.The Price Of Gold Just Hit A Record High
.Notes From The Field By Simon Black
September 12, 2019 San Juan, Puerto Rico
The Price Of Gold Just Hit A Record High
A few hours ago, the European Central Bank announced a bonanza stimulus package: interest rate cuts, money printing, quantitative easing, the whole nine yards.
Europe’s economic growth has ground to a halt. The German economy actually shrank last quarter, according to official statistics.
So the European Central Bank is throwing everything including the kitchen sink at this problem. Their stimulus package is like a monetary defibrillator trying to shock Europe’s economies back to growth.
It’s pretty amazing when you think about it: interest rates in Europe are already NEGATIVE. They’ve been cutting rates for years, and it hasn’t worked.
Back in July 2008, the European Central Bank’s main interest rate was 3.25%.
Notes From The Field By Simon Black
September 12, 2019 San Juan, Puerto Rico
The Price Of Gold Just Hit A Record High
A few hours ago, the European Central Bank announced a bonanza stimulus package: interest rate cuts, money printing, quantitative easing, the whole nine yards.
Europe’s economic growth has ground to a halt. The German economy actually shrank last quarter, according to official statistics.
So the European Central Bank is throwing everything including the kitchen sink at this problem. Their stimulus package is like a monetary defibrillator trying to shock Europe’s economies back to growth.
It’s pretty amazing when you think about it: interest rates in Europe are already NEGATIVE. They’ve been cutting rates for years, and it hasn’t worked.
Back in July 2008, the European Central Bank’s main interest rate was 3.25%.
By the end of 2008, it was clear the global economy was slowing down, and the central bank had slashed interest rates to just 1%.
But they kept going.
By 2013, the ECB had reduced its primary interest rate all the way to zero.
And in 2014, they took the unprecedented step of cutting rates even further-- to NEGATIVE 0.10%.
European rates have been negative now for FIVE YEARS. Yet Europe’s economies are still in the dog house.
These results completely defy prevailing economic wisdom.
According to the ridiculous playbook that nearly all central bankers use, cutting interest rates is supposed to stimulate economic growth.
If interest rates are lower, it makes it easier and cheaper for people to borrow money. If it’s cheaper to borrow money, people buy more stuff… which creates more economic growth.
But that’s not happening.
They’ve been cutting rates, even below zero, to the point that you can actually get PAID to BORROW money in Europe. Yet those economies are still stagnating.
To continue reading, please go to the original article at
https://www.sovereignman.com/trends/the-price-of-gold-just-hit-a-record-high-25562/
To your freedom & prosperity, Simon Black Founder, SovereignMan.com
A Former Fed Official Finally Tells The Truth About Inflation…
Notes From The Field By James Hickman / Simon Black 7-29-24
My sister used to be a reporter for Fox News based in south Florida and would regularly be assigned to cover NASA press conferences.
And she’s often told me about how reporters were terrified to ask any real questions. They’re not astrophysicists and don’t understand the first thing about rocket propulsion, and most of the journalists never bothered to learn even the basics of the topic.
So, the majority of the questions were very superficial; quite simply the reporters didn’t want to embarrass themselves.
This is how the media covers the Federal Reserve. Most reporters don’t have a clue about central banking, so, not wanting to look stupid, they just sit quietly and give the Fed a pass. There’s no real scrutiny.
Some Thoughts On America For Her 248th Birthday
Notes From The Field by James Hickman (Simon Black Sovereign Man) July 3, 2024
When the 56 delegates to the Second Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence 248 years ago tomorrow, they were creating much more than a nation. They were giving birth to an idea.
America, at its core, is an idea. And it’s one that ranks as one of the greatest innovations in the history of human civilization, right up there with the wheel, the steam engine, the printing press, and the Internet.
The idea of America wasn’t born in 1776, however. By then it had already evolved over thousands of years.
Five Predictions For The Coming Decade Of Decline
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) June 11, 2024
There is a well-known modern proverb (often attributed to the novelist G. Michael Hopf) that goes, "Weak men create hard times, hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men."
The saying sums up the cyclical nature of the rise and fall of societies– and it’s a topic in which I have tremendous personal interest.
Having recently reached middle age, I can comfortably say with the benefit of hindsight that I was born and grew up during the American prime time– the time at which the wealthiest and most powerful country in the history of the world was at its peak.
Gold Will Soon Displace The US Dollar, And Americans Are Missing Out
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) June 3 2024
Next month will mark 80 years since the US dollar was formally anointed as the world’s reserve currency.
It was July 1944. And with the war in Europe near its denouement, governments were already trying to plan what the postwar world would look like. Most urgently, they needed to figure out how to rebuild their devastated economies.
Just think about the mess they were in: nearly every industrialized country in Europe had been destroyed by war. Manufacturing and farming were both in the dumps, and they had very little savings to invest in economic revival.
They also had a gigantic mess when it came to international trade. Dozens of countries each had their own currencies, so commercial trade meant each government keeping 20-30 currencies in reserve.
France, for example, would have to hold Austrian schillings, British pounds, Spanish pesetas, Italian lira, Dutch guilders, Soviet rubles, etc. in reserve, just to be able to trade.
Would You Pay €1 For This House?
Notes From the Field by James Hickman (Simon Black) May 29, 2024
In 2007, Giuseppe Ferrarello found himself facing a monumental challenge as the newly-elected mayor of Gangi, Italy — an incredibly picturesque yet dwindling town nestled in the mountains of Sicily.
Like many rural communities across Italy and beyond, the village of Gangi was grappling with depopulation and economic decline. Once home to 15,000 people, its population by 2007 stood at just 7,000. Young people in particular were leaving to seek job opportunities in northern Italy and elsewhere in Europe, leaving behind aging parents and empty houses.
At first glance, the situation seemed hopeless. Gangi’s inland location far from the coast rendered it unattractive to tourists.
Where The Price Of Oil Is Just $15/Barrel
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) Tues May 28 2024
In the year 1712, an English ironworker and part-time Baptist preacher named Thomas Newcomen finally put the finishing touches on a new invention that had been more than a century in the making.
Newcomen called it the ‘atmospheric engine’, and it was essentially a very crude, rudimentary steam engine that he used to pump water.
The idea had existed since the early 1600s, and a number of inventors had attempted to create something similar. But Newcomen was the first to develop a functioning engine, and his key breakthrough was including a fuel source (wood) to heat up water and create steam.
It’s remarkable that, even to this day, most automobile engines, generators, and electrical power plants still rely on Newcomen’s basic concept: burn a fuel to create heat, then harness that heat energy to generate motion and mechanical work.
Civil War… Really?
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) May 20, 2024
On July 12, 1648, dozens of angry French politicians gathered at the hallowed Palais de Justice in Paris to draft the final ultimatum that would be sent to their nine-year-old king, Louis XIV.
The politicians were all members of France’s national parliament, and, like most modern politicians, they were almost all lawyers who lived extremely privileged lives at the expense of French taxpayers.
In France, most aristocrats historically came from a group known as the noblesse d'épée, essentially Knights of the Sword. They were warriors who had fought valiantly and had won their power for their dedicated service to France.
This new class of politicians, however, came from a different group known as the noblesse de robe. They had never fought or bled for France, and rather had spent their lives in academia and law school without any understanding of the real world.
Why The Dollar Will Lose Its Status As The Global Reserve Currency
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) May 13, 2024
By the early 400s, the Roman Empire was coming apart at the seams and in desperate need of strong, competent leadership. In theory, Honorius should have been the right man for the job.
Born into the royal household in Constantinople, Honorius had been groomed to rule, practically since birth, by the finest experts in the realm. So even as a young man, Honorius had already accumulated decades of experience.
Yet Rome’s foreign adversaries rightfully believed Honorius to be weak, out of touch, divisive, and completely inept.
He had entered into bonehead peace treaties that strengthened Rome’s enemies. He paid vast sums of money to some of their most powerful rivals and received practically nothing in return. He made virtually no attempt to secure Roman borders, leaving the empire open to be ravaged by barbarians.
Settling the Gold Versus Crypto Debate
Notes From The Field by James Hickman April 24, 2024
In 1972, while excavating to build a factory on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, a backhoe operator noticed gold objects glimmering in the bucket of his machine.
The construction worker had accidentally discovered the Varna Necropolis.
Dating back to around 4500 BC, the jewelry found in this ancient burial site is the earliest evidence of the use of gold by humans, and archeologists believe that they were considered a status symbol in ancient burial rituals.
Thousands of years ago, gold was likely collected from the earth’s surface in the form of nuggets or river dust.
It wasn’t until about 3500 BC, on a hilltop located in the modern-day country of Georgia, that a group of people from the prehistoric Kura-Araxes dug the oldest known gold mine.
Known as Sakdrisi-Kachagiani, the gold mine predates Ancient Egypt and even Mesopotamia.
.Here’s Every Reason To Avoid Buying A Gold ETF
.Notes From The Field By Simon Black
September 9, 2019 Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico
Here’s Every Reason To Avoid Buying A Gold ETF
Buckle up, this one’s going to be entertaining… because I should have called this note “Why you should always read the fine print.”
This morning I read through the prospectus and annual reports of the most popular Gold ETFs in the world.
First, some background:
ETF stands for ‘exchange-traded fund’. It’s sort of like a mutual fund that’s listed on the stock exchange, meaning investors can buy/sell shares of an ETF just like they would buy/sell shares of Apple, Ford, or (God help us) Netflix.
Notes From The Field By Simon Black
September 9, 2019 Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico
Here’s Every Reason To Avoid Buying A Gold ETF
Buckle up, this one’s going to be entertaining… because I should have called this note “Why you should always read the fine print.”
This morning I read through the prospectus and annual reports of the most popular Gold ETFs in the world.
First, some background:
ETF stands for ‘exchange-traded fund’. It’s sort of like a mutual fund that’s listed on the stock exchange, meaning investors can buy/sell shares of an ETF just like they would buy/sell shares of Apple, Ford, or (God help us) Netflix.
But unlike Apple, which is an operating business with employees, products, revenue, etc., an ETF is NOT an operating business. It’s a fund that merely pools capital to own assets.
The benefit for investors is that ETFs can be an easy and convenient way to invest in certain assets which would otherwise be difficult to buy.
If someone wants to buy Egyptian stocks, for example-- they could open a brokerage account in Cairo… or buy an Egypt ETF that’s listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
The ETF is a LOT easier for most investors.
But there are also ETFs for gold and silver. And I find this mystifying.
We’re not talking about Egyptian stocks. Gold and silver are easy to buy. You could have Canadian Maple Leaf gold coins delivered to your home with a few mouse clicks.
So gold ETFs provide no added convenience.
Yet there’s an enormous amount of downside.
First off-- it’s important to know that if you buy an ETF, you’re paying for a ton of unnecessary expenses.
The ETF has to pay custodian fees, marketing fees, listing fees to the New York Stock Exchange, audit fees, management fees, etc.
I’m chairman of the Board of Directors for a company that’s listed on a stock exchange, and trust me-- the listing fees are REALLY expensive.
If you own physical gold in your own safe, you wouldn’t have to suffer the cost of paying lawyers, auditors, and investment bankers.
But GLD does. Which means that as a GLD investor, YOU are fundamentally paying those costs.
And remember that ETFs aren’t operating businesses. Apple makes money selling overpriced hardware. But GLD has no products, and hence doesn’t generate any revenue.
To continue reading, please go to the original article at
https://www.sovereignman.com/investing/heres-every-reason-to-avoid-buying-a-gold-etf-25548/
To your freedom & prosperity, Simon Black Founder, SovereignMan.com
Central Banks No Longer Trust Each Other: The Global Rush To Gold | Mark Thornton
Kitco News: 9-18-2026
Mark Thornton called the housing bubble in 2004. For four years, he was told he was wrong. He now says every paper-dollar asset you own is facing a very difficult future, and the AI buildout is the clearest warning sign he has seen since.
In this interview with Jeremy Szafron, the Mises Institute senior fellow and author of The Skyscraper Curse explains why AI data centers are this cycle's record-breaking tower, why the bonds financing them run decades longer than the hardware, who gets stuck with the cost when a tenant stops paying, and why central banks no longer trusting each other is the best sign he has seen for gold.
Insiders Buying Gold - Public is Next | Andy Schectman
Liberty and Finance: 9-16-2026
Andy Schectman warns that tightening global oil supplies could trigger another wave of inflation just as central banks face limited room to respond.
He argues that rising Treasury yields, declining confidence in U.S. debt and increasing gold purchases reflect a broader trend toward what he calls “detreasurization.”
The Currency Reset Is Accelerating And Gold Knows It
Taylor Kenny: 9-11-2026
The currency reset may not happen in one dramatic moment. It could already be happening right in front of us.
Gold is surging—but what if the real story isn’t gold at all? The most important question may not be “How high can gold go?” It may be: What will the dollar be worth when it gets there?
Economic systems undergo natural cycles, but historical patterns reveal a consistent trajectory regarding unbacked paper money.
The U.S. Wants a Much Higher Gold Price | Tom Luongo
Miles Franklin Media: 9-9-2026
Andy Schectman, President and CEO of Miles Franklin Precious Metals, interviews Tom Luongo, financial and geopolitical commentator, market analyst, and publisher of Gold, Goats ’n Guns.
Luongo presents his contrarian thesis that the United States may actively favor a much higher gold price, potentially reaching $20,000, as it restructures the dollar system and addresses its sovereign debt burden.
BREAKING: Gold Can't Be Confiscated In This State Now | Patrick Holland
Liberty and Finance: 9-7-2026
Missouri has enacted a sweeping Constitutional Money Actthat gives gold and silver legal-tender status.
