Good question. Visual comparison isn't conclusive, weight won't help, they both weigh 5 grams. Spcific gravity will work but you need to run the test several times and be very precise with your measurements. Copper nickel is 8.9 and the silver alloy is 9.3 But many people don't have the equpiment to run their own SG tests.
I would try a metal detector. Use your suspect coin and several control pieces of known copper nickel and silver alloy. The two different alloys distort the magnetic field generated by the metal detector differently and therefor create different tones on the metal detector. By comparing tones you should be able to tell which it is.
With a known Cu-Ni example to compare with drop the suspect coin on a hard surface and listen to the sound. Drop the Cu-Ni piece and compare the sounds. If they sound the same you've got a winner!
You might have to do this test several times to reach a conclusion.
amercoin
Posts: 350 ✭✭
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Russ, NCNE
The red book says some are out there but no dates listed.
<< <i>How can you tell? >>
Good question. Visual comparison isn't conclusive, weight won't help, they both weigh 5 grams. Spcific gravity will work but you need to run the test several times and be very precise with your measurements. Copper nickel is 8.9 and the silver alloy is 9.3 But many people don't have the equpiment to run their own SG tests.
I would try a metal detector. Use your suspect coin and several control pieces of known copper nickel and silver alloy. The two different alloys distort the magnetic field generated by the metal detector differently and therefor create different tones on the metal detector. By comparing tones you should be able to tell which it is.
<< <i>How can you tell? >>
You could try the "DROP" test.
With a known Cu-Ni example to compare with drop the suspect coin on a hard surface and listen to the sound.
Drop the Cu-Ni piece and compare the sounds. If they sound the same you've got a winner!
You might have to do this test several times to reach a conclusion.