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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Dafydd, post: 26261211, member: 86815&quot;]I reckon you would have needed a samurai sword to make that test cut [USER=10461]@lordmarcovan[/USER]! Following my comments above I decided to follow up on the ideas I expressed in the post. In hindsight it was a pretty stupid suggestion to make on a pubic forum that I was going to deface a current legal tender British coin. I could probably still be hanged for that. I decided to try and make a cut on a Bullion pure silver Austrian &quot;Philharmonic&quot; coin. This table compares the &quot;Owl&quot; with the &quot;Philharmonic&quot;. My logic was that a pure silver coin would be easier to put a cut into. </p><p><br /></p><p>Ancient Athens Owl Tetradrachm&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Modern Austrian Philharmonic (1 oz)</p><p><b>Purity</b></p><p><br /></p><p>~95-98%&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 99.9%</p><p><b>Total Weight</b></p><p><br /></p><p>~17.2 grams&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ~31.1035 grams (1 troy ounce)</p><p><b>Actual Silver Content (approx.)</b></p><p><br /></p><p>~16.7 grams&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; ~31.1035 grams</p><p><b>Hardness (Mohs Scale)</b></p><p><br /></p><p>~2.7-2.8 (due to copper alloy)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ~2.5-3 (pure silver)</p><p>Due to its significantly higher purity and lack of hardening alloys, the modern Austrian Philharmonic coin should be easier to make a test cut on, as the metal is softer and more malleable.</p><p><br /></p><p>The modern coin is not meant to be circulated and modern refining is more sophisticated so coins for bullion are purer compared to ancient coins.</p><p>I then tried the experiment and that is when it all went wrong.</p><p><br /></p><p>I took a sharp carbon steel divers knife and attempted to make a cut on the edge of the modern coin. I could hardly put a dent in it. I couldn&#039;t do this with the coin in my fingers. Subsequently, by holding the coin in a Mole Grip / Vise Grip I managed to make a tiny nick in the edge. There was a tiny drop in weight as can be seen in the image below but even using my full strength , unless the coin had been held in a bench vise, I cannot see how I could have made a big impression without sawing the coin.</p><p>How the heck did the ancients do it? Compared to my modern coin the tetradrachm is much smaller and with irregular surfaces. Maybe they were dropped into a semi circular slot in a bench or anvil and hit with a blade? I can see no way that anyone could cut one of these by holding it in their fingers. It would have to be clamped in some way. If they were clamped shouldn&#039;t there be evidence of this?</p><p>To show the difference in the coins see my owl in my hand compared to the modern coin.</p><p>Of course my Philharmonic could be a fake but it passes the magnet test and came from a reputable dealer. I don&#039;t have ready access to an XRF tester.</p><p>In essence my experiment didn&#039;t really prove anything but raise more questions. </p><p>I wouldn&#039;t want to try the experiment with an Owl tetradrachm that has survived for millennia and I can only express amazement at the depth of cut on [USER=70631]@Codera[/USER] &#039;s example. Other than the cut it is in great shape so probably didn&#039;t see much circulation and is a handsome coin.</p><p>My owl weighs 17.5 grams and I can see how [USER=70631]@Codera[/USER] &#039;s example weighs a bit less with a chunk missing. </p><p>I guess the Jury&#039;s still out on this one.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1677560[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1677561[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1677562[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1677563[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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