The law also provides protections against state-assisted confiscation, allows employers and employees to agree to compensation in gold and silver, and requires the state to accept certain electronic gold and silver transfers for taxes and services.
China Just Triggered the Biggest Gold and Silver Rally in 50 Years: Luke Groman
Slick Finance: 9-5-2026
The global financial landscape is experiencing a profound transformation, characterized by a steady shift away from traditional dollar-centric foreign exchange reserves.
As nations reevaluate their monetary strategies in an increasingly interconnected yet fractured world, a new global monetary dynamic is taking shape. At the center of this evolution is the enduring appeal of gold, which is rapidly emerging as the preferred neutral reserve asset for sovereign entities seeking stability, security, and independence from legacy financial systems.
Dutch CB Declares Gold As Ultimate Reserve Asset | Clive Thompson
Liberty and Finance: 9-3-2026
A major central bank is quietly repositioning its gold for a crisis, and Clive Thompson says investors should be paying close attention.
The Dutch central bank is moving gold reserves toward Londonand spreading its holdings across multiple locations, explicitly citing crisis preparedness and describing gold as an “anchor of trust” and an ultimate reserve asset for hedging extreme systemic risks.
America's Dollar Was Backed by Gold Until 1971 — Why Everything Costs More Now
August 2026
In 1971, President Nixon went on live television and made a decision that changed the value of your money forever. He suspended the dollar's convertibility into gold — a move he called "temporary." It's now lasted over fifty years.
Before that night, every US dollar was backed by physical gold sitting in a vault. The world's currencies were anchored to the dollar, and the dollar was anchored to gold at a fixed rate.
Monetary RESET Has Begun, But “Performance Gold” Could Be the Biggest Opportunity | Ronald Stöeferle
Miles Franklin Media: 9-1-2026
Michelle Makori, President & Editor-in-Chief of Miles Franklin Media, interviews Ronald-Peter Stöferle, Managing Partner and Fund Manager at Incrementum and co-author of the annual In Gold We Trust report.
Stöferle explains why gold is undergoing a “creeping remonetization,” driven by central-bank accumulation, geopolitical fragmentation and growing concerns over the global monetary system. He argues that gold’s bull market is not yet in a bubble and reveals why $8,900 gold is now his new base case after his previous $4,800 target was reached ahead of schedule.
Is Trump Signalling a Gold Revaluation? Bill Holter
Kinesis Money: 8-31-2026
In this week’s Live from the Vault, Andrew Maguire is joined by Bill Holter to examine whether Trump's repost of Jim Rickards' $10,000 gold call signals something far bigger than a market comment, and what it means for gold and the dollar system.
The two precious metals experts examine why credit markets are beginning to crack, and why Bill believes any gold price target being discussed today will ultimately prove laughably low — including the ones that sound outrageous right now.
Fed vs. Treasury: The $1 Trillion Gold Revaluation Plan? | Mario Innecco
Liberty and Finance: 8-29-2026
Mario Innecco warns that the Federal Reserve may be far less capable of fighting inflation than its rhetoric suggests, arguing that changing CPI methodology masks the true erosion of purchasing power.
He discusses the possibility of the Treasury revaluing U.S. gold to generate roughly $1 trillion that could potentially be used for Treasury buybacks and yield-curve control.
Texas Digital Gold: Sound Money or a New Gatekeeper?
Lynette Zang: 8-29-2026
Texas is taking a major step toward sound money by recognizing qualifying gold and silver specie as legal tender—and preparing for an electronic currency backed by bullion held in the Texas Bullion Depository.
Lynette Zang breaks down why the real questions are about redemption, ownership, auditing, competition, and whether this new digital rail ultimately strengthens individual sovereignty or creates another gatekeeper.
Gold & Silver Revaluation! A Quarter Ounce Of Gold To Buy A House - Here's When | Lynette Zang
Smart Silver Trends: 8-26-2026
In this video, Lynette Zang explores the potential for a massive overnight revaluation of gold and silver, drawing parallels to historical hyperinflation events like those in Venezuela.
She explains that while the U.S. market is often driven by "paper" contracts and traders, global trends are shifting toward physical markets, which she believes will lead to truer price discovery based on actual supply and demand.
We NEED A Gold Standard To Survive | Alasdair Macleod
Money Markets and more by Dominic Frisby: 8-23-2026
In this latest Money Markets and More, I sit down with monetary analyst Alasdair Macleod to discuss gold, fiat currency and why he believes we are rapidly approaching a point at which the monetary system as we know it can no longer survive without a return to gold.
We Left Gold in 1971... Now the World Is Leaving the Dollar
Peter Schiff: 8-17-2026
Peter Schiff on plunging retail sales, sticky inflation, the Fed's stealth QE, and why the world is now leaving the dollar standard.
Retail sales just plunged, producer prices are still rising, and the Fed is quietly expanding its balance sheet again.
The July data tells the story the markets keep ignoring. Retail sales fell 0.6 percent, the biggest drop in over a year, and since those numbers are not adjusted for inflation, real spending fell even further.
Central Banks Choose Between Gold and Dollars. Gold Is Winning
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black / Sovereign Man) August 10, 2026
Every country on earth keeps a rainy-day fund: a pile of emergency savings, managed by its central bank, set aside for wars, crises, and currency runs.
These stockpiles of cash around the world are known as a nation’s “reserves”, and the people who manage those funds are called reserve managers.
US & China are Quietly Buying Gold to Devalue Currency | Andy Schectman
WTFinance and Miles Frabklin Media:
On this episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of welcoming back Andy Schectman. Andy is the CO of Miles Franklin Precious Metals.
During our conversation we spoke about the current situation in the economy, the structural issues that are facing the monetary system, what this means for gold and precious metals, creation of multipolar systems and more.
Gold at $42.22 and "One of the Great Mysteries" | Phillip Magness
Kitco News: 8-4-2026
Economic historian Phillip Magness tells Kitco News anchor Jeremy Szafron that Americans who surrendered gold in 1933 at $20.67 an ounce got none of the gain when Washington repriced it at $35 less than ten months later.
"It's always the private sector that gets the bad end of it." America's 261.5 million ounces are still carried on the federal books at $42.22 an ounce, about $11 billion against more than $1 trillion at market.
Andy Schectman: Every Signal Is Screaming Buy Gold
VRIC Media: 8-2-2026
Andy Schectman argues that rising bond yields, persistent inflation, and declining confidence in U.S. debt are creating a powerful long-term case for precious metals.
He explains why central banks and major buyers continue accumulating physical gold despite recent price weakness, how China is building the vaults, exchanges, and payment systems needed to challenge Western paper markets, and why the shift toward physical settlement could reshape global price discovery.
Andy also compares the outlook for gold, silver, and platinum, with gold remaining his preferred asset for a changing monetary system.
China Lights Fort Knox Gold Revaluation Fuse!
Kinesis Money: 7-30-2026
In this week's Live from the Vault, Andrew Maguire explores reports on how gold has overtaken US Treasuries as the world's top reserve asset, as central banks lose trust in dollar-based systems and accelerate repatriation of their sovereign assets.
With Fort Knox back under scrutiny following the launch of the Hong Kong SGE gold link, the precious metals expert reveals why a full audit of US gold reserves is imminent, while the gold revaluation process has already begun.
COMEX Crisis & China’s Gold Revolution | Andy Schectman
Liberty and Finance: 7-28-2026
China is rapidly building a new financial infrastructure centered around physical gold, same-day settlement, and alternatives to Western paper markets, according to Andy Schectman.
In this interview, Andy breaks down China’s gold accumulation, record silver imports, COMEX leverage, and why he believes the world may be shifting toward physical price discovery.
He also discusses growing BRICS cooperation, new payment systems outside SWIFT, and the potential impact on the dollar’s global role.
The Gold Reset Already Happened and Almost Nobody Noticed | Willem Middelkoop
Kitco News: 7-27-2026
Willem Middelkoop says the monetary reset isn't coming. It's already underway, quietly, in the accounting. He also argues China is now the dominant force in the gold market, buying on every dip while the West still trades paper.
Kitco's Jeremy Szafron sits down with Willem Middelkoop, author of "The Big Reset" and founder of the Commodity Discovery Fund, for a wide-ranging hour on why both Washington and Beijing may want a cheaper gold price, the state gold buyers that don't show up in official numbers, gold overtaking US Treasuries as the world's top reserve asset, the move of price discovery to Shanghai, China's shift from paper to physical, silver's path to a possible $500, and where the gold miners go from here.
Alasdair Macleod: China Ends Retail Paper Gold & Opens the Floodgates
Mining Network: 7-23-2026
Alasdair Macleod, economist and leading voice on sound money, returns to Mining Network to break down China’s rapidly accelerating gold strategy and what it means for Western paper markets, the dollar, and global monetary order.
Earlier this month Hong Kong launched its new gold central clearing and settlement system.
This week several major Chinese banks (including ICBC) will end retail paper gold trading on the Shanghai Gold Exchange.
Insiders Are Betting Millions On Gold Reset By Year-End | Ed Steer
Liberty and Finance: 7-22-2026
Why are traders pouring millions into gold call options as high as $20,000? Precious metals analyst Ed Steer explains why he believes unprecedented positioning in the futures and options markets points to a potential historic shift in gold and silver pricing.
He also discusses unusual Commitment of Traders data, the role of commercial traders, and why he sees the balance of power gradually moving from Western paper markets toward Asia.
China Shuts Down Paper Gold in 24 Hours
Taylor Kenny: 7-23-2026
China is shutting down retail paper gold trading at several major banks—and forcing investors to close positions or take physical delivery.
Is this the beginning of a major shift from paper pricing to real metal?
.Here’s A Really Unique Way To Own Gold
.Notes From The Field By Simon Black
September 5, 2019 Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico
Here’s A Really Unique Way To Own Gold
Last week we dove into a series about different ways to own gold. And I explained in that first article why it’s a great idea to own physical bullion-- gold you can hold in your hand.
With physical gold, there’s no middleman standing between you and your wealth. And when properly stored, it’s very difficult for some frivolous creditor or out-of-control government agency to steal it.
When it comes to physical gold, I explained that I prefer gold coins over gold bars.
Gold bars are completely non-uniform. A typical 400-ounce gold bar (like the ones you see in the movies, or that you imagine are stacked up in Fort Knox) could weigh as little as 350 ounces, or as much as 430 ounces. They’re all different.
Notes From The Field By Simon Black
September 5, 2019 Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico
Here’s A Really Unique Way To Own Gold
Last week we dove into a series about different ways to own gold. And I explained in that first article why it’s a great idea to own physical bullion-- gold you can hold in your hand.
With physical gold, there’s no middleman standing between you and your wealth. And when properly stored, it’s very difficult for some frivolous creditor or out-of-control government agency to steal it.
When it comes to physical gold, I explained that I prefer gold coins over gold bars.
Gold bars are completely non-uniform. A typical 400-ounce gold bar (like the ones you see in the movies, or that you imagine are stacked up in Fort Knox) could weigh as little as 350 ounces, or as much as 430 ounces. They’re all different.
On the other hand, 1-ounce Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins are generally all the same. They’re uniform… minted and crafted to the exact same standard.
The uniformity of gold coins like the Canadian Maple Leaf makes them much easier to buy/sell.
If you want to buy or sell a gold bar, it has to be weighed and assayed with special equipment first. But if you want to buy or sell a Maple leaf, it’s simple-- because the coins are pretty much all the same.
Now, there’s one special sub-category of gold and silver coins that are worth mentioning: collectible coins.
Collectible coins, just like Canadian Maple Leaf coins, have value because of their gold or silver content.
But collectibles also have additional value for their rarity.
Whereas the Royal Mint of Canada produces new Maple Leaf coins every single year, no one can go back in time to mint more Venetian gold ducats from the 14th century. There are only a fixed number of those coins in existence.
Because of that, collectible coins sell for a significant premium to the value of their gold or silver content.
This concept of ‘premium’ is an important one: ALL coins, whether a rare coin or a bullion coin like a Canadian Maple Leaf, generally sell for an additional amount above the gold price.
That’s because, unlike a gold bar which is simply poured into a cast (and rather unevenly at that), a coin has a lot of craftsmanship that goes into the minting process. It’s more expensive to produce, therefore it costs a bit more.
That premium can be between $20 and $150 per coin.
To continue reading, please go to the original article at
https://www.sovereignman.com/investing/heres-a-really-unique-way-to-own-gold-25537/
Central Banks No Longer Trust Each Other: The Global Rush To Gold | Mark Thornton
Kitco News: 9-18-2026
Mark Thornton called the housing bubble in 2004. For four years, he was told he was wrong. He now says every paper-dollar asset you own is facing a very difficult future, and the AI buildout is the clearest warning sign he has seen since.
In this interview with Jeremy Szafron, the Mises Institute senior fellow and author of The Skyscraper Curse explains why AI data centers are this cycle's record-breaking tower, why the bonds financing them run decades longer than the hardware, who gets stuck with the cost when a tenant stops paying, and why central banks no longer trusting each other is the best sign he has seen for gold.
Insiders Buying Gold - Public is Next | Andy Schectman
Liberty and Finance: 9-16-2026
Andy Schectman warns that tightening global oil supplies could trigger another wave of inflation just as central banks face limited room to respond.
He argues that rising Treasury yields, declining confidence in U.S. debt and increasing gold purchases reflect a broader trend toward what he calls “detreasurization.”
