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 Replies: 11 / Views: 1,150 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
Over the holidays, my aunt told my mom that she'd discovered a VERY special quarter.........so I kept hearing about it. She thought she had something very valuable and special. I got up there Christmas Eve to take a look at it......... It was an "S" mint Pennsylvania from 1999 !! Ha Ha She saves the quarters for her grandson and is very much into them.... Well, sadly, I had to break the news to her that someone had apparantly broken up a proof set and spent it several years previously.......hence it wasn't even in that great of shape. She was very disappointed needless to say and I'm suspicious that she still didn't believe me ! Now I didn't think that it might have been silver though.....were the Silver Proof Sets and Proof sets both minted in San Fransisco ? And if so..... how do I tell if it's Silver or just a proof that's been circulated ? I have both types of sets and feel embarrassed that I don't know this off hand without looking it up.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6381 Posts |
Easy! Look at the edge. A silver proof will have a solid silver-colored edge. A clad coin will have an obvious orange-colored layer of copper in between the silver-colored clad layers.
If you want to be even more certain, check the weight. A silver quarter weighs about 6.25 grams. The clad versions are around 5.8 grams, as I recall.
Quite a pity if someone broke up and spent a 1999 silver proof set; those are selling for around $350 right now.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
6326 Posts |
Yeah I know .......it's a huge pity ! But since I can't look at the coin for several months..... were the Silver Proof and regular Proof both minted in San Fran ? I'm thinking they were.......so just by having the "S" mark doesn't tell silver or not....... I can phone her and tell her what you said about the edge.
What if there isn't enough "wear" on the edge to be able to tell that ? I doubt she has a letter scale or something to weigh it.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
If it IS silver.....then at least she'd have a "tiny" bit to be excited by ......sort of !
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Moderator
 United States
187702 Posts |
Yes, they were all minted in San Francisco. There is there is a quick test you can do with a piece of loose-leaf paper, white paper towel or tissue as well. If you cover a silver coin and look at it under a good light source it will reflect white. A Cu-Ni clad will look darker gray. If you have never done it before, you can try on a known silver and known clad for comparison. But IMHO, if you were to do the 99S and a few other circulated coins at the same time, the difference is very obvious!
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Moderator
United States
187702 Posts |
Haha, my response was seven seconds after your other comment! Yes, if it were silver, damaged or not, it is still worth more that $.25!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
819 Posts |
Also, with quarters, there doesn't need to be any wear on the edges to be able to tell them apart. A clad quarter's copper metal will show through, you can see it on any quarter right out of your pocket. A silver quarter won't have that stripe running through the edge regardless if it's brilliant uncirculated or about good. ;)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
Ha ha.....okay I'll tell her about the "light trick" ! (haven't heard that one before .....interesting)
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Moderator
United States
187702 Posts |
I actually found it by accident a few years back. In the late 90's, I was playing catchup with the Silver proofs (they started in 92, I finally caved into getting them in 97). I was putting them in my Dansco and I had my "want list" laying nearby. I had set the list on a page in the open album to get to another sheet under it, then looked at the results as the newly inserted silver coins shined through while the existing clad ones were dark! Amazing. But I know I was not the first. I have seen that trick mentioned many times on here. I am sure the first snow in January 1965 was not on the ground before this trick was discovered!
Edit: Also, it is a good trick to use at coin shows or unfamiliar sales where your "labeled as silver coin" is in a 2x2 and the edge is not clearly visible.
Edited by jbuck
01/03/2008 5:23 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
Man ! I really love this forum..............
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Moderator
United States
187702 Posts |
So do I! One thing I have noticed is that people here will not rake newcomers over the coals for asking a (stupid/old/crazy/etc) question. There is nothing more off-putting than seeing "Use SEARCH you n00b!" to an honest question.
I may have been doing this (electronic communications) for over 20 years now, but everyone, at one time or another, is new. One cannot assume new users really understand all of the forum tools available to them. A lot of people find places like this in Google in hopes to have an answer to their question. They may even search, but cannot find it in the two pages of "matches". I can go on, I think most people here get what I am saying.
Hat's off to Mom, Dad, the Mods, and all the users for being warm and friendly to everyone else!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
I have "20 years" too......but in the construction biz. General contracting...... so I know enough about the computer to get further confused ! We have software with our buildings to design them, price them, etc. but pretty much a "noob" myself !! I'm coming along nicely though.....I hope.
Hat's off to everyones "forgiving/niceness" and "tolerations" from me too !!
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Replies: 11 / Views: 1,150 |
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Posted 01/03/2008 4:02 pm
