What is the correct designation for pure silver?

PerryHall · June 21, 2009 9:05AM

Some forum members use ".999" while others use "999". Are they the same or is only one correct?

GoldenEyeNumismatics · June 21, 2009 9:07AM

Pure silver? 1.000

.999 is technically correct for what you're talking about.

cars · June 21, 2009 9:09AM

I'd go with .999 as that essentially means 99.9% or 999/1000 whereas 999 just means Nine hundred & Ninety nine.

coinman420 · June 21, 2009 9:30AM

i`m .999 sure the above posts are correct.

Coll3ctor · June 21, 2009 9:33AM

I'll go with the maple leaf.... 9999

anablep · June 21, 2009 9:43AM

Ag

BAJJERFAN · June 21, 2009 9:46AM

Whats the pernt of making a coin with anything better than 3 nines pure silver?

ksteelheader · June 21, 2009 9:54AM

<< Ag

>>

LanLord · June 21, 2009 9:55AM

<< Whats the pernt of making a coin with anything better than 3 nines pure silver? >>

It's like aving an amplifier that goes up to 11! That's one more that 10 ya know

edix2001 · June 21, 2009 10:03AM

<< Whats the pernt of making a coin with anything better than 3 nines pure silver? >>

9D9-9D9

keets · June 21, 2009 10:08AM

believe it or not, dealers differentiate between .999 and .9999(three 9's and four 9's) when buying Gold Maples and pay differently. i have also noticed that they'll try to sell you the three 9's first if they have any and unless you know or put up resistance they'll try to get the higher number's dollar.

Steve27 · June 21, 2009 10:10AM

<< Some forum members use ".999" while others use "999". Are they the same or is only one correct? >>

"999" is shorthand for ".999" just as in baseball where a 300 hitter is actually a .300 hitter.

rld14 · June 21, 2009 10:15AM

I suppose if it's .999 then it's not technically pure. I do know that they call it "Plata Pura" in Mexico though

edix2001 · June 21, 2009 10:20AM

<< I suppose if it's .999 then it's not technically pure. I do know that they call it "Plata Pura" in Mexico though

>>

99.9% of it is pure. The rest is something else.

keets · June 21, 2009 10:41AM

"999" is shorthand for ".999" just as in baseball where a 300 hitter is actually a .300 hitter.

it's a silly point to get hung up on, but the truth of the matter is that as a formality it's .999, just as anytime an article is written and a player's average is mentioned it's written .300 although the spoken average doesn't pronounce the decimal point. so it is with the reference of silver purity, it's spoken as "999" simply because the decimal point isn't pronounce, but i have never seen it written without, as in 999. it is always given as .999.

astrorat · June 21, 2009 11:01AM

<< It's like aving an amplifier that goes up to 11! That's one more that 10 ya know >>

But it's one louder...

Lane

BAJJERFAN · June 21, 2009 11:04AM

<< Ag

>>

Argentum. Or non gratum anum rodentum argentum.

keets · June 21, 2009 11:05AM

anyone of you knuckelheads who has an amp that you need to or even can crank up to 10 has some serious problems with your audio gear. i can't even get half-way up on my system and it's plenty loud enough and in danger of overloading.

Coll3ctor · June 21, 2009 11:09AM

<< anyone of you knuckelheads who has an amp that you need to or even can crank up to 10 has some serious problems with your audio gear. i can't even get half-way up on my system and it's plenty loud enough and in danger of overloading.

>>

ProofArtworkonCircs · June 21, 2009 2:53PM

All I know is beware .999%. Somebody advertised items with that description. I complained to a number of sources that this meant less than 1%. I got the brushoff repeatly. Somebody finaly assayed it and it was indeed 1%.

Cam40 · June 21, 2009 3:03PM

i saw one. an amp that goes up to 11 ,so we know atleast one of the amp makers today has a sense of humor.

but ya i think your right keets. 10 is only for if your jimi hendrix and your onstage somewhere.

ArizonaJack · June 21, 2009 3:07PM

<< 

<< It's like aving an amplifier that goes up to 11! That's one more that 10 ya know >>

But it's one louder...

Lane >>

LOL @ Spinal Tap referance. Now stop looking at my flame top Les Paul. Don't even look at it.

Cam40 · June 21, 2009 3:13PM

no! you cant look at.
dont look at it!

BlindedByEgo · June 21, 2009 3:14PM

<< All I know is beware .999%. Somebody advertised items with that description. I complained to a number of sources that this meant less than 1%. I got the brushoff repeatly. Somebody finaly assayed it and it was indeed 1%. >>

The % is used in such a case as intentional obfuscation, with the sole purpose of separating the unwary from their hard earned money.

.999 (or .9999) is correct while describing purity for numismatic purposes. Percentages are more often used in chemistry and analytical metallurgy.