The Currency Reset Is Accelerating And Gold Knows It
Taylor Kenny: 9-11-2026
The currency reset may not happen in one dramatic moment. It could already be happening right in front of us.
Gold is surging—but what if the real story isn’t gold at all? The most important question may not be “How high can gold go?” It may be: What will the dollar be worth when it gets there?
Economic systems undergo natural cycles, but historical patterns reveal a consistent trajectory regarding unbacked paper money.
The U.S. Wants a Much Higher Gold Price | Tom Luongo
Miles Franklin Media: 9-9-2026
Andy Schectman, President and CEO of Miles Franklin Precious Metals, interviews Tom Luongo, financial and geopolitical commentator, market analyst, and publisher of Gold, Goats ’n Guns.
Luongo presents his contrarian thesis that the United States may actively favor a much higher gold price, potentially reaching $20,000, as it restructures the dollar system and addresses its sovereign debt burden.
BREAKING: Gold Can't Be Confiscated In This State Now | Patrick Holland
Liberty and Finance: 9-7-2026
Missouri has enacted a sweeping Constitutional Money Actthat gives gold and silver legal-tender status.
The law also provides protections against state-assisted confiscation, allows employers and employees to agree to compensation in gold and silver, and requires the state to accept certain electronic gold and silver transfers for taxes and services.
China Just Triggered the Biggest Gold and Silver Rally in 50 Years: Luke Groman
Slick Finance: 9-5-2026
The global financial landscape is experiencing a profound transformation, characterized by a steady shift away from traditional dollar-centric foreign exchange reserves.
As nations reevaluate their monetary strategies in an increasingly interconnected yet fractured world, a new global monetary dynamic is taking shape. At the center of this evolution is the enduring appeal of gold, which is rapidly emerging as the preferred neutral reserve asset for sovereign entities seeking stability, security, and independence from legacy financial systems.
Dutch CB Declares Gold As Ultimate Reserve Asset | Clive Thompson
Liberty and Finance: 9-3-2026
A major central bank is quietly repositioning its gold for a crisis, and Clive Thompson says investors should be paying close attention.
The Dutch central bank is moving gold reserves toward Londonand spreading its holdings across multiple locations, explicitly citing crisis preparedness and describing gold as an “anchor of trust” and an ultimate reserve asset for hedging extreme systemic risks.
America's Dollar Was Backed by Gold Until 1971 — Why Everything Costs More Now
August 2026
In 1971, President Nixon went on live television and made a decision that changed the value of your money forever. He suspended the dollar's convertibility into gold — a move he called "temporary." It's now lasted over fifty years.
Before that night, every US dollar was backed by physical gold sitting in a vault. The world's currencies were anchored to the dollar, and the dollar was anchored to gold at a fixed rate.
Monetary RESET Has Begun, But “Performance Gold” Could Be the Biggest Opportunity | Ronald Stöeferle
Miles Franklin Media: 9-1-2026
Michelle Makori, President & Editor-in-Chief of Miles Franklin Media, interviews Ronald-Peter Stöferle, Managing Partner and Fund Manager at Incrementum and co-author of the annual In Gold We Trust report.
Stöferle explains why gold is undergoing a “creeping remonetization,” driven by central-bank accumulation, geopolitical fragmentation and growing concerns over the global monetary system. He argues that gold’s bull market is not yet in a bubble and reveals why $8,900 gold is now his new base case after his previous $4,800 target was reached ahead of schedule.
Is Trump Signalling a Gold Revaluation? Bill Holter
Kinesis Money: 8-31-2026
In this week’s Live from the Vault, Andrew Maguire is joined by Bill Holter to examine whether Trump's repost of Jim Rickards' $10,000 gold call signals something far bigger than a market comment, and what it means for gold and the dollar system.
The two precious metals experts examine why credit markets are beginning to crack, and why Bill believes any gold price target being discussed today will ultimately prove laughably low — including the ones that sound outrageous right now.
.Think About This If You Own Hong Kong Dollars
.Notes From The Field By Simon Black
September 3, 2019 Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico
Think About This If You Own Hong Kong Dollars
On January 20, 1841, after delivering a series of military defeats to Imperial China in the First Opium War, British forces landed in Hong Kong and took control of the island.
Hong Kong was hugely important for the British economy because it ensured access to the Chinese market. And they went to war multiple times to keep control of the island.
In 1898 the two empires signed a lasting peace treaty whereby Britain agreed to turn the island over to China in 1997. And Hong Kong prospered for decades under British rule.
But by early 1980s, Hong Kong started experiencing more turbulent times.
Notes From The Field By Simon Black
September 3, 2019 Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico
Think About This If You Own Hong Kong Dollars
On January 20, 1841, after delivering a series of military defeats to Imperial China in the First Opium War, British forces landed in Hong Kong and took control of the island.
Hong Kong was hugely important for the British economy because it ensured access to the Chinese market. And they went to war multiple times to keep control of the island.
In 1898 the two empires signed a lasting peace treaty whereby Britain agreed to turn the island over to China in 1997. And Hong Kong prospered for decades under British rule.
But by early 1980s, Hong Kong started experiencing more turbulent times.
International businesses, bankers, and traders were becoming concerned about the Chinese handover that would take place 15 years later.
And when China’s Deng Xiaoping expressed his desire to hit the gas pedal on Hong Kong’s return to China, investors panicked.
Between September 1982 and September 1983, the Hong Kong dollar lost 25% of its value against the US dollar. Within a week, by early October, it had lost another 15% of its value. And it continued losing ground by the day.
The currency was in free-fall. So in mid-October 1983, the Hong Kong government stabilized the currency by fixing the exchange rate to the US dollar.
It has remained that way for the past 36 years.
This ‘pegged’ exchange rate provided a lot of benefit to Hong Kong back then, helping cement its status as an international financial center.
And I’ve been writing about this for years: the pegged exchange rate means that the Hong Kong dollar has all the benefits of the US dollar, without any of the baggage.
The US dollar has international recognition and stability. Hong Kong’s currency is pegged to the US dollar, so it shares those benefits too.
But while the United States is drowning in debt with $50+ trillion in unfunded pension liabilities, Hong Kong has massive financial reserves, positive cash flow, and a healthy current account surplus.
To continue reading, please go to the original article at
https://www.sovereignman.com/trends/think-about-this-if-you-own-hong-kong-dollars-25532/
To your freedom, Simon Black Founder, SovereignMan.com
America's Story Told by 1,500 Drones 🇺🇸 | America 250 Drone Show
Open Sky drone Light Shows: 7-4-2026
To celebrate America's 250th Anniversary, Open Sky Productions created a breathtaking drone light show that transforms the night sky into a living story of our nation's history, values, and spirit.
Using 1,500 synchronized drones, this one-of-a-kind production brings iconic American imagery to life, from the American Flag and Founding Fathers to the Statue of Liberty, the bald eagle, and other powerful symbols that have shaped our country for 250 years.
TNT:
Mot: Christmas 1881
Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors.
It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving.
It was Christmas Eve, 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas.
TNT:
Tishwash: The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve
A beautiful read during this magical season
The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate.
He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through.
TNT:
Mot: One of the most famous Christmas scenes in movie history was filmed in secret
One of the most famous Christmas scenes in movie history was filmed in secret, right in front of thousands of New Yorkers who didn’t know what was going on.
When you watch Miracle on 34th Street, you’re not looking at a Hollywood set or paid extras. You’re seeing a real moment from 1946, captured as it happened.
Director George Seaton decided not to use a studio and instead put his cast in the real Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
TNT:
Mot: Christmas 1881
Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their
means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were
genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him
that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving.
It was Christmas Eve, 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the
world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy
me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early that
night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we
could read in the Bible.
.When Massachusetts Banned Christmas
Christopher Klein
Ebenezer Scrooge and the Grinch had nothing on the 17th-century Puritans, who actually banned the public celebration of Christmas in the Massachusetts Bay Colony for an entire generation.
The pious Puritans who sailed from England in 1630 to found the Massachusetts Bay Colony brought with them something that might seem surprising for a group of devout Christians—contempt for Christmas.
In a reversal of modern practices, the Puritans kept their shops and schools open and churches closed on Christmas, a holiday that some disparaged as “Foolstide.”
15 Ways to Safe Guard Sudden Wealth
In this Alux.com video we will be answering the following questions:
What to do with money?
What to do if you suddenly get money?
What to do if you inherit a large sum of money?
DJ: DID YOU KNOW?
There is a difference between desire and desperation. Wanting and wishing for something to happen doesn’t make it come true or change reality.
I take issue with Intel providers feeding off the desperation of those who have been put into a mindset of hope they have created.
Twenty years ago most would have been happy enjoying a moment of solitude watching a good movie laying in bed. But now its become torture because we want so much more.
Excessive want is a form of desperation. It’s like our conscious state has been reduced to this toxic blend of hope and uncertainty.
![ZPMXORF7YZCTTGN2JVPJATYOSU[1].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d5222a44813620001d89582/fc814dfb-1b96-48cb-a88b-11e0cfc7cbb3/ZPMXORF7YZCTTGN2JVPJATYOSU%5B1%5D.jpg)
How Popeye’s Obsession With Spinach Was Created From Glaring Misprint
Mistake from scientist led to signature feature of iconic cartoon
Popeye reaches for a can of spinach in a still from an unidenitified Popeye film, c. 1945. (Image by Paramount Pictures/Courtesy of Getty Images) (Paramount Pictures, Getty Images)
One of the most iconic cartoons of all time is “Popeye the Sailor,” and believe it or not, there is a day that has been created to honor the fictional character.
That day is today, but before any fans of the cartoon delve into celebrating Popeye The Sailor Man Day, they might not know how spinach consumption became the source of Popeye’s strength and a signature staple of the cartoon.
.How To Invest Like Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
.Notes From The Field By Simon Black
August 29, 2019 Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico
Here’s how you can invest like Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
In 1978, a scruffy-looking Frenchman named Patrick Hernandez signed his first-ever recording contract.
He had spent the better part of the previous decade touring ballrooms in France, backing b-class singers without any real success to show for himself.
But in late 1978, he released his very first single, “Born to Be Alive.”
The song was an instant hit. It hit the number 1 spot in France, and within a few months, sold over a million copies in the US alone.
And Hernandez became a sensation. By the end of 1979, he had amassed fifty-two gold and platinum record awards from more than fifty countries.
Just like that, he was set for life.
Notes From The Field By Simon Black
August 29, 2019 Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico
Here’s how you can invest like Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
In 1978, a scruffy-looking Frenchman named Patrick Hernandez signed his first-ever recording contract.
He had spent the better part of the previous decade touring ballrooms in France, backing b-class singers without any real success to show for himself.
But in late 1978, he released his very first single, “Born to Be Alive.”
The song was an instant hit. It hit the number 1 spot in France, and within a few months, sold over a million copies in the US alone.
And Hernandez became a sensation. By the end of 1979, he had amassed fifty-two gold and platinum record awards from more than fifty countries.
Just like that, he was set for life.
And 40 years later that same single still earns him around 1,200 euros per day...roughly 438,000 euros per year.
Even his official music video has over 100 million views on Youtube - the envy of most professional YouTubers.
Imagine getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars per year for something you created over thirty years ago!
It’s rare, but it’s possible… and one of the best ways to do it is with royalties.
Royalties are cash payments you receive from assets you’ve created or own. Millions of people worldwide earn royalties every year - on assets as diverse as books, songs and movies-- but also from lesser-known sources like oil wells, gold mines or real estate.
Royalties are an all-time favorite of investors around the world - including Warren Buffett.
That’s because once you own the asset, all you’ve got to do is collect your cash every month or quarter.
I personally love royalties. To me, they are real assets - and generate income no matter what’s happening in the economy.
In times of inflation, the value of your asset goes up, protecting your savings.
In a deflationary period, the cash that the asset produces becomes even more valuable.
And the cash flow can be incredible…
To continue reading, please go to the original article at
This Is What You Call A Win/Win Deal. US Steel Wins. Nippon Steel Wins. America Wins. Japan Wins
Notes From the Field By James Hickman / Simon Black January 7, 2025
The year was 1901, and it was pretty much a who’s who of American business and finance at the time. Andrew Carnegie. JP Morgan. Charles M. Schwab. Elbert Gary (namesake of the city Gary, Indiana).
It would be as if Elon Musk, Billy Gates, and Carl Icahn all got together on a new venture. It would be pretty much guaranteed to be a big deal. Those early 20th century titans formed what would become the world’s largest and most important company in that era— US Steel.
A Former Fed Official Finally Tells The Truth About Inflation…
Notes From The Field By James Hickman / Simon Black 7-29-24
My sister used to be a reporter for Fox News based in south Florida and would regularly be assigned to cover NASA press conferences.
And she’s often told me about how reporters were terrified to ask any real questions. They’re not astrophysicists and don’t understand the first thing about rocket propulsion, and most of the journalists never bothered to learn even the basics of the topic.
So, the majority of the questions were very superficial; quite simply the reporters didn’t want to embarrass themselves.
This is how the media covers the Federal Reserve. Most reporters don’t have a clue about central banking, so, not wanting to look stupid, they just sit quietly and give the Fed a pass. There’s no real scrutiny.
Some Thoughts On America For Her 248th Birthday
Notes From The Field by James Hickman (Simon Black Sovereign Man) July 3, 2024
When the 56 delegates to the Second Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence 248 years ago tomorrow, they were creating much more than a nation. They were giving birth to an idea.
America, at its core, is an idea. And it’s one that ranks as one of the greatest innovations in the history of human civilization, right up there with the wheel, the steam engine, the printing press, and the Internet.
