Ethiopian 50 Cents Ee1936 - Telling Varieties Apart?

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Author	Replies: 6 / Views: 2,023
Sap Moderator Australia 16862 Posts	Posted 02/21/2014 10:13 pm The Krause catalogue lists two varieties for the Ethiopian 50 cents dated EE 1936: KM 37 and KM 37a. Their descriptions in Krause are unhelpfully identical, except for the silver fineness: KM 37 is .800 fine, KM 37a is .700 fine. The Krause given weights are identical. Does anyone know if there's any easy way to tell them apart? Krause usually uses a, b, c suffixes to indicate change in composition but not change in design, so I'd assume not. But if the only difference is the fineness, I'm not entirely sure you'd be able to reliably tell the difference between .700 and .800 fine just by looking, especially if you don't have known confirmed examples of each one to compare with. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis Report this Post to the Staff

Numismat Pillar of the Community United States 1666 Posts	Posted 02/22/2014 12:32 am A finely tuned electromagnetic test, i.e. magnetic slide, should give a noticeable difference. Also, I believe the two varieties are the same weight, so the .700 type should be a little thicker. Report this Post to the Staff
sel_69l Bedrock of the Community Australia 21788 Posts	Posted 02/22/2014 10:37 am . Edited by sel_69l 02/22/2014 10:38 am Report this Post to the Staff
sel_69l Bedrock of the Community Australia 21788 Posts	Posted 02/22/2014 10:37 am If there is a slight difference in thickness, perhaps a comparative ring tone test may be able to tell the issues apart. Rest a coin on the tip of your finger, over a soft surface, in case it falls off. Gently tap the rim of that coin with another coin. Sometimes two subject coins resting side by side on a finger each can help, if the differences in ring tone are tiny. Report this Post to the Staff
Sap Moderator Australia 16862 Posts	Posted 02/22/2014 10:48 am I don't have one of each to use as controls in either a "ring tone" or electromagnetic test. I've only got one. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis Report this Post to the Staff
sel_69l Bedrock of the Community Australia 21788 Posts	Posted 02/22/2014 11:22 pm XRF is a relatively cheap test if only investigating a single coin, PROVIDED THAT the blanks were not blanched with acid before striking. Such a process has the effect of enriching the silver in the surface, because the acid preferentially attacks the copper in the alloy. Patches of underlying .500 silver can be seen in worn post 1920 British silver coinage. The worn patches look more of a dull gray in colour. Report this Post to the Staff
Numismat Pillar of the Community United States 1666 Posts	Posted 02/23/2014 12:52 pm ^ good post sel, didn't know about acid blanching, but makes perfect sense. Thanks. Report this Post to the Staff
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