Can the following auction description of 3 medals be true? As in accurate.
PhillyJoe
Posts: 2,705 ✭✭✭✭
"Set of commemorative gold, silver and bronze medals. Set contains a gold, silver and bronze medal. The gold medal is composed of 60% gold, 30% copper, the silver medal is composed of 99.9% silver, and the bronze medal is composed of 95% copper, 5% zinc. The gold medal weighs 31.2 grams, the silver medal weighs 31.4 grams and the bronze medal weighs 25.3 grams. All medals are 38.7 mm in diameter. Wooden display box measures 8 1/2″ × 4 3/4″ × 1 1/2". Medals are in good condition."
Well established auction house, not one ever mentioned here, specializes in general collectibles.
The Philadelphia Mint: making coins since 1792. We make money by making money. Now in our 225th year thanks to no competition. 
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Comments
I must be missing something. What is the concern?
They left out 10% of the gold medal's composition? The fact that they weigh different amounts but are the same diameters (can be different thickness). Or something else?
The first thing that jumped out at me was that the gold, which I take to be 14kt, weighs the same as a .999 silver; given they are the same size.
But thickness is not mentioned.
Isn't 14k gold 56%?
Possibly plated? Call the auction house and get the real story.
In my Libertas Americana collection, there is a 5oz Gold restrike (.999 pure) and a 5oz Silver restrike (.950 pure). Both are the same diameter, but the Silver one is way thicker!!
By keeping the diameters all consistent, you can use the same dies for all of the production, and just need to change the spacing of the dies when you change the composition of the planchets.
As others have said you can get the weight you want by manipulating the thickness.
60% gold 30% copper does sound like a typo. Call the auction house and ask.
Doesn't say anything about the subject of the medals....
Also, it's common for gold medals sold at auction to be missing 5% or 10% --- that's the hot air in the lot description.
Roger is correct.
Vintage and classic just means old.
Seldom seen at auction means there is no market for it.
14K is 58.5% gold also marked .585. Divide 14 by 24. So, rounded off it is close to 60% gold.
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
I think the noteworthy point of this thread is the poster, PhillyJoe. welcome back, haven't seen you post in a long time and missed your searches at the archives.
I would be interested in the missing ten percent content of the gold coin...I would assume silver, but could be anything. Let us know if you get further information... Cheers, RickO