Neal's Workshop

If you're struggling to find an X-mas gift to give your friends and relatives, I've got an idea for you: silver or gold coins.

Sure, you can't put them in your DVD player, play them or eat them, but they're awful shiny, not to mention that they are fun to toss in the air or spin on your desk. You can even pretend you are some kinda Pirate and the coin is your "booty". The fun is limited only by your imagination.

Now, I know what you're thinking (And no, I'm not crazy). You give someone a wrapped up Silver Eagle for Christmas and you are going to get some seriously strange looks. It's okay. In fact, that's exactly the reason these coins make such a great gifts!

If you give a friend a silver coin, they won't know what to do with it (Make sure you tell them that the "ONE DOLLAR" stamped on the coin is a joke: spending it anywhere would be like giving away fourteen bucks)! Therefore, it'll likely end up in a sock drawer for years upon years not unlike many other gifts received from older relatives. However, there's one big difference: the coin you give will slowly appreciate in value by both its intrinsic scarcity and as a hedge against the ceaselessly inflating dollar. As a bonus, by giving them a modern relic of what money once was, you're making your friends and family more informed and aware.

So this year, pass on giving your friend a pair of socks or a CD and grab them some silver (or Gold if you're feeling frisky and have a very, very high budget for your gifts). It's no xbox 360, but in about twenty or thirty years, they'll come around. Silver and gold coins are the Christmas gifts that keep on giving.