First Post - Bio.
Being autobiographical is not a task I have really tried out that often. Chronological order is likely the way to begin - from the beginning I assume. *Please understand that certain details, facts, and minutia will be left out in order to protect and maintain certain privacy.
As a young boy, from the earliest memories, precious metals fascinated me. Metals that were scarcer, harder to get, cherished by all, fashioned into coins and jewelry were a curious thing. Why were they valuable? Why as a 5, 6 or 7 year old boy, would I hold a Silver crucifix, seeing the "Sterling .925" stamped into the back, and immediately know that this metal was more valuable than others such as brass, copper or steel? No one had taught me this. This is where I truly believe that precious metals are naturally valuable and desired by humans. Just as we crave water, oxygen, calcium for our bones and sugar for our energy, we crave precious metals for our ability to trade, save and hold value, wealth, moneta - money. They have been with us since Gensis chapter 2, since the beginning.
I assure you this memory is real, and I own the crucifix still. For a long while as a young boy my grandmother lived in an apartment upstairs from our main house. She had a small wooden box that had belonged to my great grandmother. Inside that box were coins. Many coins. Old coins. Worn, smooth, flat coins of silver and copper. There was also 3 gold coins inside; 2 1/2 Dollar Indian Heads made of beautiful and glistening gold, heavy, dense, absolutely real money that held within it the ability to extinguish debt (not that I knew that as a child in any way). I would on occasion ask my grandmother to get the box down so I could look at it and hold the coins. None of them in slips, few in rolls or tubes, with some as old as 1820's. All of these coins were American coinage. From what I understand, my great grandfather and his family owned a bar/restaurant on the East Coast back in the teens and twenties. One of them, my great grandfather I believe, would stash the "really old" coins in this box and hold onto them. So here it was, wealth passed down, wealth that was now worth more than when he put it into the box to begin with. My tiny brain, sitting above a mouth most likely gnawing on bubble gum, churned out thoughts.
All of my friends were collecting baseball cards made of paper. The cards crinkled, or were damaged if you got them wet. There was nothing special about paper - after all it is just paper right? So what if there is pictures on them - it is paper, with a picture of a guy holding a bat. I didn't really care for them. I wanted a treasure. I wanted coins. After all, pirates never buried chests full of baseball cards! What fun would that be? The ocean would destroy them. NO, they buried Doubloons, Pieces of Eight, Schillings, Gold and Silver!
Of course my childhood ebbed and flowed, however one theme was constant - the coins. Soon I was old enough to execute tasks and some form of manual labor. After working for my dad at an early age, he asked what I wanted to be paid or perhaps I had stated before hand what I wanted, and that was a U.S. Silver Eagle. 1 OZ. FINE SILVER. That is what I wanted to be paid - a pure troy (what is Troy I would wonder) ounce of Silver. I remember getting it, in a plastic slip, a 1987 Silver Eagle with a small dent through the middle of the "7". The coin was placed in a drawer in a bathroom immediately adjacent to my bedroom. Periodically I would hold it. Then I decided I should never touch it again and stapled the slip shut so I could not open it again.
After learning that there were actual shops that sold coins such as this, I began to save any money I could find, get, gifted, or scrape together and make my pilgrimages to this little coin shop in my town. On occasion I even rode my bike there. Inside were two kind gentlemen. One appeared French, tall, glasses, brown suits all the time, older and slender in build. The other was shorter, greek perhaps, thick black mustache, black eyes, black hair, round face, and a round body to match. Here I would buy silver in any form I could afford. Mercury dimes, quarters, proof sets with silver coins in them, half dollars, Morgans, you name it. Here is where I bought my first Redbook to grade coins. I thought I was pretty good at grading at one point. Who knows? I even had two penny books I began to fill up.
