No plata en Mexico, amigos.

[TxTim]

Cuervo asked about silver in border town banks in a post recently and I told him I'd check it for him - he's still over in the big sand box defending our freedom.
I had a lot of calls to make in South Texas and took the opportunity to check out Matamoros and Nuevo Laredo. I did the same thing in both towns - I found a good taxi driver who spoke good English and told him my plan. I also had a half and an Ike with me. We went from bank to bank and also hit the money exchange places.
All the banks are more secure than any US bank I've been to - bullet proof glass and Federales for guards. Lines are long and it's tough to make any type of conversation with a teller. The samples brought looks of wonderment from most everyone. They were all trying to figure out what they were and had never seen them before - 2 offers to buy them came up. We talked to 2 managers and both said they have a weekly service that exchanges money for them and they clean all the US money out for pesos. Many of the banks have US partners or affiliates. Bottom line - don't waste your time!
I did find $12.50 at a money exchanger who gave them up for face value. To my surprise he said "No silver, amigo" !!!
I did have a good luck streak at a lot of banks north of the Rio Grande and was able to buy a bag with good silver mixed in with 11 pesos - imagine that?

64x8, 65x8, 66 x35, 67x40, 6x42, 69x18, 80sx1 85sx1, 06 x1 & 16 Ikes:



I had 2 boxes waiting for me when I got home and 1 was a skunk. The other held 30- 40%!!

This week put me a little over the vaunted 1000 oz. milestone for the year!

 

[thurmownator]

Nice story Tim. I guess Mexico is a tough place to find silver; considering how much it is used and sold/exported.

Nice milestone of 1000 oz ! I'm guessing you haven't sold any yet.

Kudos on your finds, amigo !

 

[Silver Stripe]

Buena Vista. HH Mark

 

[ivan salis]

no easy money to be made off what most americans think of as DUMB mexicans, senor (and trust me their much,much smarter than most americans give them credit for ) -- (mexicans) take care of removing the silver money for themselves, its a so much easier way to make money than back breaking manual labor -- so they got wize to "pulling" the silver out of their change long ,long ago ---mexicans of all people would really know the value of silver --heck it was many of their forefothers who were worked in the mines as slaves by the spanish to mine the silver in the first place many long years ago---so husta la vesta gringo no silver for you --- ----nada por nada , nada por amore Ivan

 

[fiatboy]

Interesting post!

A few thoughts I had while reading it:

1. The weaker the currency (i.e. the peso), the greater the acceleration of Gresham's Law.
2. Mexico has a very long history of silver mining and minting. Hundreds of years. Mexican silver was commonly used in the U.S. well into the 19th century. Mexico is the only remaining country that mints circulating silver coins---although I hear they don't circulate. I bet my ever-devaluing bottom dollar that Mexicans know more about silver than Americans.
3. The U.S. will probably have a similar lack of silver (and copper!) in its coinage in the not too distant future. Coin roll hunters are ahead of the game. Give yourselves a pat on the back.
4. I bet the Old Republic of Texas still has some good silver veins in its bank vaults. And as an interesting side note, when I was at the bank today, the guy in front of me bought all the halves. His pickup was flying the old Bonnie Blue Flag. He had Texas plates and all. hahaha.

 

[Silver Stripe]

And as an interesting side note, when I was at the bank today, the guy in front of me bought all the halves. His pickup was flying the old Bonnie Blue Flag. He had Texas plates and all. hahaha.

Hope you didn't hold the door for him and let him in front of you haha. HH Mark

 

[coincollector101]

And as an interesting side note, when I was at the bank today, the guy in front of me bought all the halves. His pickup was flying the old Bonnie Blue Flag. He had Texas plates and all. hahaha.

Hope you didn't hold the door for him and let him in front of you haha. HH Mark

LMAO I hope not to.....When I go into a bank Im on a mission and I Pretty much Run in the door....lol

 

[fiatboy]

When I go into a bank Im on a mission and I Pretty much Run in the door....lol

haha. I'm sure the enthusiasm and speed with which I enter banks has made many a teller nervous. All bets are off until I have coins in my hand. Watch out, all of you slowpokes, fiatboy's coming through!