that “If you have done nothing wrong, you don’t have anything to fear” is not only outdated and naive, it’s simply an invitation to unfettered expansion of authoritarian policies on the part of “the government” at all levels – local, regional and national.

An important inspiration for this month’s essay was sparked by a reading of and reflection on a lengthy post at bitcoin.com by Wendy McElroy, titled “Privacy Is the Virtue That Sparked the American Revolution.” In a powerful statement, she ties together the concept that even in – perhaps especially because of – the age of digital revolution, privacy is as important today as it has ever been. She says:

Government wants people to believe that privacy is the antechamber of crime, a refuge for miscreants, and a danger to the innocent. The opposite is true. Privacy is a virtue upon which due process, freedom, and personal lives are built. Privacy is at the core of what it means to be human, because the essence of privacy is the individual mind as it assesses and experiences life.

The surest protection of privacy is to do exactly what government fears. Assert it; celebrate it; understand its pivotal importance to freedom. Do not respond to the spine-chilling demand — “Your papers!”

Those who would like to read this column in its entirety, and perhaps study other aspects of McElroy’s new book, The Satoshi Revolution: A Revolution of Rising Expectations – which she is “live publishing” – can access it here.

What happens to U.S. holders if gold rises to $8,000-$10,000… or more?

In interviews here at Money Metals, Jim Rickards has stated his belief that at some point in the future, the price of gold will be revalued in an effort to back a significant portion of the Federal debt. He thinks this will be done in one or more steps, to the level of $10,000 per ounce.

Pegging the price at anything close to this level would of course institute a sea-change in the price of all precious metals, as well as the shares of the miners who produce them. It might also introduce a serious inflationary wave into the economy.

Over the next few years, given its ongoing supply/demand matrix, gold has the potential to reach these levels even without the event Rickards describes.

So is another gold confiscation in the cards? I believe that what is much more likely is the imposition of a “windfall profit tax” supported by government entities seeking to fill their own coffers, as well as by envious citizens who did not have the foresight to acquire their own gold and silver ahead of time.

Even so, under such a scenario, would you rather be envious with nothing to show for your inaction, or a bit upset because you had to pay a portion of your newly found largess in taxes?

An alarming new proposal – tracking physical cash.

A recent nominee to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, the ironically named Marvin Goodfriend, has proposed placing a metal strip in U.S. paper money, in order to track it. Each time it was returned to a bank, the money would be taxed at a pre-determined rate.

In his proposal he stated, “The magnetic strip could visibly record when a bill was last withdrawn from the banking system. A carry tax could be deducted from each bill upon deposit according to how long the bill was in circulation.”

Should this alarming idea become reality, it will only serve to widen the gulf of distrust between the government and the governed. And it might cause even the most shallow thinker to consider that, “Gee, maybe I should get some hold-in-my-hand gold and silver!”

David Smith is Senior Analyst for TheMorganReport.com and a regular contributor to MoneyMetals.com. For the past 15 years he has investigated precious metals’ mines and exploration sites in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Bolivia, China, Canada, and the U.S. He shares his resource sector observations with readers, the media, and North American investment conference attendees.

 

Arizona Law Takes Another Step to Support Sound Money

By Michael Maharrey

Last week, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill into law that takes another step toward establishing gold and silver as money. The new law supplements Federal Reserve notes with honest money that has stable, constitutionally protected value.

Rep. Mark Finchem (R-Tucson) introduced House Bill 2013 (HB2013) on Jan. 9. The new law recognizes silver and gold as liquid capital for trust companies.

Practically speaking, the bill does two things.

1. Modifies the definition of “liquid capital” to include legal tender for trust company certification. (Sec. 1)


2. Defines legal tender as a medium of exchange, including specie, that is authorized by the U.S. Constitution or Congress for the payments of debts, public charges, taxes and dues. (Sec. 1) Specie is defined as coins having precious metal content.

Trust businesses act as “fiduciaries.” A fiduciary is a person who holds a legal or ethical relationship of trust. Typically, a fiduciary handles money or other assets for another party. A trust company in Arizona must maintain $500,000 of liquid capital reserves in order to operate. The bill would allow trust companies to count gold and silver specie as part of their liquid capital.

Under the current law, liquid capital is defined as capital in the form of certificates of deposit issued by banks, savings banks or savings and loan associations that do business in Arizona. These certificates of deposit are insured by the FDIC. HB2013 expands the definition to include gold and silver. Finchem explained the impact of the bill.

This would fortify the capital asset reserve of trust companies in Arizona. Since the FDIC only insures up to $250,000 of personal deposits in an FDIC insured bank, and they can take up to 99 years to pay a claim under federal law, this move permits investors in trust companies to place hard assets on deposit as ready, liquid capital reserve without converting the real money to fiat currency and then digital currency as in a deposit in the ACH system.

From a broader perspective, the passage of HB2013 recognizes hard money as a legitimate risk reducer. It also expands the role of gold and silver as money in Arizona, and further undermine the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money.

