If you don't have a catalog or other guide to tell you what a particular coin is struck in, you can make one test with a magnet - steel and pure nickle coins are magnetic, so if it's silvery in color, and the magnet doesn't grab it, it must be either silver, copper-nickle, or possibly zinc. (Aluminum is very distinctive, both in color and weight.) Actually, the easiest test of white metal coins (which should not be used on MS or Proof coins) is the traditional "ring" test. Simply drop the coin a couple of inches onto a hard surface - glass is best - and if it makes a ringing sound it's silver, otherwise it's not.
Yeah - place the coin in question on the table next to a nickel ( 5 cent piece ) or a clad coin. Cover both with a tissue - if the coin in question appears to be the same color as the nickel/clad coin when viewed thru the tissue - it's the same metal as the nickel/clad coin. But if it appears to be whiter - then it's silver.
GD, I've never heard of this trick. Is this for real? If so, why does it work, because it blocks some of the colors from coming through or something? Also, I take it that this probably only works on shiny coins.
holy crap that method is awesome GD, I took a 1966 canada dollar(silver) and then took a later canada dollar which is nickel and has way more luster than the 1966... amazingly the 1966 shone through, and the nickel was dark... very strange yet effective way to tell... thanks!
it works on any untarnished (or even lightly toned) coins. The reason is that silver is the most reflective metal known, so it will reflect enough more light that it will be obvious which is silver and which is not.
