Hello, I'm new to this forum. I have a box full of foreign coins from around the world - some of them dating back to the 1930s, and a handful that look like they're 200+ years old (may be fakes, but then again, may be real, but just common ones). Just wondering if there's a nondestructive way to test for silver content. I notice that my old silver US coinage has a unique ring to it when dropped on the tabletop. Also, a bunch of my foreign coins seem to be aluminum... wierd - I guess those countries (got a whole set from Laos) were having financial trouble at that time. On a similar note, some of the coins have holes in them, probably for the same reason. Thanks, - Jeff
Welcome to the Forum Sockdolager !! If your interest lies in world coinage I would suggest that you try ebay to find copies of the various Krause catalogs. Or you may even try your local library. Krause publishes these catalogs on a century basis - 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th etc. They will contain the coins of all countries for the time period. They will also provide basic information like the composition, mintage, mint mark and approximate value in various grades.
Our moderator gives the best advice. Kudos to you sir. As far as an easy way to determine silver content without damaging the coin. This is not an easy thing to do. The absolute best way is to know a little about the coin you are dealing with. Find out as much as you can, including weight and dimensions. Then you can figure out if your coin meets these figures. There are machines that can measure the different metal contents. Kind of like an xray machine. These are very expensive, and the only ones that I know who use such machines are the grading services. There are chemical tests that can be done, but do damage the coin to a certain extent. So I would suggest that you follow the moderators advice and pick up a Krause catalog. A wonderful source of info.
