*1. Aspen Silver Dollar Shines Forth*
Just what you need to weather the monetary storm

*ASPEN SILVER DOLLAR*

From beautiful Aspen Colorado with its golden Aspen trees, a new currency shines forth.

Peter Affolter, explains the Aspen Silver Dollar, actually started in 2008 when Dr. Bill Wesson, long time local dentist, wanted to introduce Aspen to the unique values of silver.

“Well, Bill introduced me to silver and when he got so busy, I decided to take action and launch the Aspen Silver Dollar as a local currency.” Affolter said.

There is no doubt that Affolter, a well know local chef, is dedicated to silver. As he points out, “In the restaurant business, a cup is a cup. I think a dollar should be a dollar and that dollar should hold its value and even increase in value as people prosper. Simply put, silver has a better shelf life than food.”

Affolter is convinced that the Aspen Silver Dollar is good for his beloved mountain community, the Roaring Fork Valley area and good for America. He is quick to point out that, “Silver is better than voting. Sound money is a more effective and positive approach to big government. It can even be profitable!”

So what finally pushed Affolter to take the big plunge into the silver business?

It started when he wanted to buy some silver in Aspen but there were no coin dealers and only one antique store had a few old US silver dollars. With no silver available, Affolter decided to follow the old marketing adage, “find a need and fill it,” and voila, the Aspen Silver Dollar was born.

Very quickly, Dr. Wesson and a dozen other Aspenites started using the Aspen Silver Dollar. The dentist, local bar, food store, car repairman have become the first local merchants to accept the new silver dollar for their goods and services.

Dr. Bill Wesson said, “I am very grateful that Peter took action to bring silver to Aspen. I think it is the best thing for Aspen and strongly encourage everyone to get and use the Aspen Silver Dollar for their own good and for the good of Aspen.”

To hear Affolter tell his story, he harkens back to the good old days when Aspen was the richest silver mining area in the world. He reminisces about how the Populist Party adopted silver as “legal tender” after the panic of 1893 – that almost killed Aspen. But Aspen never died, although it was down to only 705 residents in 1930.

Today, Aspen is the storied land of the rich and famous. But still Affolter is concerned about his beloved town and its local citizens. He is concerned about the US dollar and what the future will bear. And who knows, with silver up nearly 25% in 2009, the $50 Aspen Silver Dollar might just catch on if the current US dollar drops any more and Aspenites start shopping for something with more value.

So what is the Aspen Silver Dollar? Aspen Silver features an image of Liberty on the obverse and an Aspen leaf on the reverse. The new silver dollar contains one ounce of pure .999 fine silver and has a $50 MSRP so it in sync with the silver market and can be used voluntarily by merchants who accept it. So does the new dollar cost $50? Not if you know Affolter or live in the Roaring Fork Valley area. Locals are encouraged to get the currency at a steep volume discounts and then use it for whatever value is agreed upon with the merchant. The value changes with the silver market that is on an uptrend.

In addition to the 2010 Aspen Silver Dollar in Brilliant Uncirculated condition priced in sync with the silver market, two special collector issues have been created. The First Day of Issue features a special hand stamped Aspen leaf hallmark and a Limited Numbered Issue of only 100 individually hand stamped with a serial number.

The new Silver Aspen Dollar is, very “Aspen.” It is beautiful and more valuable than the debt plagued US dollar and would have been the darling of the Aspen of old. And who knows, for anyone who is savvy or lucky enough to catch Peter Affolter, the Aspen Silver Dollar might be just what you need to weather the current monetary storm.

*DISCLAIMER:* The Aspen Silver Dollar is not a currency, as it does not have a face value ($50 is the MSRP only) and is not intended to compete with the depreciating US dollar. The sole purpose of this commemorative “dollar” is for local enjoyment only as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Let it be known that this is not a Liberty Dollar and that I have not involved in the minting, production or circulation of this historic commemorative “dollar.” I was commissioned as an artist only.

/*Please note that the Aspen Silver Dollar is not intended to be used as United States currency and any representation as such is strictly prohibited by law.*/

Despite arrests, some local merchants still accepting Liberty Dollars

* By Dan Shaw,  Posted June 14, 2009

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/jun/14/coins-of-contention/

At one time, Terry Eickhoff had accepted Liberty Dollars at his gun store near Cynthiana, Ind.

A poster on his wall had proclaimed him a “Liberty Merchant,” one among a small group of business owners willing to exchange goods and services for silver, gold and copper coins meant as alternatives to U.S. currency. But Eickhoff, whose store is called the Red Ghost Gun Shop, stopped using the “private voluntary bartering system” about five years ago.

