Nice post. I like your emphasis on collecting "junk silver."

IMHO: New coin collectors should be wary of "numismatic" value. The numismatic value that the clerk praises mysteriously disappears when the customer walks out the door.

If your goal is to hedge for inflation; you will want coins that people readily recognize and accept as silver. What happened in the last recession is that silver rose in price while the numismatic value of coins dropped.