Moving on from Mulligan Mint

Once upon a time, and for a very short while, stacking silver with the Mulligan Mint was a lot of fun.

For several months, customers flooded the websites of Silver Bullet Silver Shield, Coins for the Cause, TSPMint, Agorist Metals, M2 Factory Story and a number of others, all to acquire exciting silver, copper & gold coins that meant more than boring bullion. All of these projects were brought to life by me, Rob Gray, my brother David, Eddie Allen, and the team we built along the way.

The Gray Brothers (as we’re referred to these days) didn’t do it alone. We had lenders, partners, affiliates, workers, employees, family and friends that contributed to make our dream come true.

But what started as an experiment in the application of objectivist philosophy for business, ended as…well…a complete success.

This does not mean that M2 isn’t now a total disaster. It does not mean that hundreds of customers and a dozen or so lenders aren’t [at time of writing] waiting patiently for what they are owed. It does not mean that I don’t deeply regret the fate that has come to Mulligan Mint, a once-great business.

It simply means that, as we hypothesized, a man can successfully build a business on a foundation of solid principles. One does not need to lie, cheat or steal to create something amazing.

In this update, I won’t bore you with facts, figures, explanations or justifications of what took place over the last year. The court records, email exchanges, videos and other evidence readily accessible online speaks for itself. That was an important part of the process for me – making sure the record accurately reflects what transpired. By evaluating the facts (and taking dramatic, nasally-narrated youtube slander with a grain of salt), any objective researcher will piece together the true story of what really went down. But the bottom line is simple: Mulligan Mint is living proof that it CAN be done.

This article is simply written to share with you my excitement for the post-Mulligan Mint future, built on the same principles that made Mulligan Mint so successful.

You see, with the stress of trying to save Mulligan Mint behind me, I’ve been able to step back and look once again at the big picture. And from all that I have access to see, hear and experience, I can safely say that the future is bright.

First of all, the growing interest in Bitcoin has created many new opportunities for Commodity Banking, and I’m proud to announce that after more than FIVE YEARS of development, the Free Lakota Bank has finally moved forward with its software platform that allows e-commerce integration and a host of other features. FLB and Commodity Banking with several new First Nation partners will give Bitcoin a serious run for its money, and competition between the two is good for complementary currency alternatives in general. The more options we have for non-dollar exchanges, the better humanity will be. I’m happy to be a part of it and more details will emerge in the next few weeks about this. But the platform is live and I invite you to have a look.

Secondly, while I may ultimately walk away from the Mulligan Mint disaster with no tangible assets to show for my effort, I will not walk away empty handed. For starters, back in February 2012 I had no idea how to start and run a mint. All I knew back then was that I wanted to start a mint and believed it was possible. Today, I know everything there is to know about how to start and run a mint. With my knowledge, a little capital and some fertile soil, I can re-create what I did before in very little time. And in case you’re wondering what I’m up to these days, I’m doing just that…just not in America.

Additionally, another benefit from the Mulligan Mint experience is that, for better or worse, I am quite possibly the most notorious person in the world of silver minting. I’m not bragging, and I’m not entirely proud of it, and it’s not the “good” kind of notorious, but sooner or later my ex-partners and old associates will realize that saying my name over and over isn’t going to ruin me. I’m not going away, and as long as they keep mentioning me, more and more people will be interested in just who Rob Gray is, and what it is about him that gave him the audacity to stand up to a deep-pocketed industry fraud and a foul-mouthed youtube fear-mongerer.

And third, the final chapter in the Mulligan Mint story is not written. As desperately as I would like the drama to end, it may be years before the legal plundering concludes. However, there are a few aces I haven’t played just yet. While washing my hands of the situation may be nice, I have an opportunity to help expose the looters for what they really are. They ultimately may end up with everything, but they’re going to have to work for it. And with a little luck [read: a judge following the rules], my investors and customers will walk away with everything they’re owed.

Regardless of what the future holds for Mulligan Mint, keep in mind that I remain deeply committed to the lenders and customers that are waiting to get what they are owed, up to the day I resigned (November 15th, 2013). I will see to it that all orders are filled and all loans repaid, regardless of the obstacles placed in my path.

So let’s make stacking silver fun again.

Today I introduce for your consideration the launch of the OpenCurrency Exchange, an online coin store where you can fund your Commodity Bank account and find the latest coins brought to life by our many initiatives, including the Lakota Crazy Horse Limited Edition proof, the final run of the 2013 Crazy Horse “Last Strike” coin, and also the brand-new series of coins for Singapore Silver, what is certain to join the ranks of other internationally-bestselling brands with the new Sgnature Series, paying tribute to the Singapore Merlion and several other Singapore icons. The store is open now and promises shipments in 2-3 weeks, unencumbered by entanglements and accepts PayPal for your stacking convenience. I simply ask for an opportunity to earn back your confidence so that I may continue creating value for you.

There’s much more coming down the pike, so please stay tuned for updates. Shortly, we’ll all look back on the Mulligan Mint travesty as what it is: an excellent learning experience and warm-up for an exciting future.

And mark your calendars for March 28-30th 2014, where two lucky winners of the Singapore Silver contest will be invited to join my family at the Marina Bay Sands hotel for the launch of my new venture in the world’s fastest growing market.

2014 is going to be an exciting year, and I hope you enjoy it with me.

Rob Gray
Executive Director
American Open Currency Standard