Last month, the House passed HB2013 by a 33-24 vote. On March 14, the Senate approved the measure 17-13. Gov. Ducey signed the bill into law Friday. It will go into effect 90 days after the legislature adjourns sine die.

Gold Expert: ‘If Deep State Is pushed In A Corner Much Further, They Can Pull The Plug

Gold and silver expert David Morgan recently appeared in an interview with USA Watchdog‘s Greg Hunter.  Morgan said point blank that “if the Deep State gets pushed into a corner much further, they can basically pull the plug,” and may just crash our economy.

Morgan explains why he thinks it is a great idea to have some physical gold and silver in your portfolio.  “That means the stock market could come tumbling down, and then they [the deep state] could blame the Trump Administration,” said Morgan.

“If you are losing the chess game, you just get up and turn the table over and the pieces go flying everywhere. That is a metaphor for a war. That’s a metaphor for crashing the stock market. That’s a metaphor for crashing the bond market, and it’s a metaphor for it happening on its own. I am concerned that if you win, you lose. This is why the unraveling is being done extremely carefully,” he continued.

“I am not saying it is going to happen. I am saying it could happen. These people are so used to winning a rigged game, if they start being caught, and they have been caught, then they are going to do things that are not necessarily predictable. They are not going to act in a rational manner. They are going to do anything possible to protect themselves. You cannot rule out the possibility that they will turn the table over and that’s it.”

Morgan explains that the problem with the market is its manipulation by the deep state. Once they begin to lose their grip on those they feel are underneath them, they could just “end the chess game” by “flipping the table.”

A good portion of the interview shows Morgan discussing the importance of silver.

There is some free information on TheMorganReport.com regarding precious metals. You can also become a subscriber to The Morgan report and get much more timely and detailed analysis of the financial markets.  If you want to find out more about the “cryptographic silver monetary system” mentioned by Morgan in the interview, click here to go to Ag.Lode.One.

Breakthrough Sound Money Bill Becomes Law Today – Ends ALL TAXATION of Gold and Silver

Sound money activists rejoiced as the Wyoming Legal Tender Act became law today. The bill restores constitutional, sound money in Wyoming.

Backed by the Sound Money Defense League, Campaign for Liberty, Money Metals Exchange, and in-state grassroots activists, HB 103 removes all forms of state taxation on gold and silver coins and bullion and reaffirms their status as money in Wyoming, in keeping with Article 1, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution.

Introduced by Representative Roy Edwards (R-Gillette), HB 103 received a 55-5 favorable vote on final passage in the Wyoming House last week following Senate approval by a vote of 25-5. Gov. Matt Mead let HB 103 become law today without his signature.

The most immediate impact of the new law, which formally takes effect on July 1, is to eliminate all Wyoming sales taxes when purchasing gold or silver.

While Wyoming does not currently have an income tax, the bill stipulates “the purchase, sale or exchange of any type or form of specie or specie legal tender shall not give rise to any tax liability of any kind.” That means no income tax, property tax, sales tax or any other Wyoming tax can be assessed against the monetary metals.

Lead sponsor Roy Edwards said, “Imagine going to the grocery store and asking the clerk for change for a $20 bill and being charged $1.00 in tax. That’s what we’re doing in Wyoming by charging sales taxes on precious metals and we’re taking steps to change that.”

With the adoption of HB 103, Wyoming joins all its bordering states (South Dakota, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska) and more than 30 other states that do not assess a sales tax against precious metals.

Some states have specifically eliminated income taxation on gold and silver (Arizona and Utah) or have established precious metals depositories to store the state’s own physical gold and help citizens save and transact in gold and silver bullion (Texas).

Sound Money Defense League’s Jp Cortez testified during both the Wyoming House and Senate hearings, noting “taxation on precious metal ownership harms those most negatively impacted by currency debasement – wage earners, savers, and those on a fixed income. But it also punishes local business owners who lose business to out-of-state precious metals dealers.”

“With the abuses of the Federal Reserve’s paper money system becoming increasingly obvious, we’re seeing more legislators across America advance sound money legislation. We believe the Wyoming victory will encourage states like Kansas, Idaho, Tennessee, and Minnesota act on proposals to reduce or eliminate the taxes levied on money in their own states,” said Stefan Gleason, president of Money Metals Exchange, a national precious metals dealer with more than 100,000 customers.

“In reality, Federal Reserve Notes are ‘fake money’ because they have counterparty risk. Restoring gold and silver as money will solve many of the problems we are seeing with inflation and runaway debt,” continued Gleason.

Rep. Roy Edwards concluded, “If it hadn’t been for all the calls and emails to legislators and our governor from so many friends and allies, this victory would not have been possible. I also want to thank Sen. Larry Hicks for his invaluable help in the Senate.”

For more information on state laws dealing with gold and silver, click here.

The Sound Money Defense League is an Idaho-based public policy group working nationally to bring back gold and silver as America’s constitutional money.

