What a $10 Hamburger Reveals About the U.S. Dollar

Inflation is the silent thief in your wallet. While most people see prices gradually rise, few understand the root cause. In his latest video, Mike Maloney reveals a deeper truth: what we call “inflation” is really just currency devaluation. 

Mike opens with a real-world example. In the 1960s, a burger, fries, and a drink from McDonald’s cost just 35 cents. Today, the same meal costs over $10. That’s a 2,757% increase. But it’s not because burgers got fancier. It’s because your dollars buy less. 

This isn’t accidental. It’s baked into the system. Mike explains that under a debt-based fiat currency regime, money must lose value over time. It’s not about prices rising—it’s about the dollar falling. 

From Silver Coins to Fiat Chaos  

So when did this all start? Mike points to a pivotal moment: 1965, the year the U.S. removed silver from its coinage. That shift from real money to fiat currency began a long erosion of purchasing power. 

To illustrate, Mike compares silver’s value to today’s food prices. Back in the day, you could buy a meal with a silver dime and a silver quarter (worth about 35 cents then). If you’d kept that silver instead of spending it, it would be worth around $10.08 today—enough to buy that same meal. 

The takeaway? Precious metals preserve purchasing power. Fiat currency does not. 

The Illusion of a “Strong” Dollar  

You might hear that the dollar is “up.” But Mike clarifies: it’s only rising relative to other fiat currencies that are falling even faster. The system is rigged to depreciate currency over time, quietly robbing savers through what economists call “inflation” but what Mike rightly calls devaluation. 

Citing Trueflation data, Mike notes that the U.S. has already experienced over 28% inflation since 2020. And that’s with no crash — just the slow, silent grind of time and money printing. 

Lessons from History — Rome to Today  

History is full of warnings. Mike includes a clever dramatization from ancient Rome, showing how emperors debased coins with copper and paid the price. Merchants refused the fake currency. Prices soared. Confidence collapsed. The empire fell. 

Sound familiar? When currencies lose trust, entire systems unravel. Iran, for example, recently slashed four zeros from its currency and renamed it—a textbook sign of hyperinflation and fiat failure. 

How to Protect Yourself  

Mike ends where he began: with a couple wondering if their $4.4 million nest egg will last. His advice? Turn your currency into real money. 

Real money — gold and silver — doesn’t erode. It accounts for currency expansion and retains value over time. Unlike fiat, it doesn’t rely on confidence. It simply is. 

If you’re concerned about rising prices, shrinking dollars, and financial uncertainty, this video is required viewing. 

Investing in Physical Metals Made Easy

People Also Asked

When did the U.S. stop using silver in its coinage? 

The U.S. removed silver from its circulating coins in 1965, marking a shift from sound money to fiat currency. This change triggered a long-term decline in the dollar’s value, as coins no longer had intrinsic metal worth to back them. 

How much has the U.S. dollar lost in purchasing power since going off silver? 

According to Mike Maloney, the U.S. dollar has lost approximately 96.5% of its purchasing power since silver was removed from circulation. This means the dollar today buys only a fraction of what it did in the 1960s. 

How does silver preserve wealth better than fiat currency? 

Silver retains intrinsic value and historically maintains purchasing power over time. For example, a silver dime and quarter that bought a meal in 1965 could still buy the same meal today, while the dollar equivalent (35 cents) now falls far short of the $10 needed. 

What can we learn from Rome about currency devaluation? 

Rome’s collapse was partly driven by coin debasement — adding copper to silver coins — leading to inflation, loss of trust, and economic chaos. Mike Maloney draws parallels to today’s fiat systems, warning that history shows devalued money eventually destabilizes entire empires. 

What does a $10 fast food meal say about the value of the U.S. dollar? 

A $10 fast food meal — once just 35 cents in the 1960s — reveals how drastically the U.S. dollar has lost purchasing power due to inflation and currency devaluation. Mike Maloney highlights that this isn’t just about rising prices, but about the dollar falling in value over time under a fiat currency system.