Got Silver?
joeykoins
Posts: 17,624 ✭✭✭✭✭
Hi guys,
The contents that all of us hunt and buy like hound dogs! What are the BEST ways to determine if you actually do have that wonderful Silver coin/s or that dreaded clad. Lol
Is one of the best candidates to determine that, is if your coin sticks to a magnet? It's NOT Silver?
Thanks guys 
"Jesus died for you and for me, Thank you,Jesus"!!!
--- If it should happen I die and leave this world and you want to remember me. Please only remember my opening Sig Line.0
Comments
Use the toilet paper test. Put a piece of 1 ply toilet paper on top of the coin. If it's clad, it will be a gray color and if it's silver it will be a white color. If you have a silver and clad coin, try it.
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Yes, that's another determination factor. Thanks
The only thing about your way is that toilet paper is too expensive nowadays!
"Jesus died for you and for me, Thank you,Jesus"!!!
--- If it should happen I die and leave this world and you want to remember me. Please only remember my opening Sig Line.Just to clarify ... Put a piece of unused 1 ply toilet paper on top of the coin.
See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
"Jesus died for you and for me, Thank you,Jesus"!!!
--- If it should happen I die and leave this world and you want to remember me. Please only remember my opening Sig Line.How about looking at the date? Dimes, quarters and halves dated 1964 or earlier are silver, later ones are not. (Except 40% silver halves 1965-70) and silver proofs and commems.
Quick method: check the edges for color. White=silver. Red=clad.
No, a magnet won't help as neither clad nor silver is magnetic.
Try the slow slide rare earth button magnet test.
Like @bsshog40 said:
Weigh it you can find the weight of different denominations and metal content with a quick Google search or in many different resources. As mentioned above, my first check is too look at the edge
Ice test is usually good too. Silver will melt it like butter.
The ring test is another option. Silver coins and clad coins have a different sound when you drop them on a hard surface such as a marble counter top. The silver coin has a melodious ring while the clad coin will have a dull ring. As other pointed out, it's easier to just check the edge color and the date on the coin.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I just look at edge and date. Magnets are useless for difference between silver and clad. Cheers, RickO
Now, not sure I want to know how nor why that was discovered?
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
Actually a little trick I remembered from conder101 years back.
My Original Song Written to my late wife-"Plus other original music by me"
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8A11CC8CC6093D80
https://n1m.com/bobbysmith1
In old movies you always saw codgers bite their coins for authenticity.
Yes! I (we) know there are CRH'ers out there "just" looking at the edged reeding of the coins, then dumping the rolls into a dump container. Guaranteed, they are losing silver. Most likely 40'ers! You gotta look at the dates as well!
A few years back, I was searching rolls of halves, looking at "just" the edges of the rolls and dumping them into a container. I could "swear" the roll was all just clad. When it hit the bottom of the container, something didn't sound right!!
I went back into that dump pile and pulled out a 40%'er!! Some/many 40'%'ers look like copper clad!
Recycle?
Wayne
Kennedys are my quest...
I'm surprised someone who reportedly searches through many rolls would not know the dates that were silver.
Is that why some of my coins look like sh... never mind...
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Lol.
I was exclusively speaking when we find a foreign or an unusual coin we have no clues about. Whether the coin is or not a silver coin. I do know the basics about silver coins. Thanks
"Jesus died for you and for me, Thank you,Jesus"!!!
--- If it should happen I die and leave this world and you want to remember me. Please only remember my opening Sig Line.Almost always, I can just tell by the look and feel.
Likely the advantage of having handles LOTS of coins over many years.
This applies to foreign as well. The pros would have technical instruments to utilize when a question might arise.
For us coins, date, edge and overall look and sound do it.
Happy, humble, honored and proud recipient of the “You Suck” award 10/22/2014
You forgot one..... I can smell silver!
Rather then waste time searching through boxes of halves... If I could train my dog to smell silver, I would!
Yes, that can happen with 40% halves but it isn't a problem with 90% vs clad. I used to buy 90% from a bank teller who worked at a bank that used clear plastic rolls. That made searching really easy.
Yes,
Very true, that's for sure.
I'm glad that you clarified this because I was wondering, too.
Yes, many copper-nickel foreign coins look like silver and some are alloys with reduced silver content and others (pre 1920 British) are higher fineness at .925 than U.S. 90% I don't think that any (or very few) countries have used silver in their circulating coinage since the 1970s. Since alloys can vary on these, sound may not be as useful as with 90%. A foreign coin catalog (many available free online) will tell you which dates and issues contain silver.
Don't know how well the toilet paper test would work. Maybe someone could show us a few foreign silver and base metal coins under the veil. Is British sterling silver 2.5% brighter than 90%?