Alabama Law will Help Encourage the Use of Gold and Silver as Money

By Michael Maharrey

Last week, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill into law exempting the sale of gold and silver bullion from state sales and use tax, encouraging its use and taking the first step toward breaking the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money.

Sen. Tim Melson (R-Florence) introduced Senate Bill 156 (SB156) on Jan. 11. The new law exempts the gross proceeds from the sale of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion in the form of bars, ingots or coins from sales and use tax in the state for five years after the date of enactment.

The House passed SB156 by a 100-0 vote. The Senate approved the measure by a 26-0 vote.

Imagine if you asked a grocery clerk to break a $5 bill and he charged you a 35 cent tax. Silly, right? After all, you were only exchanging one form of money for another. But that’s essentially what Alabama’s sales tax on gold and silver bullion did. By removing the sales tax on the exchange of gold and silver, Alabama will treat specie as money instead of a commodity. This represents a small step toward reestablishing gold and silver as legal tender and breaking down the Fed’s monopoly on money.

We ought not to tax money – and that’s a good idea. It makes no sense to tax money,” former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul said during testimony in support an Arizona bill that repealed capital gains taxes on gold and silver in that state. “Paper is not money, it’s fraud,” he continued.

The law’s impact will go beyond mere tax policy. During an event after his Senate committee testimony, Paul pointed out that it’s really about the size and scope of government.

If you’re for less government, you want sound money. The people who want big government, they don’t want sound money. They want to deceive you and commit fraud. They want to print the money. They want a monopoly. They want to get you conditioned, as our schools have conditioned us, to the point where deficits don’t matter.

Practically speaking, eliminating taxes on the sale of gold and silver will crack open the door for people to begin using specie in regular business transactions.This will mark an important small step toward currency competition. If sound money gains a foothold in the marketplace against Federal Reserve notes, the people will be able to choose the time-tested stability of gold and silver over the central bank’s rapidly-depreciating paper currency.

There are already signs of the tax repeals impact. According to Coin Week, the state can now host major coin shows.

“We have discussed the possibility of hosting a show in Alabama, however, we have been reluctant because of the sales-tax obstacle,” President of Whitman Publishing president Mary Burton said. “The new law allows us to once again give serious consideration to hosting a successful show in Alabama.”

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The United States Constitution states in Article I, Section 10, “No State shall…make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts.” States have simply ignored this constitutional provision for years. It’s impossible for a state to return to a constitutional sound money system when it taxes gold and silver as a commodity.

This Alabama tax repeal takes a small step toward that constitutional requirement, ignored for decades in every state. Such a tactic would set the stage to undermine the monopoly of the Federal Reserve by introducing competition into the monetary system.

Constitutional tender expert Professor William Greene said when people in multiple states actually start using gold and silver instead of Federal Reserve Notes, it would effectively nullify the Federal Reserve and end the federal government’s monopoly on money.

“Over time, as residents of the state use both Federal Reserve notes and silver and gold coins, the fact that the coins hold their value more than Federal Reserve notes do will lead to a “reverse Gresham’s Law” effect, where good money (gold and silver coins) will drive out bad money (Federal Reserve notes). As this happens, a cascade of events can begin to occur, including the flow of real wealth toward the state’s treasury, an influx of banking business from outside of the state – as people in other states carry out their desire to bank with sound money – and an eventual outcry against the use of Federal Reserve notes for any transactions.”

Once things get to that point, Federal Reserve notes would become largely unwanted and irrelevant for ordinary people. Nullifying the Fed on a state by state level is what will get us there.

WHAT’S NEXT

The law will go into effect June 1, 2018.

Michael Maharrey [send him email] is the Communications Director for the Tenth Amendment Center, where this article first appeared. He proudly resides in the original home of the Principles of ’98 – Kentucky. See his blog archive here and his article archive here. He is the author of the book, Our Last Hope: Rediscovering the Lost Path to Liberty. You can visit his personal website at MichaelMaharrey.com and like him on Facebook HERE

Wyoming Legislature Passes Bill to End All Taxation of Gold and Silver

Sound Money Bill Heads to Governor Matt Mead’s Desk

Following a 44-14 vote in the Wyoming House last week, the Wyoming State Senate today overwhelmingly approved a bill which helps restore constitutional, sound money in Wyoming.

Wyoming Senators voted 25-5 to pass the Wyoming Legal Tender Act (House Bill 103), sending the measure introduced by Representative Roy Edwards (R-Gillette) to Governor Matt Mead’s desk. Sound money activists are already contacting Gov. Mead urging that he sign the bill.

Backed by the Sound Money Defense League, Campaign for Liberty, and Money Metals Exchange, HB 103 is a bill that removes all state taxation from gold and silver bullion and reaffirms their legal tender status in Wyoming, in keeping with Article 1, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution.

Testifying before the Senate Minerals, Business, and Economic Development Committee, Sound Money Defense League Policy Director Jp Cortez made the case to Wyoming legislators that assessing taxes on purchases of gold and silver is unjust and undermines their constitutional status as money.

