How to tell if Silver is Fake?

Did you look at the video??

 

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Silver is diamagnetic...very interesting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamagnetism

 

You're right. It is *diamagnetic*. Still affected by magnetic waves though, or something bizarre like that.

(waits for the physicists, materials scientists, and chemists to put their $0.02 in...)

 

I did update the url in my previous post about specific gravity, This site has very reliable add-ons for your existing balance, under $100, $30 if you have an old triple balance. If price is no object I echo Kaosleeroy's Olympus ultrasound as being accurate and nonintrusive....and expensive. This has been reported as how the Treasury tests its gold reserve.

http://www.mineralab.com/SpecificGravity/

 

Didn't see the video?? Watch

 

If the surface doesn't matter after sliding down the metallic magnets ( several times), why not just use the jewelers acid test?

 

Yes it does, but how much quicker, how much ice do you need, does ambient temperature affect it. There are no standards for setting up any kind of valid reliable test. To me the "ice test " is right up there with "well it feels heavier".

 

The affect that causes a silver coin to drag against a magnetic field is called eddy current braking. It has nothing to do with the actual metal being attracted to (paramagnetic) or repelled from (diamagnetic) a magnet. Instead it has to do with how electrically conductive the material is. Very conductive materials (silver, copper, aluminum, and superconductors) allow a lot of electrical current to flow when a strong magnet is moved close to them. This causes large eddy currents which causes lots of drag.

This is actually the same reason iron core transformers are laminated. And why there is an insulating layer between each of the laminations--so that you don't generate lots of eddy currents and therefore lots of heat.


No need to worry about scratching your coins when sending them down a magnetic slide. Just put them in a flip or half an airtite, or...anything else you can think of (exercise your creativity). With sufficiently large magnets, the effect will work just fine through a few millimeters of protective plastic and then nothing is rubbing on the surface of the coin. You're lucky to live in an era with such strong magnets that make so much of modern life possible!

 

I have a question about 1968 Canadian dimes. Before 1968 they are 80% silver,
in 1968 some are 50% silver, and most of them are 0%.
The 0% will stick to a magnet. Here is my question, will the 50% 1968 Canadian dimes and quarters be slightly attracted to the magnet (like in the video) but won't firmly stick?

 

Ever try the magnet test on a non silver IKE dollar? It displays the same magnet properties as pure silver, so the magnet test on silver is absolutely 100% non conclusive, every piece of silver one owns that passes the magnet test could indeed be almost 100% copper.

Same goes for the ice test, ice melts just as fast on the Ike non silver dollars.

 

So honestly we should only buy from reputable source like Apmex and Provident etc. Wonder if they test their incoming silver/gold??

 

interesting

 

Has any one heard of a Liberty Dollar coin with no date stamped and the other side shows "Mohawk Iron workers". Is this areal coin?

 

Hello... Start your own thread. this thread is about testing silver

And yes your Dollar is real.. check the rim edge for the date!

 

Yes, thanks..I found the date and E. Pluribus Unum. Does it have any value other than a Dollar? It has a Mint Authentication tag with it.

 

You are welcome.. They just were issued so it's only face value.. $1.00

 

@davidh
I like the way your avatar is pointing at the quote and laughing!

 

I'm assuming that the Mint status would make it more valuable later on...correct?

 

It could be more valuable as I think these coins are NIFC.
Low mintage, 2.8 million 2015 P and 2.2 million 2015 D.
As much as $5 in MS 65. But probably 2-3 dollars.

 

Thanks.
On another note....I have a 1943 Steel Penny and a 1944 penny. They both look alike in appearance except that the 1944 is non-magnetic. Would you know if, at that time, 1944, if there were other metals used other than copper?