The idea of America wasn’t born in 1776, however. By then it had already evolved over thousands of years.
Five Predictions For The Coming Decade Of Decline
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) June 11, 2024
There is a well-known modern proverb (often attributed to the novelist G. Michael Hopf) that goes, "Weak men create hard times, hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men."
The saying sums up the cyclical nature of the rise and fall of societies– and it’s a topic in which I have tremendous personal interest.
Having recently reached middle age, I can comfortably say with the benefit of hindsight that I was born and grew up during the American prime time– the time at which the wealthiest and most powerful country in the history of the world was at its peak.
Gold Will Soon Displace The US Dollar, And Americans Are Missing Out
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) June 3 2024
Next month will mark 80 years since the US dollar was formally anointed as the world’s reserve currency.
It was July 1944. And with the war in Europe near its denouement, governments were already trying to plan what the postwar world would look like. Most urgently, they needed to figure out how to rebuild their devastated economies.
Just think about the mess they were in: nearly every industrialized country in Europe had been destroyed by war. Manufacturing and farming were both in the dumps, and they had very little savings to invest in economic revival.
They also had a gigantic mess when it came to international trade. Dozens of countries each had their own currencies, so commercial trade meant each government keeping 20-30 currencies in reserve.
France, for example, would have to hold Austrian schillings, British pounds, Spanish pesetas, Italian lira, Dutch guilders, Soviet rubles, etc. in reserve, just to be able to trade.
Would You Pay €1 For This House?
Notes From the Field by James Hickman (Simon Black) May 29, 2024
In 2007, Giuseppe Ferrarello found himself facing a monumental challenge as the newly-elected mayor of Gangi, Italy — an incredibly picturesque yet dwindling town nestled in the mountains of Sicily.
Like many rural communities across Italy and beyond, the village of Gangi was grappling with depopulation and economic decline. Once home to 15,000 people, its population by 2007 stood at just 7,000. Young people in particular were leaving to seek job opportunities in northern Italy and elsewhere in Europe, leaving behind aging parents and empty houses.
At first glance, the situation seemed hopeless. Gangi’s inland location far from the coast rendered it unattractive to tourists.
Where The Price Of Oil Is Just $15/Barrel
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) Tues May 28 2024
In the year 1712, an English ironworker and part-time Baptist preacher named Thomas Newcomen finally put the finishing touches on a new invention that had been more than a century in the making.
Newcomen called it the ‘atmospheric engine’, and it was essentially a very crude, rudimentary steam engine that he used to pump water.
The idea had existed since the early 1600s, and a number of inventors had attempted to create something similar. But Newcomen was the first to develop a functioning engine, and his key breakthrough was including a fuel source (wood) to heat up water and create steam.
It’s remarkable that, even to this day, most automobile engines, generators, and electrical power plants still rely on Newcomen’s basic concept: burn a fuel to create heat, then harness that heat energy to generate motion and mechanical work.
Civil War… Really?
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) May 20, 2024
On July 12, 1648, dozens of angry French politicians gathered at the hallowed Palais de Justice in Paris to draft the final ultimatum that would be sent to their nine-year-old king, Louis XIV.
The politicians were all members of France’s national parliament, and, like most modern politicians, they were almost all lawyers who lived extremely privileged lives at the expense of French taxpayers.
In France, most aristocrats historically came from a group known as the noblesse d'épée, essentially Knights of the Sword. They were warriors who had fought valiantly and had won their power for their dedicated service to France.
This new class of politicians, however, came from a different group known as the noblesse de robe. They had never fought or bled for France, and rather had spent their lives in academia and law school without any understanding of the real world.
Why The Dollar Will Lose Its Status As The Global Reserve Currency
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) May 13, 2024
By the early 400s, the Roman Empire was coming apart at the seams and in desperate need of strong, competent leadership. In theory, Honorius should have been the right man for the job.
Born into the royal household in Constantinople, Honorius had been groomed to rule, practically since birth, by the finest experts in the realm. So even as a young man, Honorius had already accumulated decades of experience.
Yet Rome’s foreign adversaries rightfully believed Honorius to be weak, out of touch, divisive, and completely inept.
He had entered into bonehead peace treaties that strengthened Rome’s enemies. He paid vast sums of money to some of their most powerful rivals and received practically nothing in return. He made virtually no attempt to secure Roman borders, leaving the empire open to be ravaged by barbarians.
Settling the Gold Versus Crypto Debate
Notes From The Field by James Hickman April 24, 2024
In 1972, while excavating to build a factory on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, a backhoe operator noticed gold objects glimmering in the bucket of his machine.
The construction worker had accidentally discovered the Varna Necropolis.
Dating back to around 4500 BC, the jewelry found in this ancient burial site is the earliest evidence of the use of gold by humans, and archeologists believe that they were considered a status symbol in ancient burial rituals.
Thousands of years ago, gold was likely collected from the earth’s surface in the form of nuggets or river dust.
It wasn’t until about 3500 BC, on a hilltop located in the modern-day country of Georgia, that a group of people from the prehistoric Kura-Araxes dug the oldest known gold mine.
Known as Sakdrisi-Kachagiani, the gold mine predates Ancient Egypt and even Mesopotamia.
The Fed’s Game Of “Make Believe” Comes To An End
Notes From The Field by James Hickman (Simon Black) April 29, 2024
It’s barely been a year since the 2023 bank crisis in which several large banks, including Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, failed.
At the time, I wrote that the bank failures weren’t over, and that there would be more.
But it’s been quiet for most of the last year; the banking system has been pretty calm thanks in large part to an emergency program that the Federal Reserve created to bail out other troubled banks.
They called it the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP), and it essentially expired a few weeks ago. In other words, no more emergency lending to troubled banks.
Barely a month later, we have already witnessed our first casualty: Pennsylvania-based Republic First (not to be confused with First Republic, which failed last year) was shut down by regulators on Friday afternoon.
America’s Biggest Bank Sounds the Alarm Bell
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) April 8, 2024
Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan Chase, did not open his annual shareholder letter with rosy language about the state of the world, or even enthusiasm about his bank’s record profits.
Instead, he describes “yet another year of significant challenges” including the war in Ukraine, war in the Middle East, extreme tensions with China, higher food and energy prices, turmoil in the banking sector, outrageous government deficits, and even major risks with the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy.
Dimon writes that “America’s global leadership role is being challenged outside by other nations and inside by our polarized electorate,” and that this is a “time of great crises”.
Why Saudi Arabia’s Futuristic City Is A Sign Of Major Inflation To Come
Notes From the Field By Simon Black/James Hickman April 3, 2024
[Important Reminder: In case you missed our announcement from January 24, Sovereign Man has merged with Peter Schiff's media group. We are now called Schiff Sovereign, and our founder (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
Did you hear about the new streamlined tourist visa to Saudi Arabia? I’m sure you’re standing in line for it already.
No? Me neither.
I was actually stationed in Saudi Arabia for a while when I was in the Army… and, the most unique ‘tourist’ attraction, at least for non-Muslims, is a place we used to call “Chop Chop Square” where they would do the public beheadings and dismemberments of convicted criminals.
Aside from that, Saudi Arabia has virtually nothing to offer tourists. At least for now.
“It looks like fly crap to me. . .”
Notes From the Field by Simon Black / James Hickman March 25, 2024
I’m on my way back home from Mexico City after an incredible weekend event here with more than 100 of our Total Access members.
First things first, if you’ve never been to Mexico City, I highly recommend it. A lot of people have a misconception that the city is some kind third world dump. It’s not. And most first-time visitors are stunned by the vast green areas, expansive parks, tree-lined streets, museums, architecture, and modern lifestyle.
In my opinion it also has some of the best restaurants in the western hemisphere. You can eat extremely well in Mexico City, but you don’t pay very much for it.
Uranium Hasn’t Been This Critical Since The Days Of Oppenheimer
Notes From the Field By Simon Black – James Hickman 3-12-24
If you saw Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster Oppenheimer, you might remember the scene in which Dr. Oppenheimer travels to Chicago to meet with physicist Enrico Fermi, who had just achieved the world’s first ever self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.
This really happened-- it was December 2, 1942, and Enrico Fermi’s experiment was a massive scientific breakthrough. Fermi and his team proved that a fission reaction could be controlled… and therefore the vast amount of energy inside of an atom’s nucleus could be harnessed for other purposes.
Obviously, the US government was singularly focused on turning that immense nuclear energy into the biggest bomb the world had ever seen. But Fermi’s discovery also paved the way for nuclear power.
Why Gold Might (Weirdly) Be A Contrarian Investment Right Now
Notes From the Field By Simon Black/James Hickman March 5, 2024
[Important Reminder: (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
It’s hard to say with a straight face that an asset hovering near its all-time high could be a “contrarian” investment. But I’m going to say it anyhow-- I think gold may be a contrarian play right now.
Now, it would be easy to assume that gold is near its all-time high because everyone is buying. And normally that would be true; typically, whenever an asset soars to a record high, it’s because individual investors are piling into the market.
We’ve seen this countless times, from Bitcoin to meme stocks; once something becomes the hot thing to own, small investors-- and occasionally professionally managed funds-- drive the price higher.
But that’s not happening with gold. In fact, investors have been abandoning gold for years.
Even The FDIC Doesn’t Want To Pay Its Tax Bill…
Hotes From the Field By Simon Black/James Hickman February 28, 2024
[Important Reminder: In case you missed our announcement from January 24, Sovereign Man has merged with Peter Schiff's media group. We are now called Schiff Sovereign, and our founder (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
Almost one year ago to the day-- on February 24, 2023-- Silicon Valley Bank released its 2022 annual report. And senior executives must have been pretty nervous since the report showed that the bank was nearly insolvent.
The bank had acquired a massive portfolio of more than $100 billion of US government bonds-- supposedly the ‘safest’ asset class in the world-- during 2020 and 2021 back when interest rates were at historic lows.
But then the Fed started hiking rates very quickly in 2022. And higher rates cause bond prices to fall-- even the ‘safest’ ones like US Treasury bonds.
Even Warren Buffett’s Legendary Optimism Is Fading
Notes From the Field By Simon Black/James Hickman February 26, 2024
[Important Reminder: In case you missed our announcement from January 24, Sovereign Man has merged with Peter Schiff's media group. We are now called Schiff Sovereign, and our founder (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
Early in the spring of 1956, only weeks after Elvis Presley released his debut studio album, and actress Norma Jean Mortenson had her name legally changed to Marilyn Monroe, a budding 25-year-old businessman from the American Midwest fatefully registered his first-ever company.
His name, of course, was Warren Buffett. And the company he founded was called Buffett Associates-- which was formed with $105,000 of capital from his friends and family.
The US economy at the time was absolutely booming. Interest rates in 1956 were at historic lows. Inflation was practically zero. Economic growth was a dizzying 7%. Productivity growth was strong.
It’s Not A Prediction. It’s Arithmetic. SB
Notes From the Field BY Simon Black (James Hickman) February 7, 2024
[Important Reminder: In case you missed our announcement from January 24, Sovereign Man has merged with Peter Schiff's media group. We are now called Schiff Sovereign, and our founder (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
Thousands of years ago during the late Bronze Age-- most likely between 1100 and 1200 BC, two ancient civilizations were exhausted after nearly a decade of warfare.
On one side was the ancient Achaean peoples led by the Mycenaean king Agamemnon. On the other was a legendary Hittite city that had already been in existence for more than 2,000 years.
Back then the city was called Wilusa. Today we know it as Troy.
The general consensus among historians today is that, most likely, the war did take place. But it obviously lacked the drama and intrigue of Homer’s epic tale, the Iliad.
![Depositphotos_166481014_XL[1].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d5222a44813620001d89582/9bc7c07d-e0e9-4518-8dfd-b4a6ac43ab24/Depositphotos_166481014_XL%5B1%5D.jpg)
The Fed Asks America To Fill In The Blanks _______ SB
Notes From The Field By Simon Black (James Hickman) February 5, 2024
It’s interesting to see how so many mainstream voices are starting to express concern about the gargantuan size of the US national debt.
For most of the past decade, even as the debt spiraled out of control and passed $20 trillion, $25 trillion, $30 trillion, etc., hardly anyone in the media said a word about it. If anything, they would insist that the ‘debt doesn’t matter.’
That tune is finally starting to change. And the latest example came last night when 60 Minutes interviewed the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell.
The US national debt now stands at more than $34 trillion. It will surpass $35 trillion by the summer and likely $36 trillion by the end of the year.
It’s growing so quickly that the interviewer asked about the debt, “Thirty years from now, it is projected to be $144 trillion. . . [I]s the national debt a danger to the economy in your view? I have the sense this worries you very much.”
Good Reason For a Plan B SB
This Story From The 3rd Century Will Sound Quite Familiar To You
January 29, 2024 James Hickman / Simon Black
[Important Reminder: In case you missed our announcement from January 24, Sovereign Man has merged with Peter Schiff's media group. We are now called Schiff Sovereign, and our founder (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
When Publius Licinus Valerianus (known as Valerian) became Roman emperor in September of 253 AD, people across the empire must have breathed a sigh of relief.
“Finally,” many Roman citizens probably thought, “There’s an adult in the room.”
The Roman Empire at that point was in the midst of its infamous ‘Crisis of the Third Century’. The Empire was recovering from a nasty pandemic known as the Antonine Plague. Inflation was soaring. Conflict with their enemies-- especially in the Middle East-- was intensifying. Social tensions were growing. Crime was rising. Trade was declining. The economy was on the ropes. Taxes were going up.