Representative Edwards said in support of HB 103, “Imagine going to the grocery store and asking the clerk for change for a $20 bill and being charged 80-cents in tax. That’s what we’re doing in Wyoming by charging sales taxes on precious metals and we’re taking steps to change that.”

Wyoming does not have an income tax. However, it does have a sales tax and it assesses this tax against precious metals bullion.  If Gov. Mead signs HB 103, Wyoming would join all its neighboring states (South Dakota, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska) and more than 30 other states that do not assess a sales tax against precious metals.

Other states have eliminated income taxation on gold and silver (Arizona and Utah) or have established precious metals depositories to help citizens save and transact in gold and silver bullion (Texas).

Cortez’s testimony highlighted the harmful effects of inflation that flow from the Federal Reserve System and how erecting barriers to precious metal ownership harms those most negatively impacted by currency debasement – wage earners, savers, those on a fixed income – and local business owners who lose business to out-of-state dealers that don’t subject buyers with unfair taxation.

“Governor Mead should sign the Wyoming Legal Tender Act into law without delay and help Wyoming businesses as well as all citizens harmed by inflation,” said Cortez.

For more information on state laws dealing with gold and silver, click here.

The Sound Money Defense League is an Idaho-based public policy group working nationally to bring back gold and silver as America’s constitutional money.  For comment or more information, call 1-208-577-2225 or email jp.cortez@

Wyoming House Votes Overwhelmingly to Remove Taxation from Gold and Silver

Activist Post

The Wyoming State House today overwhelmingly approved a bill which helps restore constitutional, sound money in Wyoming.

State Representatives voted 44-14 to pass House Bill 103 sending the measure introduced by Representative Roy Edwards (R-Gillette) to the Senate for a hearing.

Backed by the Sound Money Defense League, Campaign for Liberty, and Money Metals Exchange, HB 103 is a bill that removes all state taxation from gold and silver bullion and coins and reaffirms their legal tender status in Wyoming, in keeping with Article 1, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution.

Testifying before the House Minerals, Business, and Economic Development Committee last week, Sound Money Defense League Policy Director Jp Cortez made the case to Wyoming legislators that charging sales taxes on money itself is beyond the pale. In effect, states that collect taxes on purchases of precious metals are inherently saying gold and silver are not money at all.

Representative Edwards said in support of HB 103, “Imagine going to the grocery store and asking the clerk for change for a $20 bill and being charged 80-cents in tax. That’s what we’re doing in Wyoming by charging sales taxes on precious metals and we’re taking steps to change that.”

Wyoming does not have an income tax. However, it does have a sales tax and it assesses this tax against precious metals bullion.  If HB 103 becomes law, Wyoming would join all its neighboring states (South Dakota, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska) and more than 30 other states that do not assess a sales tax against precious metals.

Other states have eliminated income taxation on gold and silver (Arizona and Utah) or have established precious metals depositories to help citizens save and transact in gold and silver bullion (Texas).

Cortez’s testimony highlighted the harmful effects of inflation that flow from the Federal Reserve System and how erecting barriers to precious metal ownership harms those most negatively impacted by currency debasement – wage earners, savers, those on a fixed income – and local business owners who lose business to out-of-state dealers that don’t subject buyers with unfair taxation.

For more information on the current state of sound money laws in Wyoming, click here.

The Sound Money Defense League is an Idaho-based public policy group working nationally to bring back gold and silver as America’s constitutional money.  For comment or more information, call 1-208-577-2225 or email jp.cortez@soundmoneydefense.org.

Idaho House Votes Overwhelmingly to Remove Income Taxation from Gold and Silver

By Activist Post

Boise, Idaho (February 12, 2018) – The Idaho State House today overwhelming approved a bill which helps restore constitutional, sound money in the Gem State.

State representatives voted 60-9 to pass House Bill 449 sending the measure introduced by House Majority Leader Mike Moyle and Senate Assistant Majority Leader Steve Vick to the Senate for a hearing in the Local Government and Taxation Committee.

Backed by the Sound Money Defense League, Idaho Freedom Foundation, and Money Metals Exchange, HB 449 is a tax-neutral bill which excludes gains and/or losses on the sale of precious metals coins and bullion from an Idaho taxpayer’s taxable income.

“Gold and silver are the only money mentioned in the U.S. Constitution, and they should not be subject to tax,” said Stefan Gleason, President of Money Metals Exchange, an Idaho-based national precious metals dealer. “This legislation will help Idaho citizens protect themselves from the inflation and financial turmoil caused by the Federal Reserve System.”

An increasing number of Idaho citizens are realizing that owning gold and silver as a form of savings can help protect against the ongoing devaluation of America’s currency. However, under current law, the taxpayer who sells their precious metals may end up with a capital “gain” in terms of Federal Reserve Notes – commonly referred to as “dollars.”

