Can You Answer My Question About 46 Jefferson Nickels? (Silver?)?

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

Author	Replies: 9 / Views: 1,435
Novicecoins Valued Member United States 141 Posts	Posted 03/22/2018 10:35 pm Novice here once again. I have a Jefferson nickel I thought was silver. I looked it up and it says they stop making silver in 45. This is a 46. I found that there has been some silver 46 found. So my question is this, how do I tell for sure if my nickel is truly silver ? It doesn't have the telling mint Mark shown for others. They all weight the same. I can't exactly scratch it up to do a chemical test. So, how do you know ? Do experts just know by the coin, the look of the coins ? I tried the white paper thing. Didn't work so well. P.S And pleAse, there is no need to be rude either. I'm a beginner and just trying to learn ! Thanks !! Report this Post to the Staff

spru Bedrock of the Community United States 12477 Posts	Posted 03/22/2018 10:41 pm A more experienced collector or dealer may be able to give an opinion based on the appearance, but that is not definitive by any means. Do you have pics of it you can post? The best way to determine the composition is to have it XRF tested. A coin dealer or jeweller may have the equipment necessary to tell you what the alloy composition is. In Memory of Crazyb0 12-26-1951 to 7-27-2020 In Memory of Tootallious 3-31-1964 to 4-15-2020 In Memory of T-BOP 10-12-1949 to 1-19-2024 Edited by spru 03/22/2018 10:42 pm Report this Post to the Staff
BluegrassRiver Valued Member United States 324 Posts	Posted 03/22/2018 11:00 pm Why do you think it's silver? Could be a novelty and silver plated Report this Post to the Staff
Crazyb0 Rest in Peace 10197 Posts	Posted 03/22/2018 11:05 pm Sometimes just basic color can tell as well as "circulation cameo", which affects the silvers mor than cupronickel. Plus the sound on a drop test is considerably different. If you have a silver an a normal nickel, drop them on a hard surface from 4", that should tell you. Report this Post to the Staff
Mark1959 Pillar of the Community 7234 Posts	Posted 03/22/2018 11:17 pm I think there have only been around 5 authenticated in the last 72 years. Those are mighty tall odds to have one now, but who knows? Report this Post to the Staff
spru Bedrock of the Community United States 12477 Posts	Posted 03/22/2018 11:50 pm Quote: Those are mighty tall odds to have one now, but who knows? I think they are much easier to overlook due to near identical appearance and weight. I haven't tried a "drop test" on them to hear how much different they sound. The odds may be much better than finding a '43 copper or '44 steel cent. In Memory of Crazyb0 12-26-1951 to 7-27-2020 In Memory of Tootallious 3-31-1964 to 4-15-2020 In Memory of T-BOP 10-12-1949 to 1-19-2024 Edited by spru 03/23/2018 10:40 pm Report this Post to the Staff
Debrajc Pillar of the Community United States 4211 Posts	Posted 03/23/2018 12:15 am and we would love to see a picture. Report this Post to the Staff
sel_69l Bedrock of the Community Australia 21786 Posts	Posted 03/23/2018 12:20 am A no brainer. Have it XRF tested by a gold scrap jewelry buyer, or a bullion dealer. Will confirm copper nickel, beyond any shadow of a doubt. XRF is useless if the coin has been tampered with, by silver plating it. Edited by sel_69l 03/23/2018 08:36 am Report this Post to the Staff
coinjem Valued Member United States 73 Posts	Posted 03/23/2018 09:30 am Measure the specific gravity of the nickel. You'll need a scale accurate to at least 0.01 grams. YouTube has videos for showing how specific gravity is measured: yGnNE-MWDV4 Also see this reference: http://goccf.com/t/240215 I tried this with a 2000D nickel and got 8.88 g/cm^3. The hardest part was tying a thread around the nickel to immerse it in the water! :) * Edited by Staff to add YouTube tags. [youtube][/youtube] Please use them in the future. We prefer embedded video. * Edited by coinjem 03/23/2018 09:43 am Report this Post to the Staff
nickelsearcher Moderator United States 15392 Posts	Posted 03/23/2018 7:06 pm to the CCF. Quote: And pleAse, there is no need to be rude either. Who is rude? This is the best of all internet coin forums ... so put that concern aside. We need data to help you ... photographs to start, an accurate weight and composition analysis would fit the bill. Are you able to provide some photos ... otherwise we are all speculating. Take a look at my other hobby ... http://www.jk-dk.art Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 9 / Views: 1,435

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

All Forums Category: US Coins and Currency Forums Forum: US Modern Coins

Silver Gold Bull US is the United States leading bullion dealer. We deliver gold coins, gold bars, silver coins, silver bars and precious metals to your door. Order today!

The First Dollar, your premier source for bullion and rare coins. See our bullion list on the site and the coin inventory on ebay.

View Last 100 New Topics

View Last 100 Active Topics

Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us | Advertise Here | Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum

It took 0.31 seconds to rattle this change.