This is a Blueprint for How the Dollar Goes Kaput SB
Notes From The Field By Simon Black January 19, 2024
That infernal clanging you might have heard outside your bedroom window this morning was the sound of the proverbial can being kicked down the road, yet again.
With no agreement on spending anywhere on the horizon for the current fiscal year, the US Congress passed yesterday a ‘Continuing Resolution’ to keep the government temporarily funded for another six weeks.
This is nothing new; in fact, Congress has passed more than 50 Continuing Resolutions just since 2010, primarily because they almost NEVER manage to figure out the budget prior to the start of the fiscal year on October 1st.
But now there is far greater need to get it right than ever before.
Breaking Down The Coming $20 Trillion Debt Tsunami SB
Notes From the Field By Simon Black January 17, 2024
Tony Fauci should be in a prison cell in Wuhan right now given how much responsibility he bears for destroying US government finances. This guy was one of the chief architects of the hysteria that took over the US (and much of the world) back in 2020.
Yet he now admits, according to recent Congressional testimony, that his infamous six-foot social distancing edict “sort of just appeared” and was “not based on any data”.
But it was precisely those sorts of claims that prompted politicians to close schools and business across the country, and to pay people to stay home and NOT work.
The financial results of this insanity are clear; the US national debt increased by an unbelievable $6.5 trillion during 2020 and 2021. And while there is a lot of blame to go around-- politicians had ample time to find their intellectual courage-- Fauci is extremely culpable.
.How To Become A Billionaire In Five Easy Steps
.Notes From The Field By Simon Black
August 28, 2019 Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico
How To Become A Billionaire In Five Easy Steps
Every morning here in Puerto Rico, I wake up around 6am as the sun rises over the ocean in front of my house. And I pretty much head straight to the gym.
Once there, one of my favorite medieval torture devices is a fairly new exercise bike called a Peloton.
In case you haven’t used one before, a Peloton is like any other stationary exercise bike. You pedal a lot, and it sucks.
The key difference is that Peloton bikes are connected to the Internet, and the company live streams classes directly to the integrated monitor on your bike.
Notes From The Field By Simon Black
August 28, 2019 Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico
How To Become A Billionaire In Five Easy Steps
Every morning here in Puerto Rico, I wake up around 6am as the sun rises over the ocean in front of my house. And I pretty much head straight to the gym.
Once there, one of my favorite medieval torture devices is a fairly new exercise bike called a Peloton.
In case you haven’t used one before, a Peloton is like any other stationary exercise bike. You pedal a lot, and it sucks.
The key difference is that Peloton bikes are connected to the Internet, and the company live streams classes directly to the integrated monitor on your bike.
So instead of going to a spinning class, you can simulate being in a class and having someone yell at you from thousands of miles away.
You might be thinking-- can’t you get the same experience on a regular stationary bike while watching some YouTube videos?
Why yes, that would pretty much be the same experience.
But Peloton prides itself on building wellness, connectedness, and happiness-- all the ‘ness’s’ that Millennials love. So it’s pretty popular.
And following in the footsteps of WeWork, Peloton formally filed paperwork yesterday to go public on the NASDAQ under ticker symbol PTON.
The company anticipates a share price that will value the company at roughly $8 billion.
Yet according to its filing, the company lost $195 million in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019. That’s four times worse than the company’s $48 million loss in Fiscal Year 2018.
It’s normal for early-stage businesses to lose money at first. Rome wasn’t built in a day. But usually management can provide guidance about the light at the end of the tunnel.
Not Peloton.
Just like WeWork, Peloton expects to continue losing money for the foreseeable future, and acknowledges that they may never achieve profitability.
Peloton also provides the most absurd statements as its company mission. Just like how WeWork aims to ‘elevate the world’s consciousness’, Peloton claims that it “sells happiness”.
It’s SEC filing also contains a bunch of fluffy graphics showing off their diversity, community, and interconnectedness.
To continue reading, please go to the original article at
https://www.sovereignman.com/investing/how-to-become-a-billionaire-in-five-easy-steps-25518/
America's Story Told by 1,500 Drones 🇺🇸 | America 250 Drone Show
Open Sky drone Light Shows: 7-4-2026
To celebrate America's 250th Anniversary, Open Sky Productions created a breathtaking drone light show that transforms the night sky into a living story of our nation's history, values, and spirit.
Using 1,500 synchronized drones, this one-of-a-kind production brings iconic American imagery to life, from the American Flag and Founding Fathers to the Statue of Liberty, the bald eagle, and other powerful symbols that have shaped our country for 250 years.
TNT:
Mot: Christmas 1881
Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors.
It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving.
It was Christmas Eve, 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas.
TNT:
Tishwash: The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve
A beautiful read during this magical season
The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate.
He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through.
TNT:
Mot: One of the most famous Christmas scenes in movie history was filmed in secret
One of the most famous Christmas scenes in movie history was filmed in secret, right in front of thousands of New Yorkers who didn’t know what was going on.
When you watch Miracle on 34th Street, you’re not looking at a Hollywood set or paid extras. You’re seeing a real moment from 1946, captured as it happened.
Director George Seaton decided not to use a studio and instead put his cast in the real Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
TNT:
Mot: Christmas 1881
Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their
means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were
genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him
that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving.
It was Christmas Eve, 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the
world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy
me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early that
night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we
could read in the Bible.
.When Massachusetts Banned Christmas
Christopher Klein
Ebenezer Scrooge and the Grinch had nothing on the 17th-century Puritans, who actually banned the public celebration of Christmas in the Massachusetts Bay Colony for an entire generation.
The pious Puritans who sailed from England in 1630 to found the Massachusetts Bay Colony brought with them something that might seem surprising for a group of devout Christians—contempt for Christmas.
In a reversal of modern practices, the Puritans kept their shops and schools open and churches closed on Christmas, a holiday that some disparaged as “Foolstide.”
15 Ways to Safe Guard Sudden Wealth
In this Alux.com video we will be answering the following questions:
What to do with money?
What to do if you suddenly get money?
What to do if you inherit a large sum of money?
DJ: DID YOU KNOW?
There is a difference between desire and desperation. Wanting and wishing for something to happen doesn’t make it come true or change reality.
I take issue with Intel providers feeding off the desperation of those who have been put into a mindset of hope they have created.
Twenty years ago most would have been happy enjoying a moment of solitude watching a good movie laying in bed. But now its become torture because we want so much more.
Excessive want is a form of desperation. It’s like our conscious state has been reduced to this toxic blend of hope and uncertainty.
How Popeye’s Obsession With Spinach Was Created From Glaring Misprint
Mistake from scientist led to signature feature of iconic cartoon
Popeye reaches for a can of spinach in a still from an unidenitified Popeye film, c. 1945. (Image by Paramount Pictures/Courtesy of Getty Images) (Paramount Pictures, Getty Images)
One of the most iconic cartoons of all time is “Popeye the Sailor,” and believe it or not, there is a day that has been created to honor the fictional character.
That day is today, but before any fans of the cartoon delve into celebrating Popeye The Sailor Man Day, they might not know how spinach consumption became the source of Popeye’s strength and a signature staple of the cartoon.
.Here’s A Dirty Secret Few People Know About Gold
.Notes From The Field By Simon Black
August 26, 2019 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Here’s A Dirty Secret Few People Know About Gold
In 1962 in a picturesque setting in Santa Barbara, California, two local entrepreneurs opened a low-cost, roadside inn where the nightly room rate was just $6.
They called it Motel 6.
And today the chain has grown to over 1,400 locations.
If you want the most straightforward explanation for why you should own gold, consider your local Motel 6.
Notes From The Field By Simon Black
August 26, 2019 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Here’s A Dirty Secret Few People Know About Gold
In 1962 in a picturesque setting in Santa Barbara, California, two local entrepreneurs opened a low-cost, roadside inn where the nightly room rate was just $6.
They called it Motel 6.
And today the chain has grown to over 1,400 locations.
If you want the most straightforward explanation for why you should own gold, consider your local Motel 6.
It’s noteworthy that, today, the very same Santa Barbara location now rents its rooms for nearly $90 per night.
That’s a 15x increase in 57 years, an average increase of roughly 5% per year.
Are the rooms 15x bigger, or 15x nicer? Not really.
The reason the price has increased so much is because of inflation-- the gradual erosion of the US dollar’s purchasing power over the past several decades.
This is why it’s important to have a conversation about gold.
Unlike paper currencies, gold has a 5,000 year track record of keeping up with inflation.
In fact, when priced in gold, a room at the Motel 6 has actually gotten cheaper.
Back in 1962, an ounce of gold would buy you about 6 nights at the motel. Now, despite the 12-fold increase in the price of a room, one ounce of gold will buy you 21 nights there.
That’s because the price of gold has largely outpaced the rate of inflation and the decline in the purchasing power of the US dollar.
Gold is a fantastic long-term store of value. It’s also an insurance policy-- a hedge against paper currency, systemic risk, and uncertainty.
And there’s plenty of those in the world.
But there’s also a number of catalysts emerging right now that could send gold prices substantially higher in the near future, so it may be worth considering gold right now as a speculation.
There have been several times in history where gold has experienced wild swings in value against paper currency. And some people got very rich from it.
In the coming days and weeks, I’ll be writing a series of articles on different ways to own gold.
And it’s my hope that you’ll use the information to as part of your Plan B, not only to hedge against looming risks, but also to potentially profit from uncertainty in the system.
To continue reading, please go to the original article at
https://www.sovereignman.com/trends/heres-a-dirty-secret-few-people-know-about-gold-25505/
To your freedom, Simon Black, Founder, SovereignMan.com
This Is What You Call A Win/Win Deal. US Steel Wins. Nippon Steel Wins. America Wins. Japan Wins
Notes From the Field By James Hickman / Simon Black January 7, 2025
The year was 1901, and it was pretty much a who’s who of American business and finance at the time. Andrew Carnegie. JP Morgan. Charles M. Schwab. Elbert Gary (namesake of the city Gary, Indiana).
It would be as if Elon Musk, Billy Gates, and Carl Icahn all got together on a new venture. It would be pretty much guaranteed to be a big deal. Those early 20th century titans formed what would become the world’s largest and most important company in that era— US Steel.
A Former Fed Official Finally Tells The Truth About Inflation…
Notes From The Field By James Hickman / Simon Black 7-29-24
My sister used to be a reporter for Fox News based in south Florida and would regularly be assigned to cover NASA press conferences.
And she’s often told me about how reporters were terrified to ask any real questions. They’re not astrophysicists and don’t understand the first thing about rocket propulsion, and most of the journalists never bothered to learn even the basics of the topic.
So, the majority of the questions were very superficial; quite simply the reporters didn’t want to embarrass themselves.
This is how the media covers the Federal Reserve. Most reporters don’t have a clue about central banking, so, not wanting to look stupid, they just sit quietly and give the Fed a pass. There’s no real scrutiny.
Some Thoughts On America For Her 248th Birthday
Notes From The Field by James Hickman (Simon Black Sovereign Man) July 3, 2024
When the 56 delegates to the Second Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence 248 years ago tomorrow, they were creating much more than a nation. They were giving birth to an idea.
America, at its core, is an idea. And it’s one that ranks as one of the greatest innovations in the history of human civilization, right up there with the wheel, the steam engine, the printing press, and the Internet.
The idea of America wasn’t born in 1776, however. By then it had already evolved over thousands of years.
Five Predictions For The Coming Decade Of Decline
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) June 11, 2024
There is a well-known modern proverb (often attributed to the novelist G. Michael Hopf) that goes, "Weak men create hard times, hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men."
The saying sums up the cyclical nature of the rise and fall of societies– and it’s a topic in which I have tremendous personal interest.
Having recently reached middle age, I can comfortably say with the benefit of hindsight that I was born and grew up during the American prime time– the time at which the wealthiest and most powerful country in the history of the world was at its peak.
Gold Will Soon Displace The US Dollar, And Americans Are Missing Out
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) June 3 2024
Next month will mark 80 years since the US dollar was formally anointed as the world’s reserve currency.
It was July 1944. And with the war in Europe near its denouement, governments were already trying to plan what the postwar world would look like. Most urgently, they needed to figure out how to rebuild their devastated economies.
Just think about the mess they were in: nearly every industrialized country in Europe had been destroyed by war. Manufacturing and farming were both in the dumps, and they had very little savings to invest in economic revival.
They also had a gigantic mess when it came to international trade. Dozens of countries each had their own currencies, so commercial trade meant each government keeping 20-30 currencies in reserve.
France, for example, would have to hold Austrian schillings, British pounds, Spanish pesetas, Italian lira, Dutch guilders, Soviet rubles, etc. in reserve, just to be able to trade.
Would You Pay €1 For This House?
Notes From the Field by James Hickman (Simon Black) May 29, 2024
In 2007, Giuseppe Ferrarello found himself facing a monumental challenge as the newly-elected mayor of Gangi, Italy — an incredibly picturesque yet dwindling town nestled in the mountains of Sicily.
Like many rural communities across Italy and beyond, the village of Gangi was grappling with depopulation and economic decline. Once home to 15,000 people, its population by 2007 stood at just 7,000. Young people in particular were leaving to seek job opportunities in northern Italy and elsewhere in Europe, leaving behind aging parents and empty houses.
At first glance, the situation seemed hopeless. Gangi’s inland location far from the coast rendered it unattractive to tourists.
Where The Price Of Oil Is Just $15/Barrel
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) Tues May 28 2024
In the year 1712, an English ironworker and part-time Baptist preacher named Thomas Newcomen finally put the finishing touches on a new invention that had been more than a century in the making.