This capital ‘gain’ is not necessarily a real gain. It’s often a nominal gain that simply results from the inflation created by the Federal Reserve and the attendant decline in the dollar’s purchasing power. Yet, this nominal gain is currently taxed at the federal level – and taxed again by Idaho. Under HB 449, all gains and losses upon the sale of physical precious metals which are reported on a taxpayer’s federal income tax return would be removed from the calculation of the taxpayer’s Idaho taxable income.

Utah and Arizona have already enacted similar measures to remove income taxes from the monetary metals.  Legislators and sound money activists in other states such as Wyoming, Kansas, Tennessee, and Alabama are working to exempt precious metals from sales and use taxes – just like Idaho and over 35 other states have already done.

Jp Cortez, Assistant director of the Sound Money Defense League, said “Passage of HB 449 by the Idaho House is an important step, but there’s still more to do.  Idaho voters are already reaching out to their state senators asking them to help make Idaho the next state to join the sound money revolution sweeping the country.”

For more information on the current state of Idaho laws pertaining to sound money, click here.

The Sound Money Defense League is an Idaho-based public policy group working nationally to bring back gold and silver as America’s constitutional money.  For comment or more information, call 1-208-577-2225 or email jp.cortez@soundmoneydefense.org

Alabama Senate Unanimously Passes Bill to Help Encourage Use of Gold and Silver as Money

By Michael Maharrey

Earlier today, the Alabama Senate unanimously passed a bill that would exempt the sale of gold and silver bullion from state sales and use tax, encouraging its use and taking the first step toward breaking the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money.

Sen. Tim Melson (R-Florence) introduced Senate Bill 156 (SB156) on Jan. 11. The legislation would exempt the gross proceeds from the sale of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion in the form of bars, ingots or coins from sales and use tax in the state for five years after the date of enactment.

The Senate passed SB156 by a 26-0 vote.

A similar bill is moving through the Alabama House.

Imagine if you asked a grocery clerk to break a $5 bill and he charged you a 35 cent tax. Silly, right? After all, you were only exchanging one form of money for another. But that’s essentially what Alabama’s sales tax on gold and silver bullion does. By removing the sales tax on the exchange of gold and silver, Alabama would treat specie as money instead of a commodity. This represents a small step toward reestablishing gold and silver as legal tender and breaking down the Fed’s monopoly on money.

We ought not to tax money – and that’s a good idea. It makes no sense to tax money,” former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul said during testimony in support an Arizona bill that repealed capital gains taxes on gold and silver in that state. “Paper is not money, it’s fraud,” he continued.

The proposed law’s impact would go beyond mere tax policy. During an event after his Senate committee testimony, Paul pointed out that it’s really about the size and scope of government.

If you’re for less government, you want sound money. The people who want big government, they don’t want sound money. They want to deceive you and commit fraud. They want to print the money. They want a monopoly. They want to get you conditioned, as our schools have conditioned us, to the point where deficits don’t matter.

Practically speaking, eliminating taxes on the sale of gold and silver would crack open the door for people to begin using specie in regular business transactions.This would mark an important small step toward currency competition. If sound money gains a foothold in the marketplace against Federal Reserve notes, the people would be able to choose the time-tested stability of gold and silver over the central bank’s rapidly-depreciating paper currency.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The United States Constitution states in Article I, Section 10, “No State shall…make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts.” States have simply ignored this constitutional provision for years. It’s impossible for a state to return to a constitutional sound money system when it taxes gold and silver as a commodity.

This Alabama bill takes a step towards that constitutional requirement, ignored for decades in every state. Such a tactic would set the stage to undermine the monopoly of the Federal Reserve by introducing competition into the monetary system.

Constitutional tender expert Professor William Greene said when people in multiple states actually start using gold and silver instead of Federal Reserve Notes, it would effectively nullify the Federal Reserve and end the federal government’s monopoly on money.

Over time, as residents of the state use both Federal Reserve notes and silver and gold coins, the fact that the coins hold their value more than Federal Reserve notes do will lead to a “reverse Gresham’s Law” effect, where good money (gold and silver coins) will drive out bad money (Federal Reserve notes). As this happens, a cascade of events can begin to occur, including the flow of real wealth toward the state’s treasury, an influx of banking business from outside of the state – as people in other states carry out their desire to bank with sound money – and an eventual outcry against the use of Federal Reserve notes for any transactions.

Once things get to that point, Federal Reserve notes would become largely unwanted and irrelevant for ordinary people. Nullifying the Fed on a state by state level is what will get us there.

WHAT’S NEXT

SB156 will move to the House for further consideration.

Michael Maharrey [send him email] is the Communications Director for the Tenth Amendment Center, where this article first appeared. He proudly resides in the original home of the Principles of ’98 – Kentucky. See his blog archive here and his article archive here. He is the author of the book, Our Last Hope: Rediscovering the Lost Path to Liberty. You can visit his personal website at MichaelMaharrey.com and like him on Facebook HERE

Alabama Committee Passes Bill to Help Encourage Use of Gold and Silver as Money

By Michael Maharrey

An Alabama House committee has passed a bill that would exempt the sale of gold and silver bullion from state sales and use tax, encouraging its use and taking the first step toward breaking the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money.