As the years rolled by, I kept at it. Soon I learned that Silver was this "traded" commodity. I learned that the price changed almost every day, and that a president had ordered our coins to no longer be struck in silver and that all the coins that look like Silver minted today were FAKE (cupronickel clad)! There were times where I would start my day by calling the shop to ask the silver prices (to see if I had struck it rich yet and had a box worth hundreds of thousands of dollars because overnight silver exploded). I would bid on the auction board, trying to amass a complete Morgan collection of MS63, MS65 or better Morgan Dollars. The "CC" stamp eluded me as if it were this unachievable level. "How are these Carson City coins so much more!? Why are they so special?!" I would wonder for years. Once I learned about mint populations, it became clear as day.
Throughout my childhood and early teen years as well as onward, I had a firm grip on history, and a quality classical education rooted in literature, good books, conversations with my well learned, philosophical father, and my own constant curiosity. This yearn to learn as well a the ever present concept of history flowing by with us being carried along in it like leaves in a stream pressed on me a desire to know more at times. Often that desire was buried by distractions - life.
I moved from my home town as a teen, and my collecting slowed. In a new region and town, I found a shop not too far away that was also a good trustworthy shop to visit. Still as I grew older, the coin hobby was pushed to the rear of my priorities for a bit. As I began to work more, and work often in construction, I began to earn actual money, real fiat money (not real as far as metal content goes). What do I do with it? Of course I had a small bank account with a miserable, laughable interest rate. I began to stash some of my money in metals. Years ticked by. When 1999 hit and it was "Browns Down", I would walk in after pay day and gobble up a couple of gold coins at a time. This was my first serious stacking for sure. My goal was to get at least one pound worth of gold! This was real now. This was wealth accumulation and preservation, and I could feel it. I even fashioned a wooden box, distressed it to look old, and made it my treasure, my hoard, my stacking box (before there was even the term).
I had to sell almost all of it to attend college. That's the blank spot. The dead zone. Nothingness. School, life, education and career preparation. By time I was spit into the "real world" I had somewhat lost grip with coins and precious metals. I had been "reset", "reeducated". I still knew the coins had value - it's just I did not value them as much. Now was the time to work, invest, build a life. Early in my career I was introduced to investing, mutual funds, the markets, the DJIA, S&P, NASDAQ, small caps, mid caps, large caps, day trades, currencies....you get the point. Right before the main part of my career 9-11 hit. BOOM. America changed. Soon after 2001, the economy began to hum again. Up, up, up went prices, real estate, investments, all of it looked grand. I pumped money into this vast economic machine with a smirk and a grin of pride, thinking it was a gimme that I would eventually be rich as a result. At one point I even bought a 1/4 oz. eagle for $93 bucks, just for old times sake I guess. I sold the eagle within a few months likely thinking it was just sitting there doing nothing - and the economy was HOT. I started to play the game. I even mocked gold at one point as, "A waste that doesn't do anything!". Time ticked by. I fell asleep.
In 2007 I had some money in the markets, I was humming along - when BOOM! As a fairly conservative, and libertarian minded fellow, I began reading on Lew Rockwell about Ron Paul and Peter Schiff. I read some articles about some bizarre imminent housing collapse that was coming. This was 2007 mind you. Two articles really hit me hard. One on a coming real estate crisis and bubble pop (guy was crazy right?!) (I mention and have links to this article and the one to follow in a video I did years ago); and another article on gold. The article on Gold that set me in motion again was Jacob Hornsbergers [i]The Federal War On Gold[/i]. It was as if I had seen the future and it was bleak. I lay in bed one night thinking. I stared at the ceiling and realized, "I had no gold and that all my investments, my paper, could go to zero and be NOTHING tomorrow!" I was almost nauseous. I could hardly sleep. "THOSE BASTARDS!" I thought, "They are going to steal everyones money!". Little did I know at the time.
At the same time I began to hastily rearrange my financial positions - I devoured material on the subjects. I read whatever I could. Ludwig Von Mises, Hans Hermann Hopp, Professor Antal Fekete, Jacob Hornsberger, [i]The Creature from Jekyll Island[/i], just to name a few. Then there was Aaron Russo's - [i]America: From Freedom To Fascism[/i]. It was unceasing. We were screwed. This is all going to burn at some point - it is merely a matter of when NOT IF. Weimar Germany, Argentina, Bolivia, Zimbabwe, country after country that had experienced serious economic upheaval was a case study in what we would likely see. I emptied my accounts. I retreated from the exposure of this toxic, casino like, economy of theft, lies, ignorance, deceit and greed! I held my wealth in the form of dense, cold, metallic coins and it was good. My wealth, the fruits of my labor, the energy I had put up to store for a later time was safe.