Newcomen called it the ‘atmospheric engine’, and it was essentially a very crude, rudimentary steam engine that he used to pump water.
The idea had existed since the early 1600s, and a number of inventors had attempted to create something similar. But Newcomen was the first to develop a functioning engine, and his key breakthrough was including a fuel source (wood) to heat up water and create steam.
It’s remarkable that, even to this day, most automobile engines, generators, and electrical power plants still rely on Newcomen’s basic concept: burn a fuel to create heat, then harness that heat energy to generate motion and mechanical work.
Civil War… Really?
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) May 20, 2024
On July 12, 1648, dozens of angry French politicians gathered at the hallowed Palais de Justice in Paris to draft the final ultimatum that would be sent to their nine-year-old king, Louis XIV.
The politicians were all members of France’s national parliament, and, like most modern politicians, they were almost all lawyers who lived extremely privileged lives at the expense of French taxpayers.
In France, most aristocrats historically came from a group known as the noblesse d'épée, essentially Knights of the Sword. They were warriors who had fought valiantly and had won their power for their dedicated service to France.
This new class of politicians, however, came from a different group known as the noblesse de robe. They had never fought or bled for France, and rather had spent their lives in academia and law school without any understanding of the real world.
Why The Dollar Will Lose Its Status As The Global Reserve Currency
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) May 13, 2024
By the early 400s, the Roman Empire was coming apart at the seams and in desperate need of strong, competent leadership. In theory, Honorius should have been the right man for the job.
Born into the royal household in Constantinople, Honorius had been groomed to rule, practically since birth, by the finest experts in the realm. So even as a young man, Honorius had already accumulated decades of experience.
Yet Rome’s foreign adversaries rightfully believed Honorius to be weak, out of touch, divisive, and completely inept.
He had entered into bonehead peace treaties that strengthened Rome’s enemies. He paid vast sums of money to some of their most powerful rivals and received practically nothing in return. He made virtually no attempt to secure Roman borders, leaving the empire open to be ravaged by barbarians.
Settling the Gold Versus Crypto Debate
Notes From The Field by James Hickman April 24, 2024
In 1972, while excavating to build a factory on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, a backhoe operator noticed gold objects glimmering in the bucket of his machine.
The construction worker had accidentally discovered the Varna Necropolis.
Dating back to around 4500 BC, the jewelry found in this ancient burial site is the earliest evidence of the use of gold by humans, and archeologists believe that they were considered a status symbol in ancient burial rituals.
Thousands of years ago, gold was likely collected from the earth’s surface in the form of nuggets or river dust.
It wasn’t until about 3500 BC, on a hilltop located in the modern-day country of Georgia, that a group of people from the prehistoric Kura-Araxes dug the oldest known gold mine.
Known as Sakdrisi-Kachagiani, the gold mine predates Ancient Egypt and even Mesopotamia.
The Fed’s Game Of “Make Believe” Comes To An End
Notes From The Field by James Hickman (Simon Black) April 29, 2024
It’s barely been a year since the 2023 bank crisis in which several large banks, including Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, failed.
At the time, I wrote that the bank failures weren’t over, and that there would be more.
But it’s been quiet for most of the last year; the banking system has been pretty calm thanks in large part to an emergency program that the Federal Reserve created to bail out other troubled banks.
They called it the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP), and it essentially expired a few weeks ago. In other words, no more emergency lending to troubled banks.
Barely a month later, we have already witnessed our first casualty: Pennsylvania-based Republic First (not to be confused with First Republic, which failed last year) was shut down by regulators on Friday afternoon.
America’s Biggest Bank Sounds the Alarm Bell
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) April 8, 2024
Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan Chase, did not open his annual shareholder letter with rosy language about the state of the world, or even enthusiasm about his bank’s record profits.
Instead, he describes “yet another year of significant challenges” including the war in Ukraine, war in the Middle East, extreme tensions with China, higher food and energy prices, turmoil in the banking sector, outrageous government deficits, and even major risks with the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy.
Dimon writes that “America’s global leadership role is being challenged outside by other nations and inside by our polarized electorate,” and that this is a “time of great crises”.
Why Saudi Arabia’s Futuristic City Is A Sign Of Major Inflation To Come
Notes From the Field By Simon Black/James Hickman April 3, 2024
[Important Reminder: In case you missed our announcement from January 24, Sovereign Man has merged with Peter Schiff's media group. We are now called Schiff Sovereign, and our founder (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
Did you hear about the new streamlined tourist visa to Saudi Arabia? I’m sure you’re standing in line for it already.
No? Me neither.
I was actually stationed in Saudi Arabia for a while when I was in the Army… and, the most unique ‘tourist’ attraction, at least for non-Muslims, is a place we used to call “Chop Chop Square” where they would do the public beheadings and dismemberments of convicted criminals.
Aside from that, Saudi Arabia has virtually nothing to offer tourists. At least for now.
“It looks like fly crap to me. . .”
Notes From the Field by Simon Black / James Hickman March 25, 2024
I’m on my way back home from Mexico City after an incredible weekend event here with more than 100 of our Total Access members.
First things first, if you’ve never been to Mexico City, I highly recommend it. A lot of people have a misconception that the city is some kind third world dump. It’s not. And most first-time visitors are stunned by the vast green areas, expansive parks, tree-lined streets, museums, architecture, and modern lifestyle.
In my opinion it also has some of the best restaurants in the western hemisphere. You can eat extremely well in Mexico City, but you don’t pay very much for it.
Uranium Hasn’t Been This Critical Since The Days Of Oppenheimer
Notes From the Field By Simon Black – James Hickman 3-12-24
If you saw Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster Oppenheimer, you might remember the scene in which Dr. Oppenheimer travels to Chicago to meet with physicist Enrico Fermi, who had just achieved the world’s first ever self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.
This really happened-- it was December 2, 1942, and Enrico Fermi’s experiment was a massive scientific breakthrough. Fermi and his team proved that a fission reaction could be controlled… and therefore the vast amount of energy inside of an atom’s nucleus could be harnessed for other purposes.
Obviously, the US government was singularly focused on turning that immense nuclear energy into the biggest bomb the world had ever seen. But Fermi’s discovery also paved the way for nuclear power.
Why Gold Might (Weirdly) Be A Contrarian Investment Right Now
Notes From the Field By Simon Black/James Hickman March 5, 2024
[Important Reminder: (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
It’s hard to say with a straight face that an asset hovering near its all-time high could be a “contrarian” investment. But I’m going to say it anyhow-- I think gold may be a contrarian play right now.
Now, it would be easy to assume that gold is near its all-time high because everyone is buying. And normally that would be true; typically, whenever an asset soars to a record high, it’s because individual investors are piling into the market.
We’ve seen this countless times, from Bitcoin to meme stocks; once something becomes the hot thing to own, small investors-- and occasionally professionally managed funds-- drive the price higher.
But that’s not happening with gold. In fact, investors have been abandoning gold for years.
Even The FDIC Doesn’t Want To Pay Its Tax Bill…
Hotes From the Field By Simon Black/James Hickman February 28, 2024
[Important Reminder: In case you missed our announcement from January 24, Sovereign Man has merged with Peter Schiff's media group. We are now called Schiff Sovereign, and our founder (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
Almost one year ago to the day-- on February 24, 2023-- Silicon Valley Bank released its 2022 annual report. And senior executives must have been pretty nervous since the report showed that the bank was nearly insolvent.
The bank had acquired a massive portfolio of more than $100 billion of US government bonds-- supposedly the ‘safest’ asset class in the world-- during 2020 and 2021 back when interest rates were at historic lows.
But then the Fed started hiking rates very quickly in 2022. And higher rates cause bond prices to fall-- even the ‘safest’ ones like US Treasury bonds.
Even Warren Buffett’s Legendary Optimism Is Fading
Notes From the Field By Simon Black/James Hickman February 26, 2024
[Important Reminder: In case you missed our announcement from January 24, Sovereign Man has merged with Peter Schiff's media group. We are now called Schiff Sovereign, and our founder (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
Early in the spring of 1956, only weeks after Elvis Presley released his debut studio album, and actress Norma Jean Mortenson had her name legally changed to Marilyn Monroe, a budding 25-year-old businessman from the American Midwest fatefully registered his first-ever company.
His name, of course, was Warren Buffett. And the company he founded was called Buffett Associates-- which was formed with $105,000 of capital from his friends and family.
The US economy at the time was absolutely booming. Interest rates in 1956 were at historic lows. Inflation was practically zero. Economic growth was a dizzying 7%. Productivity growth was strong.
It’s Not A Prediction. It’s Arithmetic. SB
Notes From the Field BY Simon Black (James Hickman) February 7, 2024
[Important Reminder: In case you missed our announcement from January 24, Sovereign Man has merged with Peter Schiff's media group. We are now called Schiff Sovereign, and our founder (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
Thousands of years ago during the late Bronze Age-- most likely between 1100 and 1200 BC, two ancient civilizations were exhausted after nearly a decade of warfare.
On one side was the ancient Achaean peoples led by the Mycenaean king Agamemnon. On the other was a legendary Hittite city that had already been in existence for more than 2,000 years.
Back then the city was called Wilusa. Today we know it as Troy.
The general consensus among historians today is that, most likely, the war did take place. But it obviously lacked the drama and intrigue of Homer’s epic tale, the Iliad.
The Fed Asks America To Fill In The Blanks _______ SB
Notes From The Field By Simon Black (James Hickman) February 5, 2024
It’s interesting to see how so many mainstream voices are starting to express concern about the gargantuan size of the US national debt.
For most of the past decade, even as the debt spiraled out of control and passed $20 trillion, $25 trillion, $30 trillion, etc., hardly anyone in the media said a word about it. If anything, they would insist that the ‘debt doesn’t matter.’
That tune is finally starting to change. And the latest example came last night when 60 Minutes interviewed the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell.
The US national debt now stands at more than $34 trillion. It will surpass $35 trillion by the summer and likely $36 trillion by the end of the year.
It’s growing so quickly that the interviewer asked about the debt, “Thirty years from now, it is projected to be $144 trillion. . . [I]s the national debt a danger to the economy in your view? I have the sense this worries you very much.”
Good Reason For a Plan B SB
This Story From The 3rd Century Will Sound Quite Familiar To You
January 29, 2024 James Hickman / Simon Black
[Important Reminder: In case you missed our announcement from January 24, Sovereign Man has merged with Peter Schiff's media group. We are now called Schiff Sovereign, and our founder (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
When Publius Licinus Valerianus (known as Valerian) became Roman emperor in September of 253 AD, people across the empire must have breathed a sigh of relief.
“Finally,” many Roman citizens probably thought, “There’s an adult in the room.”
The Roman Empire at that point was in the midst of its infamous ‘Crisis of the Third Century’. The Empire was recovering from a nasty pandemic known as the Antonine Plague. Inflation was soaring. Conflict with their enemies-- especially in the Middle East-- was intensifying. Social tensions were growing. Crime was rising. Trade was declining. The economy was on the ropes. Taxes were going up.
This is a Blueprint for How the Dollar Goes Kaput SB
Notes From The Field By Simon Black January 19, 2024
That infernal clanging you might have heard outside your bedroom window this morning was the sound of the proverbial can being kicked down the road, yet again.
With no agreement on spending anywhere on the horizon for the current fiscal year, the US Congress passed yesterday a ‘Continuing Resolution’ to keep the government temporarily funded for another six weeks.
This is nothing new; in fact, Congress has passed more than 50 Continuing Resolutions just since 2010, primarily because they almost NEVER manage to figure out the budget prior to the start of the fiscal year on October 1st.
But now there is far greater need to get it right than ever before.
Breaking Down The Coming $20 Trillion Debt Tsunami SB
Notes From the Field By Simon Black January 17, 2024
Tony Fauci should be in a prison cell in Wuhan right now given how much responsibility he bears for destroying US government finances. This guy was one of the chief architects of the hysteria that took over the US (and much of the world) back in 2020.
Yet he now admits, according to recent Congressional testimony, that his infamous six-foot social distancing edict “sort of just appeared” and was “not based on any data”.
But it was precisely those sorts of claims that prompted politicians to close schools and business across the country, and to pay people to stay home and NOT work.
The financial results of this insanity are clear; the US national debt increased by an unbelievable $6.5 trillion during 2020 and 2021. And while there is a lot of blame to go around-- politicians had ample time to find their intellectual courage-- Fauci is extremely culpable.
.4 Compelling Reasons To Be Thinking About Gold
.Notes From The Field By Simon Black
August 21, 2019 San Juan, Puerto Rico
4 Compelling Reasons To Be Thinking About Gold
From time to time it’s important to take a giant step back and take a fresh look at everything that’s going on with a big picture perspective.
The last few weeks have been nothing short of incredible… so many important things happening that have never happened before ever. Let’s take a step back together:
1) $50 Billion To “Elevate Your Consciousness”
As we discussed on Monday, WeWork filed its formal IPO paperwork in the United States last week, indicating that the company will be worth nearly $50 BILLION when it goes public.
Notes From The Field By Simon Black
August 21, 2019 San Juan, Puerto Rico
4 Compelling Reasons To Be Thinking About Gold
From time to time it’s important to take a giant step back and take a fresh look at everything that’s going on with a big picture perspective.
The last few weeks have been nothing short of incredible… so many important things happening that have never happened before ever. Let’s take a step back together:
1) $50 Billion To “Elevate Your Consciousness”
As we discussed on Monday, WeWork filed its formal IPO paperwork in the United States last week, indicating that the company will be worth nearly $50 BILLION when it goes public.
