Thread: Silver or no?

This is a 1999 Beanie Babies Original 9 coin, I know they made clad, silver, gold, silver/gold versions of these. But I want to know which of these I have. The entire coin is silver colored, including the edge, it feels heavy like silver and sounds like silver too.

One site says it nickel/copper. Not very high value. Some sites (check google) have them as giveaways and others are selling a set of five for $5.

Im sad to say i have one just like it and its only plated. My sister collected Beanie Babys when we were kids, Im 100% sure that came in the 1999 collectors kit like this one on Ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/Ty-Platinum-Bean...item255d2e030c

So I shouldn't even bother with it? I honestly couldn't tell you where it came from so it isn't a big deal if it has no value.

Try the old "ring" test. Hold the coin on the tip of your finger and tap the edge gently with a metal object (tip of a pen is good). Silver will sound with a dinstinct ringing. Anything other will not ring.
YOu can take it to a local jewler and have them use a rub bar to see if it is silver. However, chances are if it is, it will only be silver clad.

oh no , not the tyco beanie babies again.

I tried the ring test and it does have a silver sound. I went to the Toledo Coin Exchange and the guy behind the counter told me it wasn't silver at all. It sounds silver, it looks silver and it's heavy like silver. I'll have to take it to a nearby jewelers I guess. Thanks for the suggestions.

Does anyone know of a source for comparative wieghts on these "things"? That is the easiest way. Next easiest would be to do a specific gravity test. If you have a graduated beaker its not hard really, get the displacement and weight and compare versus 10.9 for silver and about 8 for steel. I am just not a huge believer in ring tests since if you don't know the metallurgy of the non-silver you really don't know if there is a difference in rings.

The only non destructive way to really know is going to be a specific gravity test.

Maybe check magnetism as well. It would be a quick way to rule out or confirm iron, steel, or nickel.

If you don't mind getting it a little dirty on the edge you can do the make up test. Use some liquid "base" and put just a little on your arm/back of hand. Let it dry then rub the edge of it through the base, if the mark turns black it's silver.

I used a magnet on it, it stuck a little. I'm thinking silver plated, so what kind of base could I use. That I would have and would work? Also, how much silver would be in this if it is just plated? Be honest, is it even worth checking?

Use the "Toilet Paper Trick"; this isn't a joke.

Put a piece of single ply toilet paper or single ply kleenex over the specimen in question. If it looks snow white, then it's silver. To do a control test, also put the ply over a recent quarter. If they look the same, it's not silver. If the specimen in question looks much whiter in comparison to the kleenex covered quarter, then it's at least silver plated.

Originally Posted by brotheratom

I used a magnet on it, it stuck a little. I'm thinking silver plated, so what kind of base could I use. That I would have and would work? Also, how much silver would be in this if it is just plated? Be honest, is it even worth checking?

If its just plated the silver content is so small that you cant recover it and has no value.

I'll just give it away then, even as a collector item it isn't worth much. Thanks for all the help!