I met with my financial "person" and informed them that I would like to empty all of my funds and accounts. "All of it?" they asked. Understand that at this point, nothing of consequence was in the news yet and the economy appeared as normal. This was 2007. "Yes", I replied. I emptied several different mutual funds and investment vehicles. I transferred the money into a bank, where I drove to one afternoon and informed the teller that I would like to withdraw all of it - in cash. The teller looked at me with a blank stare. She went and grabbed a manager. They informed me that this particular bank did not have that amount of cash on hand. "WHAT?!" I thought in my head. Mind you, this was not a tremendous amount - this was a low 5 digit number. This bank, could not cash out ONE CUSTOMER, and there was not even a panic on yet! This situation right here reaffirmed everything. I felt as though I was in on some dark secret - like I was climbing into a life raft on the titanic and everyone else was still dancing. The tellers counted out the bills in front of me, and had me recount it. I walked out with a fat envelope and drove to the coin shop. The rest is gold and silver.
The tremors began. The economy began to quake and shift. Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, AIG, you know the names. The collapse was in full swing and wealth evaporated. The bailout, the QE1, QE2, QE3, QE Infinity - all of it an expansion of the money supply. When would it end? How is this even possible. Debt upon debt. Lie upon lie. The more I observed, the older I grew, the more I studied and read and paid attention, the sicker I got about it all. For a few years there, this was my topic of conversation to all who would listen. I poured myself into it. I lurked on message boards on websites and financial news outlets, debating the merits of gold and silver vs. the paper charades. I would furiously type and research my positions and in my opinion present a fairly good case for Gold.
In 2013 (MMXIII) I started a youtube channel called the Junius Maltby Channel. I chose a photo I had taken in Rome as the icon image for my channel face. This was the face of the statue of Marsyas (more on that later). Here, a community of individuals would come together to discuss precious metals, coins, sound money, humble living, being debt free, the news of the day, the economy, history and share a love for Freedom – Liberty – Libertas! It was here where I decided to broadcast my observations and findings. It was here I could share the articles I read and speeches that so heavily influenced me to becoming awake to what was occurring. Here I would share my ideas and hear the ideas of others. It was almost like a sonar ping. I was seeing who was out there. Were there more like me that also wanted to discuss these issues? Did any one else see what was happening? This would be a place where we could come together and discuss these topics on a global scale - little did I know.
The channel truly was a humble beginning. I started out in a bedroom with a camera I got at a yardsale. Videos were painfully and slowly uploaded on a primitive laptop. I wanted to help others save money, live debt free, and encourage them to buy gold and silver as a way to save their wealth. I never had heard the term, "stacking". It may have not yet existed. The videos were crude, out of focus and without good sound. A few dozen to a couple hundred views, some positive, some negative comments, not much really happened. I enjoyed it however. I began to see familiar names pop up as comments. Soon I realized that people truly cared as well as there being an international crowd. There were people that actually wanted to hear this stuff. Others would comment that "It is not boring, stop calling it the most boring channel on youtube". As I often would refer to the channel with that term. There were people on there I had never met, never spoke to in voice, and yet, we were connected somehow. This was the start of a motivation to do more.
I am very secretive about my life and my trade. My life is busy. I travel. I explore. There are times where I truly venture into the wilds. I live a wonderful and exciting life, however, often I am away from my computer and technology - believe it or not is not usually my thing. I would rather be out in the woods, or climbing a mountain. The first summer after starting the channel - I went away. For months I did not post a video. When I returned, there was a video on youtube titled, [i]"Junius Maltby - Where Are You?"[/i] by "Closet Stacker". Here I learned that an individual in Australia, would often put my videos on before going to sleep (Thanks for that!). He was asking the youtube world where I had gone, if anyone knew. Theories rolled into his comment feed: "CIA Picked him up". "He's dead". "Dead or Jailed". "Sold his stack". This was the theme. I immediately responded with, "Hey! I am alive and well!". I made a video thanking everyone concerned for their concerns, however I was A-Ok. So began the tradition of Junius going away for a while and making a return when the leaves fall. So in a way, my channel does have a seasonal cycle to it.