WeWork has never turned a profit. It doesn’t expect to turn a profit. It doesn’t have a plan to turn a profit. And it claims its mission is to ‘elevate the world’s consciousness’.
WeWork owns no real estate. It has almost no assets. In fact, WeWork’s primary asset is the office space it currently leases (i.e. does not own).
And to be fair, they’re leasing a LOT of space. WeWork hopes to eventually lease 40 million square feet of office space.
But at $50 BILLION, investors are essentially paying $1,250 for each square foot of office space that WeWork is LEASING.
That’s almost as expensive as what it costs to BUY in New York City.
Talk about overpaying.
Then there are the ridiculous shenanigans of WeWork’s co-founder/CEO Adam Neumann, who has a history of unethical behavior.
Neumann charged his own company nearly $6 million for the “We” trademark earlier this year. He borrowed money from the company to buy real estate that he immediately leased back to WeWork.
And now he’s selling shares in this IPO to investors which have dramatically diminished voting rights… further cementing his power over the company.
So not only are investors dramatically overpaying for a company that has very few assets and burns cash with no end in sight, but they’re willingly giving up control to someone who has a history of enriching himself at their expense.
2) Yikes! Interest rates
But perhaps even more insane than WeWork (if that’s even possible) is what’s happening with interest rates.
To continue reading, please go to the original article at
https://www.sovereignman.com/investing/4-compelling-reasons-to-be-thinking-about-gold-25490/
America's Story Told by 1,500 Drones 🇺🇸 | America 250 Drone Show
Open Sky drone Light Shows: 7-4-2026
To celebrate America's 250th Anniversary, Open Sky Productions created a breathtaking drone light show that transforms the night sky into a living story of our nation's history, values, and spirit.
Using 1,500 synchronized drones, this one-of-a-kind production brings iconic American imagery to life, from the American Flag and Founding Fathers to the Statue of Liberty, the bald eagle, and other powerful symbols that have shaped our country for 250 years.
TNT:
Mot: Christmas 1881
Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors.
It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving.
It was Christmas Eve, 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas.
TNT:
Tishwash: The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve
A beautiful read during this magical season
The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate.
He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through.
TNT:
Mot: One of the most famous Christmas scenes in movie history was filmed in secret
One of the most famous Christmas scenes in movie history was filmed in secret, right in front of thousands of New Yorkers who didn’t know what was going on.
When you watch Miracle on 34th Street, you’re not looking at a Hollywood set or paid extras. You’re seeing a real moment from 1946, captured as it happened.
Director George Seaton decided not to use a studio and instead put his cast in the real Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
TNT:
Mot: Christmas 1881
Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their
means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were
genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him
that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving.
It was Christmas Eve, 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the
world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy
me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early that
night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we
could read in the Bible.
.When Massachusetts Banned Christmas
Christopher Klein
Ebenezer Scrooge and the Grinch had nothing on the 17th-century Puritans, who actually banned the public celebration of Christmas in the Massachusetts Bay Colony for an entire generation.
The pious Puritans who sailed from England in 1630 to found the Massachusetts Bay Colony brought with them something that might seem surprising for a group of devout Christians—contempt for Christmas.
In a reversal of modern practices, the Puritans kept their shops and schools open and churches closed on Christmas, a holiday that some disparaged as “Foolstide.”
15 Ways to Safe Guard Sudden Wealth
In this Alux.com video we will be answering the following questions:
What to do with money?
What to do if you suddenly get money?
What to do if you inherit a large sum of money?
DJ: DID YOU KNOW?
There is a difference between desire and desperation. Wanting and wishing for something to happen doesn’t make it come true or change reality.
I take issue with Intel providers feeding off the desperation of those who have been put into a mindset of hope they have created.
Twenty years ago most would have been happy enjoying a moment of solitude watching a good movie laying in bed. But now its become torture because we want so much more.
Excessive want is a form of desperation. It’s like our conscious state has been reduced to this toxic blend of hope and uncertainty.
How Popeye’s Obsession With Spinach Was Created From Glaring Misprint
Mistake from scientist led to signature feature of iconic cartoon
Popeye reaches for a can of spinach in a still from an unidenitified Popeye film, c. 1945. (Image by Paramount Pictures/Courtesy of Getty Images) (Paramount Pictures, Getty Images)
One of the most iconic cartoons of all time is “Popeye the Sailor,” and believe it or not, there is a day that has been created to honor the fictional character.
That day is today, but before any fans of the cartoon delve into celebrating Popeye The Sailor Man Day, they might not know how spinach consumption became the source of Popeye’s strength and a signature staple of the cartoon.
.Just When You Think You Own Your Own Private Property
.Notes From The Field By Simon Black
August 20, 2019 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Just When You Think You Own Your Own Private Property. .
The year was 1967. Ronald Reagan had just become governor of California. Aretha Franklin was belting out R-E-S-P-E-C-T on the radio. Marxist revolutionary leader Che Guevara was captured and executed in Bolivia.
And a restaurant chain called The White Spot opened its newest location in Denver, Colorado.
It was a popular diner; the White Spot served pancakes and milkshakes to customers for decades, and ownership of the Denver location eventually changed hands when an entrepreneur named Tom Messina bought the diner in 1999.
Notes From The Field By Simon Black
August 20, 2019 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Just When You Think You Own Your Own Private Property. .
The year was 1967. Ronald Reagan had just become governor of California. Aretha Franklin was belting out R-E-S-P-E-C-T on the radio. Marxist revolutionary leader Che Guevara was captured and executed in Bolivia.
And a restaurant chain called The White Spot opened its newest location in Denver, Colorado.
It was a popular diner; the White Spot served pancakes and milkshakes to customers for decades, and ownership of the Denver location eventually changed hands when an entrepreneur named Tom Messina bought the diner in 1999.
He changed the name from the White Spot to Tom’s Diner, and he’s been serving Denver customers for the last 20 years.
But Tom turned 60 recently, and he’s thinking about retirement. After two decades of cracking eggs and frying bacon, he’s ready to spend more time with his family.
And fortunately for Tom, he’s sitting on an extremely valuable asset: his real estate. Tom’s diner is located in downtown Denver in an area that has been heavily redeveloped.
Decades ago the land wasn’t worth very much. But in recent years, Denver became one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Property prices skyrocketed.
In fact, a local real estate developer offered Tom nearly $5 million for his land; it’s an ideal spot to build condominiums given how popular downtown Denver has become.
$5 million is a good chunk of money for anyone, and certainly more than enough for Tom to retire comfortably.
And that’s when a handful of whiny activists stepped and stomped all over Tom’s retirement dream.
After hearing about the deal, five local residents filed an application with the city to have Tom’s Diner declared a historic landmark.
And, if granted, historic status would mean that the diner would be frozen in time forever… and could not be demolished or redeveloped into condos.
Historic status would effectively render Tom’s land completely worthless; no real estate developer would ever pay him top dollar for land that couldn’t be redeveloped.
And that’s tantamount to theft-- the city, and a handful of idiotic activists-- stealing nearly $5 million worth of value.
This is pretty remarkable when you think about it.
To continue reading, please go to the original article at
https://www.sovereignman.com/trends/just-when-you-think-you-own-your-own-private-property-25477/
This Is What You Call A Win/Win Deal. US Steel Wins. Nippon Steel Wins. America Wins. Japan Wins
Notes From the Field By James Hickman / Simon Black January 7, 2025
The year was 1901, and it was pretty much a who’s who of American business and finance at the time. Andrew Carnegie. JP Morgan. Charles M. Schwab. Elbert Gary (namesake of the city Gary, Indiana).
It would be as if Elon Musk, Billy Gates, and Carl Icahn all got together on a new venture. It would be pretty much guaranteed to be a big deal. Those early 20th century titans formed what would become the world’s largest and most important company in that era— US Steel.
A Former Fed Official Finally Tells The Truth About Inflation…
Notes From The Field By James Hickman / Simon Black 7-29-24
My sister used to be a reporter for Fox News based in south Florida and would regularly be assigned to cover NASA press conferences.
And she’s often told me about how reporters were terrified to ask any real questions. They’re not astrophysicists and don’t understand the first thing about rocket propulsion, and most of the journalists never bothered to learn even the basics of the topic.
So, the majority of the questions were very superficial; quite simply the reporters didn’t want to embarrass themselves.
This is how the media covers the Federal Reserve. Most reporters don’t have a clue about central banking, so, not wanting to look stupid, they just sit quietly and give the Fed a pass. There’s no real scrutiny.
Some Thoughts On America For Her 248th Birthday
Notes From The Field by James Hickman (Simon Black Sovereign Man) July 3, 2024
When the 56 delegates to the Second Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence 248 years ago tomorrow, they were creating much more than a nation. They were giving birth to an idea.
America, at its core, is an idea. And it’s one that ranks as one of the greatest innovations in the history of human civilization, right up there with the wheel, the steam engine, the printing press, and the Internet.
The idea of America wasn’t born in 1776, however. By then it had already evolved over thousands of years.
Five Predictions For The Coming Decade Of Decline
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) June 11, 2024
There is a well-known modern proverb (often attributed to the novelist G. Michael Hopf) that goes, "Weak men create hard times, hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men."
The saying sums up the cyclical nature of the rise and fall of societies– and it’s a topic in which I have tremendous personal interest.
Having recently reached middle age, I can comfortably say with the benefit of hindsight that I was born and grew up during the American prime time– the time at which the wealthiest and most powerful country in the history of the world was at its peak.
Gold Will Soon Displace The US Dollar, And Americans Are Missing Out
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) June 3 2024
Next month will mark 80 years since the US dollar was formally anointed as the world’s reserve currency.
It was July 1944. And with the war in Europe near its denouement, governments were already trying to plan what the postwar world would look like. Most urgently, they needed to figure out how to rebuild their devastated economies.
Just think about the mess they were in: nearly every industrialized country in Europe had been destroyed by war. Manufacturing and farming were both in the dumps, and they had very little savings to invest in economic revival.
They also had a gigantic mess when it came to international trade. Dozens of countries each had their own currencies, so commercial trade meant each government keeping 20-30 currencies in reserve.
France, for example, would have to hold Austrian schillings, British pounds, Spanish pesetas, Italian lira, Dutch guilders, Soviet rubles, etc. in reserve, just to be able to trade.
Would You Pay €1 For This House?
Notes From the Field by James Hickman (Simon Black) May 29, 2024
In 2007, Giuseppe Ferrarello found himself facing a monumental challenge as the newly-elected mayor of Gangi, Italy — an incredibly picturesque yet dwindling town nestled in the mountains of Sicily.
Like many rural communities across Italy and beyond, the village of Gangi was grappling with depopulation and economic decline. Once home to 15,000 people, its population by 2007 stood at just 7,000. Young people in particular were leaving to seek job opportunities in northern Italy and elsewhere in Europe, leaving behind aging parents and empty houses.
At first glance, the situation seemed hopeless. Gangi’s inland location far from the coast rendered it unattractive to tourists.
Where The Price Of Oil Is Just $15/Barrel
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) Tues May 28 2024
In the year 1712, an English ironworker and part-time Baptist preacher named Thomas Newcomen finally put the finishing touches on a new invention that had been more than a century in the making.
Newcomen called it the ‘atmospheric engine’, and it was essentially a very crude, rudimentary steam engine that he used to pump water.
The idea had existed since the early 1600s, and a number of inventors had attempted to create something similar. But Newcomen was the first to develop a functioning engine, and his key breakthrough was including a fuel source (wood) to heat up water and create steam.
It’s remarkable that, even to this day, most automobile engines, generators, and electrical power plants still rely on Newcomen’s basic concept: burn a fuel to create heat, then harness that heat energy to generate motion and mechanical work.
Civil War… Really?
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) May 20, 2024
On July 12, 1648, dozens of angry French politicians gathered at the hallowed Palais de Justice in Paris to draft the final ultimatum that would be sent to their nine-year-old king, Louis XIV.
The politicians were all members of France’s national parliament, and, like most modern politicians, they were almost all lawyers who lived extremely privileged lives at the expense of French taxpayers.
In France, most aristocrats historically came from a group known as the noblesse d'épée, essentially Knights of the Sword. They were warriors who had fought valiantly and had won their power for their dedicated service to France.
This new class of politicians, however, came from a different group known as the noblesse de robe. They had never fought or bled for France, and rather had spent their lives in academia and law school without any understanding of the real world.
Why The Dollar Will Lose Its Status As The Global Reserve Currency
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) May 13, 2024
By the early 400s, the Roman Empire was coming apart at the seams and in desperate need of strong, competent leadership. In theory, Honorius should have been the right man for the job.
Born into the royal household in Constantinople, Honorius had been groomed to rule, practically since birth, by the finest experts in the realm. So even as a young man, Honorius had already accumulated decades of experience.
Yet Rome’s foreign adversaries rightfully believed Honorius to be weak, out of touch, divisive, and completely inept.
He had entered into bonehead peace treaties that strengthened Rome’s enemies. He paid vast sums of money to some of their most powerful rivals and received practically nothing in return. He made virtually no attempt to secure Roman borders, leaving the empire open to be ravaged by barbarians.
Settling the Gold Versus Crypto Debate
Notes From The Field by James Hickman April 24, 2024
In 1972, while excavating to build a factory on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, a backhoe operator noticed gold objects glimmering in the bucket of his machine.
The construction worker had accidentally discovered the Varna Necropolis.
Dating back to around 4500 BC, the jewelry found in this ancient burial site is the earliest evidence of the use of gold by humans, and archeologists believe that they were considered a status symbol in ancient burial rituals.