The decision was purely economic; Eickhoff said he sold off his stock of Liberty Dollars when the prices of gold and silver climbed higher than he had seen in recent times.

Bernard von NotHaus, the monetary architect of the Liberty Dollar, said Liberty Merchants who use his coins are indeed harder to come by these days. For that he blames the government, which has succeeded in raising fears over what he considers a perfectly legal and wise means of conducting business, he said.

Last week, federal officials showed their threats weren’t empty by arresting von NotHaus and three others involved in the Liberty Dollar. He and two defendants from Evansville are out on bond, awaiting an initial hearing. The fourth, William Kevin Innes, is being held in North Carolina, where he was arrested.

In an e-mail sent out this week, von NotHaus said he is happy he can now prove his contentions in court. He said he needs money and encouraged his supporters to keep buying Liberty Dollars, which continue to be made. He also solicited the services of a lawyer who can help him win the case.

The arrest did not come as a surprise. The government has long been vocal in its disapproval of the Liberty Dollar.

In Sept. 2006, the U.S. Mint deemed it a crime to circulate the coins. The following year, federal officials raided the private mint in Idaho where Liberty Dollars were made, as well as the group’s store in Evansville, confiscating inventories of silver, gold and copper.

Von NotHaus responded with a lawsuit. He contended the chief reason for the government’s actions was a fear of competition. The Liberty Dollar, he said, holds its value while the U.S. dollar continues to lose purchasing power.

Frank Findley, an Evansville businessman, said it was such claims that attracted him to the “inflation-proof” currency. He became a Liberty Merchant in 1999, the year after von NotHaus and others had begun making the coins.

Findley said he first encountered the Liberty Dollar at trade shows he and his wife would attend for their side business: DEF Arms Enterprises, a seller of pepper spray and other defense products. Customers asked him if he would accept the coins in lieu of regular money.

Though interested, Findley proceeded with caution, first calling the Better Business Bureau to see if it had recorded any complaints against Liberty Dollar. Learning of none, he read some of von NotHaus’ pamphlets describing how the coins could be used as a hedge against inflation.

To become a Liberty Merchant, Findley had to promise he would not misrepresent the Liberty Dollar as standard currency. He was then able to buy Liberty Dollars for less than the dollar amount imprinted on the coins’ faces, which ranged from $5 to $50. He could also sell them back to the Liberty Dollar store for at least the same price he had paid.

Findley said when someone bought his wares with a Liberty Dollar, he would give them the option of receiving the change in “Liberty Certificates,” paper slips backed by silver or gold stored in a warehouse. The transactions were prompted by customers, he said, who could always use standard money instead.

“Everyone I ran into knew exactly what it was,” he said. “I never witnessed anything fraudulent.”

The U.S. Department of Justice, though, doubts that all Liberty Merchants went to such lengths to ensure their customers were aware. In a bill of indictment filed when von NotHaus and his colleagues were arrested, the word “counterfeit” never appears.

The charges leveled against them instead involve fraud and conspiracy. The government contends Liberty Dollars were in essence a means of fooling customers into thinking the coins were worth more than they truly were.

The value of the metal in Liberty Dollars was almost always less than the dollar amount imprinted on them, the government says. Liberty Dollars bearing an imprint of $20 might only contain $15 worth of silver, for instance.

Von NotHaus and others made a profit by selling those coins to merchants at a slight mark-up — say for $18. The merchants in turn came out ahead by using the full $20 face value when making change.

The federal government’s indictment says a booklet called The Liberty Merchant Handbook encourages Liberty Merchants to “accept Liberty currency when presented” and “offer Liberty currency as change (for U.S. currency) whenever possible.” It further says the merchants make money by giving Liberty Dollars out “as change.”

Von NotHaus, who said the government often takes his words out of context, has defended the practices by saying that any legitimate business wants to bring in profits. On the Internet, he has noted that the rise in the price of gold and silver has at times raised the dollar value of older Liberty Dollars close to their face values.

Bryan Manzi, the owner of Classical Coins on First Avenue, said there is no doubt over the materials and craftsmanship found in von NotHaus’ products.

“As a coin shop owner and dealer in coins for 20 years, they are just as good a quality as anything I’ve seen,” he said.

Still, Manzi can’t remember a time when he bought them for face value. If a customer brings in a $20 silver Liberty Dollar — which typically weighs an ounce — he now offers about $15 for it, he said.

