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 Replies: 14 / Views: 5,298 |
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Valued Member
United States
325 Posts |
I was checking out some silver dollars, listing for the ringing sound, and sliding a very strong disc magnet across the surface, to make sure it didn't stick or slide quickly.
For comparison purposes, I pulled out a penny, nickel, and quarter from my pocket and dropped each on the table. The sound of the quarter had a ring to it, so I tried the magnet. To my surprise, the magnet seemed to slide somewhat slowly across the surface.
This is a 2001 quarter, and I can see the copper around the rim.
Is this normal?
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
8938 Posts |
Yep! All quarter and dimes from 1965-present, and halves from 1971-present are made of a combination of nickel and copper. If the metal balance was off that could cause it as nickel it magnetic.
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Valued Member
 United States
325 Posts |
What about the ringing sound? The penny and nickel had a very flat sound in comparison.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
One nice thing about the ring test is it adds some nice dents to a coin. Enough testing like that devalues the coin. Why not just use a torch to see if it melts?
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Valued Member
United States
325 Posts |
The safest way may be to drop a coin flat onto a table, probably safer than tapping the rim with a piece of metal, assuming that the rim sticks up enough.
Otherwise, just drill a hole in the coin, hang it from a string, and tap it with something hard enough to make it ring. If it doesn't ring, then you can be happy that you ruined a worthless coin.
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Valued Member
United States
325 Posts |
Silver coins have a higher, distinctive ring. Quarters sound similar, but not as high a pitch.
Even though they're only 35% silver, the WWII nickels have the silver ring, while later nickels sound dull.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4588 Posts |
Ring test is useless
-----Burton 50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983) Author: 3rd Edition of the Sample Slabs book, https://www.sampleslabs.info/ |
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Valued Member
United States
325 Posts |
Do you have a suggestion for a test?
The ring test can eliminate some things, but can give false positives. Same with the magnet.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1005 Posts |
The ring test is extremely useful for circulated coins. People that disagree either don't know how to do it or can't hear well.
Flip the coin in the air - if you flip it with your thumb it will ring with a specific frequency spectrum that can be distinguished from any coin with different shape or material. It's a comparison test between a known real example(s) and a questionable coin.
There's no damage at all to the coin if you catch it, and the finding is not skewed by whatever the coin is touching.
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Moderator
 United States
187702 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
325 Posts |
The tissue will noticeably darken a shiny clad coin (I tried a shiny 1971 S clad dime), and will show a shiny silver coin, so that's good. If the coin is dull (tarnished, etc.), though, would it be a lot darker through a tissue if it's not silver?
What if the coin is silver plated? I don't have a silver plated item to try.
Edited by Pauldog
03/12/2019 8:13 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
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Moderator
United States
187702 Posts |
Quote:
If the coin is dull (tarnished, etc.), though, would it be a lot darker through a tissue if it's not silver? Dark tarnish, I do not know how it would look. Probably darker. Quote:
What if the coin is silver plated? It will be the same as a silver coin. |
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Valued Member
United States
325 Posts |
I just tried this. A silver coin with dark toning/tarnish will be dark through the tissue (not surprising), but bright areas will show up bright.
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Moderator
United States
187702 Posts |
Good to know.  |
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Replies: 14 / Views: 5,298 |
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Posted 03/07/2019 10:31 pm