Thousands of years ago, gold was likely collected from the earth’s surface in the form of nuggets or river dust.
It wasn’t until about 3500 BC, on a hilltop located in the modern-day country of Georgia, that a group of people from the prehistoric Kura-Araxes dug the oldest known gold mine.
Known as Sakdrisi-Kachagiani, the gold mine predates Ancient Egypt and even Mesopotamia.
The Fed’s Game Of “Make Believe” Comes To An End
Notes From The Field by James Hickman (Simon Black) April 29, 2024
It’s barely been a year since the 2023 bank crisis in which several large banks, including Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, failed.
At the time, I wrote that the bank failures weren’t over, and that there would be more.
But it’s been quiet for most of the last year; the banking system has been pretty calm thanks in large part to an emergency program that the Federal Reserve created to bail out other troubled banks.
They called it the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP), and it essentially expired a few weeks ago. In other words, no more emergency lending to troubled banks.
Barely a month later, we have already witnessed our first casualty: Pennsylvania-based Republic First (not to be confused with First Republic, which failed last year) was shut down by regulators on Friday afternoon.
America’s Biggest Bank Sounds the Alarm Bell
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) April 8, 2024
Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan Chase, did not open his annual shareholder letter with rosy language about the state of the world, or even enthusiasm about his bank’s record profits.
Instead, he describes “yet another year of significant challenges” including the war in Ukraine, war in the Middle East, extreme tensions with China, higher food and energy prices, turmoil in the banking sector, outrageous government deficits, and even major risks with the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy.
Dimon writes that “America’s global leadership role is being challenged outside by other nations and inside by our polarized electorate,” and that this is a “time of great crises”.
Why Saudi Arabia’s Futuristic City Is A Sign Of Major Inflation To Come
Notes From the Field By Simon Black/James Hickman April 3, 2024
[Important Reminder: In case you missed our announcement from January 24, Sovereign Man has merged with Peter Schiff's media group. We are now called Schiff Sovereign, and our founder (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
Did you hear about the new streamlined tourist visa to Saudi Arabia? I’m sure you’re standing in line for it already.
No? Me neither.
I was actually stationed in Saudi Arabia for a while when I was in the Army… and, the most unique ‘tourist’ attraction, at least for non-Muslims, is a place we used to call “Chop Chop Square” where they would do the public beheadings and dismemberments of convicted criminals.
Aside from that, Saudi Arabia has virtually nothing to offer tourists. At least for now.
“It looks like fly crap to me. . .”
Notes From the Field by Simon Black / James Hickman March 25, 2024
I’m on my way back home from Mexico City after an incredible weekend event here with more than 100 of our Total Access members.
First things first, if you’ve never been to Mexico City, I highly recommend it. A lot of people have a misconception that the city is some kind third world dump. It’s not. And most first-time visitors are stunned by the vast green areas, expansive parks, tree-lined streets, museums, architecture, and modern lifestyle.
In my opinion it also has some of the best restaurants in the western hemisphere. You can eat extremely well in Mexico City, but you don’t pay very much for it.
Uranium Hasn’t Been This Critical Since The Days Of Oppenheimer
Notes From the Field By Simon Black – James Hickman 3-12-24
If you saw Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster Oppenheimer, you might remember the scene in which Dr. Oppenheimer travels to Chicago to meet with physicist Enrico Fermi, who had just achieved the world’s first ever self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.
This really happened-- it was December 2, 1942, and Enrico Fermi’s experiment was a massive scientific breakthrough. Fermi and his team proved that a fission reaction could be controlled… and therefore the vast amount of energy inside of an atom’s nucleus could be harnessed for other purposes.
Obviously, the US government was singularly focused on turning that immense nuclear energy into the biggest bomb the world had ever seen. But Fermi’s discovery also paved the way for nuclear power.
Why Gold Might (Weirdly) Be A Contrarian Investment Right Now
Notes From the Field By Simon Black/James Hickman March 5, 2024
[Important Reminder: (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
It’s hard to say with a straight face that an asset hovering near its all-time high could be a “contrarian” investment. But I’m going to say it anyhow-- I think gold may be a contrarian play right now.
Now, it would be easy to assume that gold is near its all-time high because everyone is buying. And normally that would be true; typically, whenever an asset soars to a record high, it’s because individual investors are piling into the market.
We’ve seen this countless times, from Bitcoin to meme stocks; once something becomes the hot thing to own, small investors-- and occasionally professionally managed funds-- drive the price higher.
But that’s not happening with gold. In fact, investors have been abandoning gold for years.
Even The FDIC Doesn’t Want To Pay Its Tax Bill…
Hotes From the Field By Simon Black/James Hickman February 28, 2024
[Important Reminder: In case you missed our announcement from January 24, Sovereign Man has merged with Peter Schiff's media group. We are now called Schiff Sovereign, and our founder (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
Almost one year ago to the day-- on February 24, 2023-- Silicon Valley Bank released its 2022 annual report. And senior executives must have been pretty nervous since the report showed that the bank was nearly insolvent.
The bank had acquired a massive portfolio of more than $100 billion of US government bonds-- supposedly the ‘safest’ asset class in the world-- during 2020 and 2021 back when interest rates were at historic lows.
But then the Fed started hiking rates very quickly in 2022. And higher rates cause bond prices to fall-- even the ‘safest’ ones like US Treasury bonds.
Even Warren Buffett’s Legendary Optimism Is Fading
Notes From the Field By Simon Black/James Hickman February 26, 2024
[Important Reminder: In case you missed our announcement from January 24, Sovereign Man has merged with Peter Schiff's media group. We are now called Schiff Sovereign, and our founder (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
Early in the spring of 1956, only weeks after Elvis Presley released his debut studio album, and actress Norma Jean Mortenson had her name legally changed to Marilyn Monroe, a budding 25-year-old businessman from the American Midwest fatefully registered his first-ever company.
His name, of course, was Warren Buffett. And the company he founded was called Buffett Associates-- which was formed with $105,000 of capital from his friends and family.
The US economy at the time was absolutely booming. Interest rates in 1956 were at historic lows. Inflation was practically zero. Economic growth was a dizzying 7%. Productivity growth was strong.
It’s Not A Prediction. It’s Arithmetic. SB
Notes From the Field BY Simon Black (James Hickman) February 7, 2024
[Important Reminder: In case you missed our announcement from January 24, Sovereign Man has merged with Peter Schiff's media group. We are now called Schiff Sovereign, and our founder (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
Thousands of years ago during the late Bronze Age-- most likely between 1100 and 1200 BC, two ancient civilizations were exhausted after nearly a decade of warfare.
On one side was the ancient Achaean peoples led by the Mycenaean king Agamemnon. On the other was a legendary Hittite city that had already been in existence for more than 2,000 years.
Back then the city was called Wilusa. Today we know it as Troy.
The general consensus among historians today is that, most likely, the war did take place. But it obviously lacked the drama and intrigue of Homer’s epic tale, the Iliad.
The Fed Asks America To Fill In The Blanks _______ SB
Notes From The Field By Simon Black (James Hickman) February 5, 2024
It’s interesting to see how so many mainstream voices are starting to express concern about the gargantuan size of the US national debt.
For most of the past decade, even as the debt spiraled out of control and passed $20 trillion, $25 trillion, $30 trillion, etc., hardly anyone in the media said a word about it. If anything, they would insist that the ‘debt doesn’t matter.’
That tune is finally starting to change. And the latest example came last night when 60 Minutes interviewed the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell.
The US national debt now stands at more than $34 trillion. It will surpass $35 trillion by the summer and likely $36 trillion by the end of the year.
It’s growing so quickly that the interviewer asked about the debt, “Thirty years from now, it is projected to be $144 trillion. . . [I]s the national debt a danger to the economy in your view? I have the sense this worries you very much.”
Good Reason For a Plan B SB
This Story From The 3rd Century Will Sound Quite Familiar To You
January 29, 2024 James Hickman / Simon Black
[Important Reminder: In case you missed our announcement from January 24, Sovereign Man has merged with Peter Schiff's media group. We are now called Schiff Sovereign, and our founder (Simon Black) has dropped the pen name and is now writing under his real name, James Hickman.]
When Publius Licinus Valerianus (known as Valerian) became Roman emperor in September of 253 AD, people across the empire must have breathed a sigh of relief.
“Finally,” many Roman citizens probably thought, “There’s an adult in the room.”
The Roman Empire at that point was in the midst of its infamous ‘Crisis of the Third Century’. The Empire was recovering from a nasty pandemic known as the Antonine Plague. Inflation was soaring. Conflict with their enemies-- especially in the Middle East-- was intensifying. Social tensions were growing. Crime was rising. Trade was declining. The economy was on the ropes. Taxes were going up.
This is a Blueprint for How the Dollar Goes Kaput SB
Notes From The Field By Simon Black January 19, 2024
That infernal clanging you might have heard outside your bedroom window this morning was the sound of the proverbial can being kicked down the road, yet again.
With no agreement on spending anywhere on the horizon for the current fiscal year, the US Congress passed yesterday a ‘Continuing Resolution’ to keep the government temporarily funded for another six weeks.
This is nothing new; in fact, Congress has passed more than 50 Continuing Resolutions just since 2010, primarily because they almost NEVER manage to figure out the budget prior to the start of the fiscal year on October 1st.
But now there is far greater need to get it right than ever before.
Breaking Down The Coming $20 Trillion Debt Tsunami SB
Notes From the Field By Simon Black January 17, 2024
Tony Fauci should be in a prison cell in Wuhan right now given how much responsibility he bears for destroying US government finances. This guy was one of the chief architects of the hysteria that took over the US (and much of the world) back in 2020.
Yet he now admits, according to recent Congressional testimony, that his infamous six-foot social distancing edict “sort of just appeared” and was “not based on any data”.
But it was precisely those sorts of claims that prompted politicians to close schools and business across the country, and to pay people to stay home and NOT work.
The financial results of this insanity are clear; the US national debt increased by an unbelievable $6.5 trillion during 2020 and 2021. And while there is a lot of blame to go around-- politicians had ample time to find their intellectual courage-- Fauci is extremely culpable.
Do You Hear Alarm Bells Ringing? Neither Do I. And That’s A Huge Problem.
Notes From the Field By Simon Black January 15, 2024
Do you hear alarm bells ringing? Neither do I. And that’s a huge problem.
It’s clear that just about everyone is ignoring what should be the biggest news of the day… an ominous milestone that may just signify the point of no return. I’ll explain--
Recent data published by the Congressional Budget Office show that, last year, “Discretionary Spending” in the Land of the Free totaled $1.7 trillion dollars.
Remember, “Discretionary Spending” is one of the three broad categories of federal spending; the other two are interest on the debt and mandatory spending.
Interest on the debt and mandatory spending (which includes programs like Social Security and Medicare) are like your monthly mortgage payment-- they get sucked out of the Treasury’s Department’s bank account every month. Congress doesn’t even debate or discuss those categories.
Avoiding The Next Inflation May Now Require A Zombie Apocalypse
Notes From the Field By Simon Black January 10, 2024
Earlier this week, leaders from both major parties in the Land of the Free announced a grand bargain that, in theory, should avoid a government shutdown later this month.
According to their agreement, Congress will supposedly cap its ‘discretionary’ spending at $1.6 trillion for Fiscal Year 2024. That’s down from about $1.7 trillion in FY23.
So, yes, technically this $100 billion reduction represents about a 6% decrease over last year. And if we want to be even more cheerful about it, we could call it a 9% decrease on an inflation-adjusted basis.
If we’re being intellectually honest, that’s a step in the right direction for the US. A tiny, tiny, tiny step in the right direction.
How tiny, you ask?
Well, pretty much non-existent; the agreement to cut spending is an almost entirely symbolic gesture that won’t do much good.
Introducing the ‘Church of the Holy Deficit’
Notes From the Field By Simon Black January 8, 2024
When Edward Winslow and his fellow passengers aboard the Mayflower set sail from England on September 16, 1620, they probably weren’t thinking about taxes or Social Security.
Most likely they were just hoping to stay alive long enough to enjoy their new-found religious freedom. Tragically, most of them did not. Many of the Mayflower passengers were adherents of a religious group known as the Separatists, who believed that that everyone should be free to pursue their own spiritual journey without interference from the church or state.
But that belief was literally illegal in England back then.
A Brief Recap Of America’s 2023 Fiscal Train Wreck
Notes From the Field By Simon Black January 3, 2024
Jacques Turgot must have cried himself to sleep the night that he reviewed the French government’s annual financial report in early 1775. The numbers were gruesome; France was so heavily indebted by the mid-1770s that the entire nation was on the verge of a major financial crisis.
But Turgot was smart. Borderline brilliant. So, if anyone could turn things around and restore France to its former glory, it was him. Turgot was born in the 1720s when France was still the clear, dominant superpower in the world… wealthy, admired, and strong. But decades of overspending had created a massive national debt.
By the time he took over as Controller-General in the summer of 1774, the French public debt was so high that just making interest payments consumed most of the tax revenue.
This Is What You Call A Win/Win Deal. US Steel Wins. Nippon Steel Wins. America Wins. Japan Wins
Notes From the Field By James Hickman / Simon Black January 7, 2025
The year was 1901, and it was pretty much a who’s who of American business and finance at the time. Andrew Carnegie. JP Morgan. Charles M. Schwab. Elbert Gary (namesake of the city Gary, Indiana).
It would be as if Elon Musk, Billy Gates, and Carl Icahn all got together on a new venture. It would be pretty much guaranteed to be a big deal. Those early 20th century titans formed what would become the world’s largest and most important company in that era— US Steel.