Depending on the coin’s condition, he can turn around and sell it for between $18 and $20. Some Liberty Dollars are listed on the Internet site eBay for an even higher price.

The Liberty Dollar store itself has stopped exchanging the coins for U.S. dollars but plans to resume in the future. Manzi said Liberty Dollars fetch a premium in Evansville, since residents here are attracted by the association with their hometown. Still, only in the first part of 2008 did the value of the metal in Liberty Dollars approach their face values.

“It was one brief moment in this nation’s history that their $20 coins were actually worth 20 bucks,” he said.

Though no Liberty Dollar is a strict copy of U.S. currency, the government does make note of some resemblances.

The use of the dollar sign is suspect since it is the universal symbol for the U.S. dollar, the indictment says. Also troublesome is the inclusion on some coins of the words “Trust in God” and symbols such as a burning torch and crowned head, like those associated with the Statue of Liberty. Standard U.S. coins bear similar words and imagery, says the government.

Von NotHaus has said he always wanted to keep his coins distinct from U.S. currency. But the government notes that in a book on using the Liberty Dollar, von NotHaus wrote that when standard coins are mixed in with Liberty Dollars, “the acceptance rate is nearly 100 percent.”

Robert Winkler, the owner of Bob the Locksmith in Evansville, says he still takes the Liberty Dollar and isn’t worried about legal consequences. Few customers bring them in these days, though, and he has only about $50 worth in his possession.

Winkler said he thinks the Liberty Dollar founders got in trouble by being too ambitious and trying to spread their ideas throughout the country.

“I told them to keep the money in Evansville instead of going out there to every place,” he said. “It didn’t quite work out that way.”

The 39mm silver round was designed and is produced under the authority of the American Open Currency Standard with the purpose of making the piece available to the public as an accountable and transparent medium of exchange. The American Open Currency Standard currently hosts a merchant trading network of more than 25,000 merchants across the many States willing to expand consumer purchasing power by accepting payment in AOCS Approved Silver as well as other trade and local currencies.

The striking image of the champion of Austrian Economics, Ludwig von Mises, is featured on the obverse, while the crest of the Mises family is displayed in ultra-high three dimensional relief on the reverse. Minted in proof-like quality, the piece is currently available on the Mises web site: http://www.mises.org in the web site’s store.

Individual pieces are available for the current silver market price plus $7.50. Quantity discounts are available for orders in multiples of 20 medallions, shipped in plastic tubes. All orders of 100 or more are shipped free of charge.

For information about the use of the piece in trade, supporters of honest money are encouraged to visit the American Open Currency Standard website at www.opencurrency.com.

It is with a very heavy heart that I regret to inform you that I have suspended (closed) the Liberty Dollar operation until I am acquitted.

After 23 years of research and development plus almost 11 years of practical application in the marketplace, I did not make this decision easily. When I discovered that the FBI had issued an arrest warrant for me, I turned myself in to the U.S. marshals on June 4. After I was booked and made a very quick court appearance in Fort Myers, Florida, I was released on an appearance bond with certain terms, such as: Don’t violate any laws, call every Tuesday, fax a report every month, etc. But when I made my initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Charlotte on July 6, I was ambushed by the Justice Department prosecutor with FBI Agent Romaguolo grinning by his side.

At the prosecutor’s insistence, Judge Cayer issued an oral order:

“(Restricted) Setting conditions of release with additional condition: Defendants shall not circulate or aid in the circulation of any coins or currency in relation to the Liberty Dollar operation — by Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer on 7/6/09.”

Please note this is not exactly what the judge said in court. This is the written record. So upon leaving the courtroom I thought the Liberty Dollar was still secure even though the judge’s wording was vague. But it should not be any surprise to you that vagueness could be deliberately used against me. Plus I initially thought that if I was incarcerated, I could bail out, but that turned out to be impossible. While the Eighth Amendment states, “Excessive bail shall not be required,” it does not specify that bail must be set.

So Congress passed a law that permits the federal courts to set no bail. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld that law. The simple truth is that federal courts in North Carolina do not set any bail. If you are arrested for a federal offense in North Carolina you are either out on an appearance bond or you sit in jail until your trial, which is usually more than a year for serious offenses such as counterfeiting and murder.

Given such a stern choice, I chose the appearance bond with all its encumbering terms and am forced to close the Liberty Dollar until I am acquitted. I trust you can commiserate with my decision.

My most heartfelt thanks for your support of the Liberty Dollar at its hour of need and in face of such uncertainty. You have been wonderful and I am deeply grateful for your support.

With your continued help we can win this case.

I am represented by Deke Falls.