The Junius Maltby Coin originated as a way to celebrate reaching 10,000 subscribers, where the 1 oz. fine silver round could also serve as a challenge coin, reminding those who hold it of the discussions and principles we hold as a community.
On the Obverse you see the face of Marsyas – who in Greek mythology was tied to a pole and flayed alive by the god Apollo after challenging the god to a musical contest. Marsyas was admired for his intelligence (sunesis) and self-control (sophrosune), not qualities found by Greeks in ordinary satyrs. Among the Romans, Marsyas was cast as the inventor of augury and a proponent of free speech (the philosophical concept παρρησία, “parrhesia“) and “speaking truth to power.” The earliest known representation of Marsyas at Rome stood for at least 300 years in the Roman Forum near or in the comitium, the space for political activity. The statue was regarded as an indicium libertatis, a symbol of liberty, and was associated with demonstrations of the plebs, or common people. It often served as a sort of kiosk upon which invective verse was posted.
The Reverse displays the ancient cuneiform inscription for the Sumerian word “Amagi”. Ama-gi is a Sumerian word written 𒂼𒄄 ama-gi4 or 𒂼𒅈𒄄 ama-ar-gi4. It has been translated as “freedom”, as well as “manumission“, “exemption from debts or obligations”, and “the restoration of persons and property to their original status” including the remission of debts. Other interpretations include a “reversion to a previous state”[and release from debt, slavery, taxation or punishment.The word originates from the noun ama “mother” (sometimes with the enclitic dative case marker ar), and the present participle “return, restore, put back”, thus literally meaning “returning to mother”. Assyriologist Samuel Noah Kramer has identified it as the first known written reference to the concept of freedom. Its literal meaning is “return to the mother”.
The earliest known usage of the word was in the reforms of Urukagina. By the Third Dynasty of Ur, it was used as a legal term for the manumission of individuals, (the act of a slave owner freeing his or her slaves).
It is related to the Akkadian word anduraāru(m), meaning “freedom”, “exemption” and “release from (debt) slavery”.
Also on the reverse are the latin words for Gold and Silver as well as Liberty (Aurum et Argentum) (Liberatas).
Just as the The U.S. Silver Eagle is marked only "1 OZ. FINE SILVER" so is the Maltby round, on purpose. .999 is synonymous with "Fine Silver". The .999 to me is somewhat tacky, whereas the "Fine Silver" is classical, borrowing from the U.S. Silver eagle - my first ever precious metal coin.
I never set out to make a coin that the "community" would want to buy. It was designed and minted as a channel "challenge" coin - a for the dedicated few who sit and suffer through the most boring channel on youtube. It was not to make a buck or even promote the channel. The price is as low as I could get it with the mint. I even shopped around to get people a coin as close to spot as possible from a private reputable mint. I forked over hundreds of dollars of my money to match community efforts in funding the dies to strike our channel coin. The reason was for us all to hold a coin in common, with symbols and meaning that defined the channel from day one.
The coin became an ambassador piece. The efforts and strong work of Salivate Metal in its design and minting process were invaluable! I cannot thank him enough. Also through the process I met countless other youtubers who supported the coin project, motivated me and then purchased the coin, following up with videos of their rounds as they unboxed them! Hearing their words and what the coin meant to them, made all of the time, effort, and cost worth it. The coin itself, cemented a bond to this community.
There are details not mentioned of course -as they relate to my life. This is basically an outline and background introduction to me, the channel and how the two came to be here. Thank you to all of you who have made it what it is. I would not be motivated and the channel would have ceased to exist long ago if it were not for your continued support, motivation, and caring words. Thank you to all of you for always keeping it going and keeping me at it.