Rep. Ronald Johnson (R-Sylacauga) introduced House Bill 19 (HB19) earlier this month. The legislation would exempt the gross proceeds from the sale of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion and coins from sales and use tax in the state. The tax repeal would sunset in five years unless renewed by the legislature.

Today, the House Ways and Means Education Committee passed HB19 with “favorable” recommendation.

Imagine if you asked a grocery clerk to break a $5 bill and he charged you a 35 cent tax. Silly, right? After all, you were only exchanging one form of money for another. But that’s essentially what Alabama’s sales tax on gold and silver bullion does. By removing the sales tax on the exchange of gold and silver, Alabama would treat specie as money instead of a commodity. This represents a small step toward reestablishing gold and silver as legal tender and breaking down the Fed’s monopoly on money.

Practically speaking, eliminating taxes on the sale of gold and silver would crack open the door for people to begin using specie in regular business transactions. This would mark an important small step toward currency competition. If sound money gains a foothold in the marketplace against Federal Reserve notes, the people would be able to choose the time-tested stability of gold and silver over the central bank’s rapidly-depreciating paper currency.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The United States Constitution states in Article I, Section 10, “No State shall…make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts.” States have simply ignored this constitutional provision for years. It’s impossible for a state to return to a constitutional sound money system when it taxes gold and silver as a commodity.

This Alabama bill takes a step towards that constitutional requirement, ignored for decades in every state. Such a tactic would set the stage to undermine the monopoly of the Federal Reserve by introducing competition into the monetary system.

Constitutional tender expert Professor William Greene said when people in multiple states actually start using gold and silver instead of Federal Reserve Notes, it would effectively nullify the Federal Reserve and end the federal government’s monopoly on money.

Over time, as residents of the state use both Federal Reserve notes and silver and gold coins, the fact that the coins hold their value more than Federal Reserve notes do will lead to a “reverse Gresham’s Law” effect, where good money (gold and silver coins) will drive out bad money (Federal Reserve notes). As this happens, a cascade of events can begin to occur, including the flow of real wealth toward the state’s treasury, an influx of banking business from outside of the state – as people in other states carry out their desire to bank with sound money – and an eventual outcry against the use of Federal Reserve notes for any transactions.

Once things get to that point, Federal Reserve notes would become largely unwanted and irrelevant for ordinary people. Nullifying the Fed on a state by state level is what will get us there.

WHAT’S NEXT

HB19 will now move to the full House for further consideration. If you live in Alabama, call your state representative and ask her/him to vote “yes” on HB19. You can find House contact information HERE.

Michael Maharrey [send him email] is the Communications Director for the Tenth Amendment Center, where this article first appeared. He proudly resides in the original home of the Principles of ’98 – Kentucky. See his blog archive here and his article archive here. He is the author of the book, Our Last Hope: Rediscovering the Lost Path to Liberty. You can visit his personal website at MichaelMaharrey.com and like him on Facebook HERE

For Americans Buying Gold and Silver: Still a Big U.S. Pricing Advantage

By David Smith

Two years ago in this space, I penned an essay discussing how Americans – and other countries that are “dollarized” – where the local currency is either the USD or pegged to it – had a significant advantage when it came to getting the most for their money when exchanging dollars for precious metals.

Lately I looked into this issue again and the good news is – it’s still a good deal. In relation to a lot of other folks, even better than before! But the bad news is that this might not be the case much longer…

The Cando Disadvantage

The Canadian Dollar is known in the trade as a “Cando.” In 2008 it traded at US$1.10, which meant that at the time, Canadians could buy 10% more metal than Americans. In 2012 it had a high of US$1.01. In 2016 it bottomed at US$0.58 (ouch!), and today still trades at about 80 cents on the dollar. As the chart shows, Canadians get about 20% less gold and silver for their money than their southern neighbors (us).

Courtesy stockcharts.com

Zim and Ven, racing for the bottom.

Then there’s the perennial currency basket case Zimbabwe – now entering its second hyperinflationary blowout in just the last couple of decades. Zim is currently playing touch and go with Venezuela to see if the latter’s “bolivar fuerte” (strong bolivar), transacted by the pound on a produce scale rather than from a wallet, will incinerate itself first.

 

Zim’s previous “Paper Promise”- Angling for a rematch?

Back in the day when the term “strong bolivar” meant something…

But not now… (Courtesy Sources listed)

Emerging Markets Purchasing Power Disadvantage

Buyers in Emerging Markets, in which gold prices are making new highs relative to their own fiat paper, are also paying more for their stash. Nevertheless demand there is rising as well – which as previously noted – is an important “tell” regarding the health and durability of the ongoing bull market. This is because even when facing a less advantageous exchange rate, emerging market gold customers are still solidly on the buy.

Additional evidence indicates that we are just now entering the second year of what could become a lengthier – and considerably more powerful than-expected upside run.

