Fun on Friday: There’s Gold in Them There Nukes!

So, it kind of seems like we’re heading toward another Cold War. But the Russians have revealed a little secret that might derail the whole nuclear threat.

Apparently, there is gold and silver in those nuclear missiles.

I’ll be honest, I lived through one Cold War and that was enough for me. The whole living under the specter of nuclear annihilation gets a little tiring. I know young people can’t really relate. Maybe this will help. Imagine always worrying about somebody taking your cell phone away, except with the possibility of incineration. It’s troubling.

I still distinctly remember doing nuclear bomb drills in school. The teachers would herd us into the hallways. Then we would line up and kneel down facing the wall, throwing our hands up over our heads. They literally called it “duck and cover.”

You can watch a video about it if you want. This was produced in the 1950s. We were still doing it in the late 70s and early 80s. Except it was in color.

Even as a kid, I really didn’t get it. I mean, we’re talking about a nuclear bomb. I never was sure how putting our hands over our heads was going to save us. But whatever.

Anyway, the whole Cold War thing is kind of tired and worn. I’m not a fan. So, I am all for anything that can keep us from going down that road again. Unfortunately, I can’t trust these politicians to do anything about it. As Randolph Bourne said, “War is the health of the state.”

But sometimes pure greed can override political interest. Wait. That’s redundant. Well, even so, I found hope in a report by Sputnik News revealing nuclear missiles are filled with gold and silver!

Now I realize that by quoting Sputnik News, I might end up accused of being a Russian bot. And this is the second week in a row Russia has been the subject of Fun on Friday. But this is important, so I’m going to risk it. I assure you, I’m not Russian. And I’m not a bot.

Anyway, as Sputnik News tells it, the Russians are in the process of scrapping nine Topol mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles. In the process, they will recover about  42 kilograms of silver and 1.8 kilograms of gold. That translates to 1481 ounces of silver and 63.5 ounces of gold.

At today’s price, we’re talking about $24, 673 worth of silver and $85,534 worth of gold!

In just nine missiles!

Bad news for the company that got the contract for dismantling the nuclear rockets. According to Sputnik, “the contractor will have to return the proceeds gained from the sale of valuable metals to Russia’s state coffers.” Figures. Government always gets what’s theirs. And mine.

So, here’s the question: do all of the nukes have this much gold and silver in them? Did America fill its missiles with precious metals? I mean, we’re talking a lot of money here if they did. I say we scrap all of the nukes and throw a great big party.

I think we have the makings of a great peace initiative here. Make money, not war.

But I’m a realist. The US and Russia aren’t going to dismantle all of their missiles, even if they are stuffed with gold and silver.

This does underscore a point, though. Gold and silver have intrinsic value. Both metals are increasingly being used in technological applications. I guess if you want to find a silver lining (pun intended), a new Cold War with Russia could increase the demand for gold and silver.

Anyway, you don’t have to dismantle a nuke to get your hands on some gold or silver. You can just call 1-888-GOLD-160 and talk to a SchiffGold precious metals specialist.

Fun on Friday is a weekly SchiffGold feature. We dig up some of the off-the-wall and off-beat stories relating to precious metals and the economy, and share them with you – with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Click here to read other posts in this series.

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