There are lotza avenues of wondering about the gold & ammunition thing, like: its not just the 38 shells that are hard to find, or 12 gu shotgun 3" mags, or 7mm 3" mags, ...try and find .22 shells...on and on. Many of these are scarcer than hens teeth. The underground blab is the constitution may gives us all 2nd amendment rights to bear arms, but its silent on federal manipulation of ammunition availability. Guns without ammo bypasses congress, bypasses the constituion, eh? so...there is a LOT of black market swapping and hoarding on the ammo subject that roughly is a plank of the plan for when the SHTF.

..gold? its also being swapped and hoarded. Below is just a bit about one coin that is a popular gold ownership choice:

A US Golden Eagle. One ounce of 24K gold. Try to find em to buy. Our free enterprise based democracy has its very own mint that has decided to CUT PRODUCTION when demand exceeded supply! LOL.

8/14/08 from the US Mint:
"The unprecedented demand for American Eagle gold one-ounce bullion coins necessitates our allocating these coins among the authorized purchasers on a weekly basis until we are able to meet demand."

When gold coin rationing (termed "allocation") was introduced, it was presented as a temporary measure. Now, 11 months later, gold coin rationing continues. There has been no indication when authorized bullion purchasers will be able to order unrestricted quantities of gold bullion coins.

Then in September 2008, the US Mint said:
"Demand has exceeded supply for American Buffalo 24-Karat Gold One-Ounce Bullion Coins, and our inventories have been depleted. We are, therefore, temporarily suspending sales of these coins."

Production was immediately halted for one-half ounce and one-quarter ounce American Gold Eagle bullion coins. Production of one tenth-ounce gold bullion coins was halted following depletion of the remaining blank supplies. Production of one ounce Gold Buffalo bullion coins was also halted following depletion of the remaining blank supplies.

These coins represent the US Mint's only fractional gold bullion coin offerings and the US Mint's only 24 karat gold bullion offering. The production halt seemed to be a temporary measure that would impact 2008 dated coins. The production halt has continued into 2009. There has been no indication when production will resume.

...then...in October 2008, the US Mint said:
"The United States Mint has worked diligently to attempt to meet demand, however, blank supplies are very limited and it is necessary for the United States Mint to focus remaining bullion production primarily on American Eagle Gold One Ounce and Silver One Ounce Coins."

...then in November 2008, the US Mint said:
"The quantities of blanks that we have been able to acquire from our suppliers continue to be very limited, while demand for bullion coins remains high. As a result, it is necessary for the United States Mint to delay the launch of other bullion coins until later in 2009. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed as additional information becomes available."

...so...any mine who mines its gold should be able to have it processed into blanks and sold to the US Mint. At least they "should" be able to until such time that the US mint acquires more gold blanks than they need to mint for their orders, waiting, stacked up, and on "back order", and even more that would undoubtedly come in if they notified all that production was back into full swing. But no...we've got the mint cutting production and all the traders blabbing about how nobody can get financing anymore, yet any producing mine obviously has at least one large customer evidentally just WAITING for their gold blank needs to be supplied...hmmmm...a bank or group of investors who won't fund an operation that could presell its supply, even by contract if someone creative were at its helm, presold contracts that aren't financeable...hmmm....and as crazy as that sounds, how about our "stockpiles" of gold in Ft. Knox? Some say: What stockpiles? Really? There are stockpiles? Sez who?

...so...CJR...your simple question is really another of your wonderful hahahahaha things! Itz a crack in the lid of a Pandora's Box SOMEBODY has been trying to keep lidded for a lot of years and it appears (to me) its about ready to get its lid blown off...but...then again...maybe not. :) Don't ya just luv it? This thing could go either way, depending on when/if the SHTF. :)