Courtesy allstarcharts.com

We say this in part because of some serious work done by Bob Hoye’s Institutional Advisors along with the Technical observations of Ross Clark They note that for the last 50 years, important lows for gold have taken place on a regular basis, stating, “The most recent (low) was in December 2016, one year after a premature low at 7.2 years in December 2015.”

In a January 2018 public domain post, they stated,

After an initial surge off the cycle lows, the price tends to move methodically higher for the first two years. During that period, we have found that a lower 20-week moving average envelope provides support. This was most recently tested in December 2017… Except for 2002, a trailing one-week stop after the 55th week, kept participants in the market until the first week after the top.

You might want to commit that last part to memory. If the 8-year cycle pattern continues to play itself out, not only could this nascent gold bull have a long ways to run in terms of time and price, but an attentive investor could use the kind of trailing stop-loss discussed, in order to stay with the trend as long as possible, holding onto significant gains before offsetting all or most of their holdings for a good profit.

Now for the Bad News…

The U.S. dollar has been “king of the hill” since its establishment as a backstop for the so-called petrodollar, in an agreement with Saudi Arabia and other oil producing countries as a result of the 1970’s oil spike. That idea was to create a stable and reliable revenue stream for oil exporters. The price of oil was thus set in dollars, in the process establishing the unit of account as the world’s reserve currency. Even so, the petrodollar’s purchasing power is, to some extent, predicated upon the rate of inflation and the value of the dollar on the FOREX.

Things worked well for quite awhile, but in recent years, for a number of reasons, the status quo has been increasingly called into question. A detailed rationale is beyond the scope of this report, but here are a few of the elements:

• Profligate creation of dollars by the Federal Reserve, many of which have “migrated” offshore, driving down the recipients’ purchasing power.


• Massive debt growth at all levels of the U.S. body politic – leading inevitably to more dollar creation in an attempt to pay the bill.


• Unnaturally low interest rates since the 2008 melt-down, obscuring the “signals” given by rates that indicate if a given investment makes “dollars and sense”, leading to soaring mal-investment and speculation.


• A changing geopolitical landscape, wherein the BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China (plus others) – have tired of the constraints placed upon them by restrictive U.S. policies.


• The launch and coming build-out of The New Silk Road from Asia to Europe and the Middle East, encompassing 40 per cent of the world’s population in an economic-financial-political paradigm less-incumbent on the West’s wishes.


• Lessening dependence on the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency in favor of loans and payments denominated in Chinese yuan, Russian rubles, commodities…and gold.

All these factors and more mean that right now and continuing during the coming years, the U.S. dollar is going to be buying less of just about everything, and that includes precious metals. The key elements of this sea-change as they relate to you?

• Lower U.S. dollar-denominated gold and silver purchasing power.


• Increased global demand for these metals, especially in the many countries seeing their local currencies strengthen vis a vis the dollar.


• Depleting gold reserves due to a lack of big discoveries.


• Lower head-grades across the board.


• Increased cost of production due to environmental and “country risk”.

And this…

Note established 50 day MA (blue line) “Golden Cross”

While just about everything in life is based upon probabilities, the odds right now strongly favor that the next leg of the secular bull run in the metals is underway. Four years of a cyclical bear market 45-50% retracement (2011-15); an 8 month initial bull counter-trend rally (most of 2016); and finally 18 months of retracement and consolidation (mid-2016 to December, 2017) have already taken place.

Taken together, this alignment of factors makes a compelling argument for completing your metals’ acquisition plan in a timely manner. And if you have still have yet to get started… what’s your excuse?

David Smith is Senior Analyst for TheMorganReport.com and a regular contributor to MoneyMetals.com. For the past 15 years he has investigated precious metals’ mines and exploration sites in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Bolivia, China, Canada, and the U.S. He shares his resource sector observations with readers, the media, and North American investment conference attendees.

Premiums on Coins, Bars, and Rounds May Finally Have Bottomed

By Clint Siegner

Gold and silver premiums have been following the demand for physical metal lower in recent months. As investor selling ticked up, popular bullion products poured back into dealer inventories. The result has been some of the lowest premiums we’ve seen in a decade for items like gold and silver American Eagles.

The “premium” is the amount over the market price for gold or silver commanded by a specific bullion product. It will include the dealer’s profit, but also incorporates the wholesale premiums and/or fabrication costs the dealer must pay to acquire the inventory.

Premiums are the best indicator of demand in the bullion markets.

Secondary market products – items that are being resold rather than sold for the first time as brand new – are just about always the best option for investors, provided they can be purchased at a discount. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been very often in recent years.

For most of the past decade, bullion investors have been less inclined to sell. Instead, mints and refiners had trouble keeping up with demand at times.

Buying resale may mean the lot of coins a buyer orders will be dated with one or more prior years. A batch of silver rounds could include more than one design. But as long as the product is in uncirculated condition and the designs are well-recognized and marketable, the resale value will be the same as for a new version of the same item purchased today and sold a year or two down the road.