Regarding the finer points of the discussion:

By inference of some ASTM standards, 99.99% Ag seems to be a common reagent grade for Silver. Since I haven't any access to the Annual Book of ASTM Standards, I cannot verify this with absolute certainty. There are undoubtably applications that require purity that is exponentially greater.

PerryHall · June 21, 2009 10:23PM

<< All I know is beware .999%. Somebody advertised items with that description. I complained to a number of sources that this meant less than 1%. I got the brushoff repeatly. Somebody finaly assayed it and it was indeed 1%. >>

That's why asked the initial question. I always thought that .999 was the same as 999 fine while .999 fine is actually a little less than 001 fine or .001 silver. If I see a silver bar with .999 fine rather than 999 fine, it may be silver plated with 1/10 % silver content.

slipgate · June 21, 2009 10:59PM

"fine" silver is .999 I think while sterling is 90%.

My amp is usually at -25 which is pretty loud. I am not even sure it goes to 10!

PerryHall · June 21, 2009 11:02PM

<< "fine" silver is .999 I think while sterling is 90%.

My amp is usually at -25 which is pretty loud. I am not even sure it goes to 10! >>

Sterling is 925 fine.

BAJJERFAN · June 21, 2009 11:03PM

<< All I know is beware .999%. Somebody advertised items with that description. I complained to a number of sources that this meant less than 1%. I got the brushoff repeatly. Somebody finaly assayed it and it was indeed 1%. >>

.999 as % would be 99.9% but 0.999% would indeed be less than 1%

ProofArtworkonCircs · June 22, 2009 1:04AM

So far the only thing that would scare me with a .999 designation is a % sign following it. I only saw that used the once and it was a scam. With a % sign I would want 99.9%.

I would consider .999, 999 and 99.9% as equivalent designations.

ProofArtworkonCircs · June 22, 2009 1:19AM

<<999 as % would be 99.9% but 0.999% would indeed be less than 1%>>

Thanks BAJJERFAN for the support. So many folk in the past just told me what 999 meant.

It ties as being the most frustrating letter campaign I ever embarked on. The other was the legalization of pre 1934 gold certificates. I think I had irrefutable logic on that one, too. Both objectives were finally obtained. The first was by the assay. The second was bittersweet because the key factor was President Johnson replacing President Kennedy.

Res · June 22, 2009 1:36AM

<< "999" is shorthand for ".999" just as in baseball where a 300 hitter is actually a .300 hitter.

it's a silly point to get hung up on, but the truth of the matter is that as a formality it's .999, just as anytime an article is written and a player's average is mentioned it's written .300 although the spoken average doesn't pronounce the decimal point. so it is with the reference of silver purity, it's spoken as "999" simply because the decimal point isn't pronounce, but i have never seen it written without, as in 999. it is always given as .999. >>

Makes sense, otherwise you would say he's batting 3 tenths. Just doesn't have the same ring.

PerryHall · June 22, 2009 2:10AM

I'm surprised at the number of responses my question generated especially considering it was originally intended to be put on the Precious Metal Forum rather than accidently put on this forum.

ProofArtworkonCircs · June 22, 2009 2:48AM

I have seen the decimal point dropped in the written word. Just quickly checking, I found the following:

Walter Breen's encylopedia on page 299 refers to the dime as being 892.43+ pure. Legally it was defined as 1,485/1664 pure which I calculate as .892427884 or .89243-. Wow, I have just discovered more errors in Breen. He also refers to the quarter, half and dollar as 892.43+ but calls the half dime 892.43 which is correctly rounded.

On page 437 he refers to 900 fine silver although in other places he has used .900.

keets · June 22, 2009 5:38AM

If I see a silver bar with .999 fine rather than 999 fine, it may be silver plated with 1/10 % silver content.

interesting..........................what do you think of the US Mint's Platinum issues that clearly show ".9995" Platinum??? are they Platinum plated??

WoodenJefferson · June 22, 2009 5:50AM

I know that Ivory soaps 99 and 44/100% pure impurities consist of uncombined alkali, 0.11%; carbonates, 0.28%; and mineral matter, 0.17%, which totals 0.56%.

So, what is the .001% or .0001% impurity in silver?

keets · June 22, 2009 5:51AM

dross.

PerryHall · June 22, 2009 6:03AM

<< If I see a silver bar with .999 fine rather than 999 fine, it may be silver plated with 1/10 % silver content.

interesting..........................what do you think of the US Mint's Platinum issues that clearly show ".9995" Platinum??? are they Platinum plated?? >>

Does it say ".9995" or ".9995 FINE"? The term FINE usually means part per thousand and is usually used without the decimal.

BlindedByEgo · June 22, 2009 8:00AM

<< If I see a silver bar with .999 fine rather than 999 fine, it may be silver plated with 1/10 % silver content.

interesting..........................what do you think of the US Mint's Platinum issues that clearly show ".9995" Platinum??? are they Platinum plated?? >>

Do they use the % symbol?

What is the correct designation for pure silver?

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