Jim:
German-silver is a Brass - or in the family of brass
thereof anyway just like bronze - don't catch me out
with too much details as an expert will tell me how
far off I am on that statement! Regardless, "German silver" has
NO silver at all, it is to varying degrees of composition depending
on its intent etc, basically:
copper, from 50% to 61.6%; zinc, from 19% to 17.2%;
nickel, from 30% to 21.1%.
Developed by the way by the German scientist Geitner.
There is a related alloy called Tuetenag (see the
German connection???...which is very "gold" looking -
also the same idea really as a "replacement" for
silver using german-silver, and had some sort of
Chinese development taken on by the Europeans -
Tuetenag can be found with various other names.
Sometimes, pretty uncommonly, one sees old flintlock
pistol barrels made form it - more expensive then
brass.
Coin Silver is .900 fine [90% pures silver] you are right there, but
it isn't exactly true to say that it represents
silverware items: Flatware or Hollowware made from
melted coins - instead really it is simply a way of
stating the content of the silver as other then
sterling.
Indeed you should point out that there were various
melts by the Mint and that those Congressionally sanctioned melts
deleted a huge supply of American silver coinage
(which WAS in turn remade into coins, the last time
with the 1921 Morgans I think.) Lastly the Treasury
was obliged to surrender 100 million ounces (I think,
don't quote me) of silver to the development of the
atomic bomb during WWII - where that stuff came from and
where it went - who'd know!
There is a Canadian silver coin standard too - I think
it is .800 - you may have to help me on that
front but the Canadians you may want to add that to
your Silver commentary.
You might add something about Mexican and South
American too - 50 Pesos pieces are the BEST - many
silver and gold coins and medals from Latin America
list their content right on them ("Ley .900".) And as
well sometimes their weight in grams.
Anyway other pesos pieces sell for only respectable
gold value money (especially late dates into the
1950s) and are easily carried and widely recognized
even north of the Rio Grande - indeed following your good
logic about silver dimes, one ought to invest in these
pieces. Here's some information which does NOT
however represent all dates of mintages...
Description: Mexico - 5 [gold] Pesos - 1906 - Weight:
4.1666 grams - .1339 Troy Oz. - Fineness: .900
Diameter: 19mm. - Fine Gold Content: 3.7497 grams
.1205 Troy Oz.
Regards, - "Fritz Holland"
JWR Replies: Canada's
early silver coins were originally .925 fine,
and hence had slightly smaller coin sizes than their U.S. counterparts.
In 1920 the standard was reduced to .800 fine,
remaining there until mid-1967 when it was lowered to .500 fine. That
was abandoned just a year later in 1968, when they switched to pure
nickel coins.
