One of the interesting things about Europe is that along with the obivously rich culture each country also has its own junk silver. Some if it though, has a pretty dark origin.
Here in Spain the last junk silver was made in the 60s and pictured general Franco's image. They are actually pretty nice, big 100 pesetas coins .800 silver. The price is usually pretty good, very close to spot. Then again, Franco "Leader of Spain by the Grace of God" as the coin says, wasnt exaclty a nice guy. Then you have German junk silver, wich is .900, but then many Reichmarks have the eagle above a swastika within wreath that reeks evil.
In America this is a non issue given that American pre 65 is clearly the way to go but I was wondering what oyu think.
Would you buy this kind of junk silver, overlook the historic and simbolic context and just look at the metal? Would you accept it as payment?
FerFAL

Silver is silver.  I think the issue is people not recognizing or understanding that anything but the usual currency has value.  I think Americans won't accept that their bright, new bills are worthless, while some tarnished old silver coin has real value.

I like the Mexican silver coins that I used to get and they are marked well for weight and purity.

I'd buy it if I thought it was easily recognizable against fakes but there are so many junk silver options in the close-to-spot category I'm not sure I'd need to.  Gov't coins (ASEs. CMLs) make their mark against fakes but also go at higher premiums.  

At the point you're using them, I don't think the barterer or trader will care much about the history.  And payment, depending on the situation: Cash if things aren't terrible and ammo if things are really bad.

Personally, I take the hit on the government issued as 1. they're very nice and 2. hard to fake.  Anything under $20/oz I deem a buy

A friend of mine gave me a Nazi armband because he just couldn't stand it in the house.

I'm hoping the same thing happens with his guns.

Being worried about things like being called names is what has destroyed the Republican party and emasculated America.

Keep/own/collect/speak as you will and if somebody doesn't like it they can just get fucked.

You've got a point. Having a brought back nazi gun for example was a pretty cool thing to have, not because you support its markings but rather the opposite.
FerFAL

Less recognized silver coins are more difficult to peddle.

I've got some 40% pesos and nobody wants them. Put a Morgan dollar in front of the same person and no question asked.

I know what you mean.
I have US junk silver including some nice Eagles, Peace and Morgans. I also have Brit, Spanish and German junk, which I suppose in its given country has enough acceptance.
I wouldnt count out those 40% coins though. If the price is right you can always melt them down for a nice bar. If the price goes past 50 bucks an oz and you need the cash it sure is worth it.
When I see it low enough, I grab some 50% Brit silver and stack it. Hope I never have to dig into it but its nice having.
FerFAL

I have tons of swastika and eagle marked items, of course, I use them to teach history.  You show a kid a 10 BILLION Mark and they think its pretty cool until you tell them that in November 1923, the American dollar was worth 4,210,500,000,000 German marks...

Teaching hyperinflation and fiat currency lessons is lots of fun.  Especially when I do a "mock" stock market with historic numbers leading up to The Crash.  I offer real prizes to buy with their "stock money," it never fails, they always get greedy and lose it all.  

Sometimes it is location dependent.

Here in Texas, the silver and gold pesos coins are probably are more recognizable than in Ohio.

I love when I work outside of Texas and can get the pesos coins on the cheap.
I like the 2 & 2-1/2 pesos gold coins, and the 100 pesos silver Morelos coins.

of course, the Mexican coins are not particularly "evil".

Silver is silver for my purposes. I don't expect to ever need it as a basis of exchange, so it being recognizable to the average joe isn't of much concern to me since I don't put much stock in his ability to recognize the "value" of more common silver coins.

While considering junk silver a mention should go to the Chinese counterfeit junk silver, as they have made quite an industry of producing fake American pre-65 coins,

Junk silver collectors would do well to learn how to spot them.

Well,unlike Mexico the Nazis never actually invaded the USA now did they?

Unlike rounds (coin like medallions produced by private mints), junk silver is that it is readily recognizable for its metal.  Not that long ago the price for junk silver outpaced the rounds such that while a round may be 100% silver, the equivalent size 90% junk silver coin commanded a higher premium.  

People know junk is real.  Rounds not so and it doesn't help that the Chinese forge rounds too (as well as junk silver, Swiss gold bars, etc.).  Do the ring test and if you have a caliper (better yet, large micrometer) and a scale, measure/weigh it.

Last:  The Nazis did land spies on American soil.  The FBI was very good at rounding them up and then turning them.  One couple was landed in Maine and spotted walking in the winter snow without overcoats.  They were observed by a Boy Scout who reported them. The FBI tracked them to New York and arrested them there.

Thats a good point. Most of the ones Ive seen are pretty bad though. Magnetic test, size and weight alone will get rid of most of the fakes. Know what the real thing looks like, also sound test, silver sounds a certain way which is very disticnt.
FerFAL

I here this crap from time to time in the jewelry world.  "Blood diamonds", you don't want to buy a diamond because some kid in a third world shithole in Africa might have gotten an arm cut off with a panga that was bought with money that was made from selling that diamond.

If you worry about such things precious metals and jewelry aren't for you.  Oh, and don't buy that fancy hardwood for your new bar or deck, that could have come from a third world shithole too.  Truth is people have been looting, killing, raping and enslaving each other since the beginning of time.  How they make money to do these things isn't important after the those people are long dead.  Besides in today's world buying precious stones, metals, and exotic hardwoods from third world countries helps the people in those countries crawl out of the mud.

As for evil silver, isn't it all?  I don't know how much silver is recycled today but it is a damned lot.  About fifteen years ago around 65% of the gold used in jewelry was recycled and the price was much lower back then.  Mints buy that silver too, some of the refineries run mints.  So those shiny new coins you have may contain silver or gold from someone's jewelry.  Maybe that person sold it to a pawn shop, maybe before they sold it to a pawn shop they cut some one's throat for it.  Is the blood on your hands because someone else did evil?

From what I understand this is not true about silver. Last numbers i saw showed in the year 2000, %70 of silver was unrecoverable.

You are correct, silver used in industry is often not recovered.  But when you consider that, it makes the problem of "evil" silver even more widespread and common if recycled silver is used in industry.

The OP was pretty specific that he is referring to buying coinage that has 'evil' symbols like the NAZI swastika or bearing the image of Franco,

not that the silver is inherently evil.

I'm guessing that silver had pictures of a Roman on it.

I bought a k98...none of the Nazi markings were scrubbed.
Who knows what the rifle did during its time in service...

So I sold that "evil" rifle for a profit......


Silver is silver...unless it's fake ..I could care less what is stamped on it.

I'd be more concerned on if avg joe/coin dealer would accept it for value....

Aint like a bank will go

"Oh sweet 1940 Nazi silver dollar...that's worth 88$..since it's 98% pure silver "