The collapse of fiat

Welcome to the Precious Metals Bug Forums

Welcome to the PMBug forums - a watering hole for folks interested in gold, silver, precious metals, sound money, investing, market and economic news, central bank monetary policies, politics and more.

Why not register an account and join the discussions? When you register an account and log in, you may enjoy additional benefits including no Google ads, market data/charts, access to trade/barter with the community and much more. Registering an account is free - you have nothing to lose!

SOFR just went over the 4% ceiling today to 4.01% indicating more End of Month stress. And we have Silver really, REALLY putting on the pressure. What's that burning smell? :popcorn:
 
It's not the.dollar going down, it's gold going up...
 

What You Could Buy with 1 Dollar in 1960​

Dec 15, 2025
Experience what a single dollar could actually buy in 1960 America when money had real purchasing power and prices seem impossible by today's standards. This documentary explores how one dollar bought four gallons of gasoline at 25 cents per gallon with full service included, a complete movie experience with ticket and popcorn for 69 cents, or a McDonald's meal with cheeseburger, fries, and shake with change left over. Relive when a loaf of bread cost 20 cents, a quart of milk was 25 cents, ground beef was 45 cents per pound, and candy bars were just a nickel. Discover comic books at 10 cents each, newspapers at 5 cents, phone calls from pay phones for a dime, and postage stamps at 4 cents. Witness when minimum wage was $1.00 per hour and that same hour of work bought real purchasing power, when prices were stable and predictable, and when a dollar in your pocket meant multiple items not just a fraction of one thing. Perfect for those who remember when a dollar actually meant something and want to understand how dramatically inflation has changed American life since 1960.


11:12
 
Bottom Feeder said:
And gold was $35.25 to $36.50 per ounce…
Click to expand...
And unionized railroad workers made about $20 a day.

The old timers made sure I understood that, as I hired in, in the Clinton era. They made REAL sure I understood it was ALL...THE UNION's doing.

Yeah, right. Somehow my $285 day didn't buy me a better car than what they had when they were new in 1960. Or a better home.

It all comes down to, measuring the cost of everything, against gold. Shelter's up - for non-inflation reasons, such as Globalists hoovering up properties. Food is up for contrived shortages and agri-regs. Other stuff is moar constant.
 
I was the oldest of 4, born in 57. My mom had 4 kids in 5 years. We learned how to earn money early on. Back then 10¢ was actual money though the 60's and into the 70's. A dime is what my brother and I got paid for each lizard we caught and sold at the local University. I sold newspapers we bought for 4¢ on the street corners for a dime. We sold Spudnuts (Donuts) in office buildings in the summer time. It wasn't hard to earn nickels and dimes but dollars were harder. In 1971 when I was 14 I got a job at a place called Pup N' Taco making $1.15 an hour. I still remember the anguish I felt because they withheld taxes and SS. If you were walking around and heard the sound of change in your pocket it meant something. You could buy a meal with pocket change. My uncle got my parents and us kids saving silver dimes, quarters and halves. That was hard to do, but my dad would replace them with with clad money, most of the time. I remember still picking out 90% change when I was in the Navy in the late 70's. Speaking of the Navy my base pay in 1977 was $367 a month. Bottom line is our money HAD real value. Not any more.
 
"The dollar didn’t just weaken — it quietly robbed you. "
He just discovered that?
What about the beginning of 1917? What was yer buck worth then versus what it's worth now?
 
The "its not X, its Y" or "not just X, its Y" phrasing is the template for AI output. Once you understand it, you see the AI crutches everywhere.
 
Clive Thompson

Nothing to see, can listen in one tab, play around the forum in a different tab. Posting because I found this interesting. DYODD.

Every Currency Dies. The Roman Playbook for Surviving the Coming Global Currency Reset. (Gold!)​

Jan 22, 2026
🔴 WARNING: What I'm about to show you has happened dozens of times throughout history—and it's happening again RIGHT NOW. I'm holding several billion dollars in my hands... and it's completely worthless. These banknotes are from currencies that collapsed within our lifetime. And the same pattern that destroyed them destroyed the Roman Empire 2,000 years ago.
Read more below the vid on youtube.

Every Currency Dies. The Roman Playbook for Surviving the Coming
 
searcher said:
Clive Thompson

Nothing to see, can listen in one tab, play around the forum in a different tab. Posting because I found this interesting. DYODD.

Every Currency Dies. The Roman Playbook for Surviving the Coming Global Currency Reset. (Gold!)​

Jan 22, 2026
🔴 WARNING: What I'm about to show you has happened dozens of times throughout history—and it's happening again RIGHT NOW. I'm holding several billion dollars in my hands... and it's completely worthless. These banknotes are from currencies that collapsed within our lifetime. And the same pattern that destroyed them destroyed the Roman Empire 2,000 years ago.
Read more below the vid on youtube.

Every Currency Dies. The Roman Playbook for Surviving the Coming
Click to expand...
.


Good stuff right here. Mostly confirmation that most of us here have been doing the right thing, along with a bit of history.



.
 

Dollar Debasement Begins​

Robin J Brooks

In my preview for markets in 2026, I forecast that the Dollar would resume its fall this year after it went into a holding pattern in the second half of 2025. My rationale was that the Dollar versus emerging markets (EM) has proven itself to be the most reliable leading indicator of Dollar direction. This measure has been falling ever since the Fed cut rates on December 10, a sign Dollar weakness is about to assert itself again. This post provides a quick update on Dollar price action.

1769357761524.png
​
The chart above shows two lines. The black line is the trade-weighted Dollar against other advanced economies (the G10). The blue line is the Dollar versus EM. The latter is a much better measure of Dollar strength or weakness - as I noted in my last post of 2025 - and has been pointing to a resumption of Dollar weakness.

The Dollar versus the G10 is incredibly noisy and - although it’s fallen in recent days - it hasn’t yet moved below the range it’s bounced around in since the middle of 2025. But the Dollar versus EM keeps making new lows. This is the signal to watch. Dollar debasement has begun.
​
 

Rome's Financial Collapse: 4 Assets That Outlived the Crash​

n 64 AD, Emperor Nero began a quiet process that would eventually destroy the most powerful currency the world had ever seen. By the Crisis of the Third Century, the Roman denarius had lost 98% of its silver content, wiping out the savings of millions who trusted the imperial stamp. This wasn't an overnight crash; it was a slow, invisible theft that lasted generations—until it wasn't invisible anymore.

This video conducts a forensic financial autopsy of Rome's monetary collapse, tracing the timeline from a trusted reserve currency to a worthless bronze washer. More importantly, we analyze the specific assets that preserved wealth when the official money died: productive land, physical metals, practical skills, and local networks. History shows that while currencies inevitably fail, the protocol for surviving the collapse remains remarkably consistent.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom