In 1980, silver hit a record $50 an ounce. Driven by the Hunt Brothers — Texas oil tycoons attempting to corner the silver market — the spike was dramatic enough to inspire the 1983 film *Trading Places* with Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. Their scheme failed, but the high prices had a lasting side effect: ordinary people began cashing in silver hiding in plain sight around the house.
One unexpected source was U.S. Military metal insignia. Officer’s rank and unit pins were made from sterling silver — a high-silver alloy — and many were sent to the melting pot. Countless other items followed.
Looking back, one has to wonder: how many Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) wings went to melt that are today worth several hundred dollars each? We’ll never know.
Which raises a point relevant right now. Today’s silver prices are high again. Events like these quietly shape the inventory of undiscovered artifacts still held by individuals — pieces that may be sitting in a drawer, a shadow box, or an estate, whose owners don’t yet know what they have.