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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 1920663, member: 19463&quot;]Can someone explain how the caret system used with touchstones allows determination of the gold content by color without knowing what the other metals involved are?&nbsp; The ancients often used electrum, varying in content but perhaps averaging 50% gold and 50% silver.&nbsp; How is this told from 50% gold and 50% copper, nickel, or something else?</p><p><br /></p><p>I have heard that the 24 caret system dates back to the first issue of the silver siliqua which supposedly weighed 1/24 of the gold solidus.&nbsp; What I fail to grasp is how these two being related by 24 demonstrates that gold purity was referred to in these terms.&nbsp; When do we find references to gold being alloyed in 24ths?&nbsp; Other than the electrum use, the ancients seemed to value keeping gold relatively pure while silver was the one alloyed in stages.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>I understand that the very first US gold coins were issued in 22k but that this was reduced in a couple non-caret steps to the long term standard of 90% (not an even caret).&nbsp; Were other countries more true to the idea of gold by the caret?</p><p><br /></p><p>I certainly see no doubt that ancient &#039;experts&#039; could judge gold purity just by looking as you can by looking at those needles&#039; color.&nbsp; When was the caret rating more accepted than some other system based on a number other than 24?[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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