The cost of manufacturing puts a floor on the pricing mints and refiners can offer. This is not the case in the secondary market, where manufacturing costs have already been borne by someone else. Buyers who aren’t insistent about getting brand new product can now get coins, rounds, and bars at a discount.

Metal prices bottomed in mid December, which discouraged some selling. Now prices are moving higher. Initially, this may drive another round of selling, leading to extra supplies of secondary market products. However, optimism about where metals prices are headed also appears to be on the rise.

Buyers might as well save money on premiums, while they can. There are some signals that the opportunity may not last too much longer.

Supplies of some secondary market items, such as silver American Eagles, can vanish at a moment’s notice. Buying demand has turned higher and these discounted items are always the first to go. If that trend continues over the next few weeks, look for premiums to rise from today’s extraordinarily low levels.

Clint Siegner is a Director at Money Metals Exchange, the national precious metals company named 2015 “Dealer of the Year” in the United States by an independent global ratings group. A graduate of Linfield College in Oregon, Siegner puts his experience in business management along with his passion for personal liberty, limited government, and honest money into the development of Money Metals’ brand and reach. This includes writing extensively on the bullion markets and their intersection with policy and world affairs.

Now in Effect: Virginia Law Takes First Step to Support Sound Money

By Michael Maharrey

On Jan. 1, a Virginia law that repeals sales taxes from some purchases of gold and silver went into effect. It represents an important first step toward encouraging its regular use as currency and breaking the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money.

A bipartisan coalition of delegates and senators sponsored House Bill 1668 (HB1668) and Senate Bill 934 (SB934). The legislation exempts gold, silver, and platinum bullion or legal tender coins whose sales price exceeds $1,000 from state sales tax. Each piece of gold, silver, or platinum or legal tender coin need not exceed $1,000, provided that the sales price of one entire transaction of such pieces exceeds $1,000. With gold over $1,000 an ounce, a single bullion coin will exceed this threshold.

Under the new law, the exemption will remain in place until June 30, 2022.

The House passed HB1668 by a 99-0 vote. It passed in the Senate by a vote of 38-1.

IN PRACTICE

Imagine if you asked a grocery clerk to break a $5 bill and he charged you a 35 cent tax. Silly, right? After all, you were only exchanging one form of money for another. But that’s essentially what Virginia’s sales tax on gold and silver did. By removing the sales tax on the exchange of gold and silver, Virginia will treat precious metal specie as money instead of a commodity. This represents a small step toward reestablishing gold and silver as legal tender, and breaking down the Fed’s monopoly on money.

“We ought not to tax money – and that’s a good idea. It makes no sense to tax money,” former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul said during testimony in support an Arizona bill that repealed capital gains taxes on gold and silver in that state. “Paper is not money, it’s fraud,” he continued.

The new law’s impact goes beyond mere tax policy. During an event after his Senate committee testimony, Paul pointed out that it’s really about the size and scope of government.

If you’re for less government, you want sound money. The people who want big government, they don’t want sound money. They want to deceive you and commit fraud. They want to print the money. They want a monopoly. They want to get you conditioned, as our schools have conditioned us, to the point where deficits don’t matter.

Practically speaking, eliminating taxes on the sale of gold and silver cracks open the door for people to begin using precious metals in regular business transactions. This would mark an important small step toward currency competition. If sound money gains a foothold in the marketplace against Federal Reserve notes, people would be able to choose the time-tested stability of gold and silver over the central bank’s rapidly-depreciating paper currency.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The United States Constitution states in Article I, Section 10, “No State shall…make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts.” States have simply ignored this constitutional provision for years. It’s impossible for states to return to a constitutional sound money system when it taxes gold and silver as a commodity.

This Virginia law takes a step towards that constitutional requirement, ignored for decades in every state. Such a tactic sets the stage to undermine the monopoly of the Federal Reserve by introducing competition into the monetary system.

Constitutional tender expert Professor William Greene said when people in multiple states actually start using gold and silver instead of Federal Reserve Notes, it would effectively nullify the Federal Reserve and end the federal government’s monopoly on money.

Over time, as residents of the state use both Federal Reserve notes and silver and gold coins, the fact that the coins hold their value more than Federal Reserve notes do will lead to a “reverse Gresham’s Law” effect, where good money (gold and silver coins) will drive out bad money (Federal Reserve notes). As this happens, a cascade of events can begin to occur, including the flow of real wealth toward the state’s treasury, an influx of banking business from outside of the state – as people in other states carry out their desire to bank with sound money – and an eventual outcry against the use of Federal Reserve notes for any transactions.

Once things get to that point, Federal Reserve notes would become largely unwanted and irrelevant for ordinary people. Nullifying the Fed on a state by state level is what will get us there.

Michael Maharrey [send him email] is the Communications Director for the Tenth Amendment Center, where this article first appeared. He proudly resides in the original home of the Principles of ’98 – Kentucky. See his blog archive here and his article archive here.He is the author of the book, Our Last Hope: Rediscovering the Lost Path to Liberty. You can visit his personal website at MichaelMaharrey.com and like him on Facebook HERE