Kevin Innes is represented by Claire J. Rauscher.

Sarah Bledsoe is represented by Joe von Kallist.

Rachelle Moseley is represented by Matthew Pruden.

As for pending Liberty Dollar orders, I regret that they are delayed. We are pursuing legal action so we can fill all orders placed before the judge issued the oral order. I will contact you if you placed an order after the oral order of July 6.

Your continued patience will be greatly appreciated as we give this our best shot. If you paid with a credit or debit card, please do not charge back or cancel your order with your card company, as this will have a disastrous effect on the Liberty Dollar. If you must cancel your order, please email me Editor@LibertyDollar.org and I will contact you personally. We are working on this matter and will resolve it as soon as possible. I will lso send an email to you as soon as I know when you can expect your order.

Please donate something. If you think that the Liberty Dollar case is vitally important to the future of free-market money that is value-based, especially honest money of just weights and measures, then I invite and encourage you to take action. No, you don’t have to “get involved.” All you need to do is send something. Money in any form is good and anything we can sell on eBay is OK too. While the government has to pay for our defense, we still have to cover transportation and expenses for meetings with our attorneys and the trial.

If you prefer value-based, private money that appreciates against depreciating fiat government money, please do something to support the Liberty Dollar.

Please note that any donation is not for the legal defense fund, as the judge has barred us from raising funds for our defense because the government is paying for our defense. Sweet, eh? Please send donations to:

Liberty Dollar
527 North Green River Road
Suite 158
Evansville, Indiana 47715

Thanks again for your continued support.

Come to the trial. Got a dog in this fight? My apologies if you are holding some of the warehouse receipts, had your property confiscated, or have not received your order. I encourage you to plan now to come to the trial. It most likely will be held in the first part of 2010. As the government has been working on its case for two years, we need time to organize our case and schedule witnesses, etc. Plan now for a trial in January at the earliest and I will keep you informed via the monthly Liberty Dollar News as we count down to liberating the Liberty Dollar and returning your property.

<—You can design your own Silver piece at http://aocsdesigns.com

I love the Lakota’s and that seems to be the best seller. You can order them for fast delivery from my friend Robert King over on http://www.freelakotasilver.com/ Singles are $28 per. (20 or more is just spot plus $5.50)

Here are some existing silver medallions which are AOCS approved.

The American Open Currency Standard (AOCS) creates custom-designed silver currency, which can be bought, sold, collected, saved and traded for goods and services on a voluntary basis.

Can I design a private voluntary barter currency for my group?

Yep!  Whether you’re bringing new silver to the market or turning your existing bullion into minted rounds, the AOCS will help you establish your brand identity. We’ll introduce you to the participating approved Mints that will complete your final product. The AOCS will help build marketing material so that you can put your best foot forward as you attract Currency Officers and participating Merchants to your system.

http://twitter.com/aocsdesigns

For more details on AOCS, see our sister publication Community Currency Magazine.

However, it’s no surprise that the Southern Poverty Law Center thinks that tax protesting is the reason for the creation and widespread decade long use of the Liberty Dollar. As Lou Dobbs so often points out the legal representation, ideas and practices coming out of the SPLC is less than extraordinary.

The SPLC’s, “Intelligence Report, Summer 2009″, there is an article entitled Tax Protesters, From ‘Liberty Dollars’ to Free Marijuana Church. Sure, I’ll give them credit for linking Bernard with his very unusual style church, sniffing that angle on the story is like trying to find an illegal alien Mexican in the SPLC’s waiting room. (you’ll need a keen eye for the obvious) However, the LD was NOT created or ever marketed as a tool to avoid taxes.

Furthermore, I don’t appreciate being called an “extreme-right tax protester” and I’m not a member of any radical “sovereign citizens” movement. Is Dr. Ron Paul a radical? I thought he was a Republican.

Supporting freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution should not make anyone a radical.  Here is what the geniuses at the Southern Poverty Law Center had to say about those of us who appreciate sound money.

The currency has been popular with extreme-right tax protesters and members of the radical “sovereign citizens” movement, who maintain that the federal government has no right to tax or otherwise regulate them, as well as those who believe that the Federal Reserve, America’s central bank, is run by a private body for personal profit.

Mr. Lou Dobbs of CNN, the number one independent in America is right, there is a bunch of idiots working at this law center. God Bless Bernard for enlightening us all to the downward economic spiral of paper money and the illegal, immoral and greedy world of Federal Reserve Bankers.

Support the Liberty Dollar. Buy some silver.

FBI Target Letter Sb