Tip of the Week - How to Tell if Your Coins are Silver (2024)

FAQs

Tip of the Week - How to Tell if Your Coins are Silver? ›

Fortunately we have a solution! The best way to determine if your coins are silver is to view the edge of the coin. If the coin has a solid silver stripe, then you can feel confident that it's silver.

You can actually figure out if a coin is real silver just by hitting it against another metal or a table. Coins that are real silver should make a high-pitched ring when struck against other metals, while silver-clad or fake silver coins are more likely to make a low, dull thud when dropped onto a table.

"Silver is not noticeably magnetic, and exhibits only weak magnetic effects, unlike iron, nickel, cobalt, and the like," says Martin. "If your magnet sticks strongly to the piece, it has a ferromagnetic core and is not silver." Fake silver or silver-plated items are generally made of other metals.

US dimes, quarters, half dollars and dollars were minted in 90% silver until 1964. Produced to save nickel for the war effort, war nickels 1942-1945 are 35% silver (silver nickel production started part way into 1942). Half-dollar coins minted between 1965 and 1970 are 40% silver, but from 1971 on, contain no silver.

Silver tarnishes quickly, turning black, when in contact with bleach. A small spot of bleach can therefore be used to identify silver. The tarnish can easily be polished away, and silver items should leave the cloth slightly blackened by the tarnish being removed.

Place a piece of ice on the silver and see if it melts quickly. If the silver is real, the ice will begin to melt immediately, as if it's sitting on something hot, rather than something that's just room temperature. This is because silver has very high heat conductivity.

Using a lighter is another excellent way to tell if silver is genuine. It is effortless as you only lightly heat a small area with a lighter. If a dark, black stain occurs, it is authentic silver. Test it with two matchsticks if you do not have any lighters on hand.

BLEACH TEST

Using bleach is an extremely simple way to test if silver is fake. Bleach is an oxidating agent and silver is highly sensitive to oxidation. When bleach makes contact with silver, the precious metal will quickly tarnish and turn black. If the silver does not tarnish, then you have a fake.

Coin Tester is an advanced application that allows users to verify the authenticity of one-ounce gold and silver coins. The application uses the method of acoustic resonance (known as the ping test) and artificial intelligence to determine whether the user is dealing with a genuine coin.

Real silver turns black gradually and relatively slowly, but if you want to speed up the process, submerge your silver bars in vinegar for 48 hours and a black residue will form on their surface. This is a quicker method than the gradual process of oxidation that silver naturally undergoes.

What can be mistaken for silver? ›

Nickel, silver, tin, aluminum, steel, mercury, are a few others that might be confused for silver due to silvery color though with practice and comparrison, most of these are different enough that a careful eye wouldn't be fooled.

The wheat penny value can vary greatly. Factors like the coin's condition, the year it was minted, and its rarity all play a part. Most wheat pennies are worth between four cents to $4 on average. However, some rare and highly sought-after ones can fetch thousands of dollars at auction.

All major U.S. coins before 1965, excluding the nickel and penny, contained 90% silver content. The term “90% silver” is a short way for investors, collectors, and buyers to refer to pre-1965 dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollar coins, as a group.

1965 Washington Quarter Value

According to the NGC Price Guide, as of April 2024, a Washington Quarter from 1965 in circulated condition is worth between $0.30 and $0.85. However, on the open market 1965 Quarters in pristine, uncirculated condition sell for as much as $5250.

One of the easiest ways to tell if a coin is rare is to check the date. If the coin is from before 1800, it's likely rare. Coins minted in the 19th century are also generally considered rare, with a few exceptions. Coins from the 20th century are less likely to be rare, but there are still some that meet the criteria.

Mintage Means Money

One quick way to determine if a coin is rare or valuable is to look at the mintage. That's the number of copies of the coin that the US mint produced (aka issued). The lower the original number of copies printed, the more valuable a coin will likely become.

To test silver with ice, one must first take a small piece of silver and place it onto a clean surface. The silver should then be exposed to an ice cube for a few seconds. If the silver does not become cold to the touch, it is likely not genuine silver.