Physical Metal Shortage

Economics Economics Questions
1

So what is everybody’s take on coin and bullion dealers having a problem getting hold of enough supply to meet demand?

Sunshine Mint seems to have closed up shop for the nonce. And most recently, within the last week or so, the U.S. Mint has stopped selling gold and silver eagles, which is normally a profitable trade with a nice spread.

Okay, Sunshine may have run into problems with the Feds over the Liberty Dollar raid. But the U.S. Mint? What’s up with that?

This is all going on while gold linked equities are selling off like there’s no tomorrow. Just wondering.

2

The tiny increase in general interest in physical metals has wiped out the supply, which was formerly (though it oughtn’t have been) a fairly specialized area. Prices, however, have been bottomed by what I suspect is a tremendous sell-off of fraudulent paper. By the way, physical silver has become even more scarce than gold, and has more industrial applications…

3

I don’t know who said this but “a shortage indicates the abscence of a free market”.