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How Low (On Silver Content Below 70%) Can You Go?

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tdziemia's Avatar
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 Posted 12/06/2023  2:00 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add tdziemia to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
On another thread, the unusual 42% silver content of this Mexican coin was brought up: http://goccf.com/t/456086

But, as many of us are aware, the percent of silver specified in coins' compositions varied all over the map for all kinds of reasons over the centuries.

So this thread is about "silver" or billon coins specified at silver contents lower than 70%.

We'll progress like this:
69% - 60% Today - December 16th
59% - 50% December 17th - December 27
49% - 40% December 28 - January 7
39% - 30% January 8 - January 18
29% - 20% January 29 - February 8
19% - 10% Februry 9 - February 19
9% - 0.5% February 20 - March 2

If for some reason you miss the target week, feel free to post a "catch up" coin whenever you can.

I'm betting we will get at least 30 different compositions, maybe more!

The rules:
a) silver content is rounded to the second significant figure (the "ones" digit until the last week). So, 69.8% (which rounds to 70%) is too high; 59.4% rounds to 59% which is ten days away, and so on.
b) silver must be the main precious metal. So if you have a coin that is specified at 90% gold, 5% silver and 5% other, it doesn't count.
c) the silver content must be knowable (from a mint specification, catalog, etc.)
d) in the first week of each grouping, post examples of coins that you own. After the first week, if you are aware of other coins, feel free to discuss them, and they will be added to the list.

I will maintain a running list organized by decreasing silver content and try to update it at least every week (so, please no data dumps from a search engine )

I will start with this 1/4 thaler of Poland from 1657 that sneaks in under the wire at 69% (11/16 pure, or 0.6875)

How-Low-On-Silver-Content-Below-70%-Can-You-Go?
How-Low-On-Silver-Content-Below-70%-Can-You-Go?

Bring on your silver coins with 60-70% silver!
Edited by tdziemia
12/06/2023 2:03 pm
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Keith67's Avatar
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 Posted 12/06/2023  2:08 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Keith67 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Very good idea.
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Spence's Avatar
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 Posted 12/06/2023  3:14 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Spence to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Awesome. I'm glad you are doing this. I do have a question though. With regard to the rule stating:


Quote:
silver must be the main precious metal


Are billon coins ok because copper isn't considered a precious metal? Thx for clarifying.
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 Posted 12/06/2023  3:23 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add ironhorse to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Heres one I found back in the spring..
France 30 sols from 1792
Listed as .666 silver

How-Low-On-Silver-Content-Below-70%-Can-You-Go?
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tdziemia's Avatar
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 Posted 12/06/2023  3:37 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add tdziemia to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Nice one @ironhorse .


Quote:
Are billon coins ok because copper isn't considered a precious metal? Thx for clarifying.


Good point. Yes indeed. In fact, we will probably see some purists comment that NONE of these should actually be called silver, and that they are all billon!
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jbuck's Avatar
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 Posted 12/06/2023  4:17 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
France 30 sols from 1792... Listed as .666 silver
Very nice!
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tdziemia's Avatar
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 Posted 12/06/2023  4:45 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add tdziemia to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
While everyone else is rummaging around in their spradsheets, I'll post up one more, this Flanders 4 stuiver coin from 1540 that is 0.618 silver, so we'll call it 62%.
How-Low-On-Silver-Content-Below-70%-Can-You-Go?
How-Low-On-Silver-Content-Below-70%-Can-You-Go?

Already 3 different compositions in the 60-70% range, and I bet there are more out there!
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jbuck's Avatar
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 Posted 12/06/2023  5:06 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
While everyone else is rummaging around in their spradsheets, I'll post up one more, this Flanders 4 stuiver coin from 1540 that is 0.618 silver, so we'll call it 62%.
Excellent!

Quote:
Already 3 different compositions in the 60-70% range, and I bet there are more out there!
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HondoB's Avatar
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 Posted 12/06/2023  5:23 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add HondoB to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Austria 5 Schilling 1963 - .640 Ag
How-Low-On-Silver-Content-Below-70%-Can-You-Go?
Straits Settlements 20 Cents 1927 - .600 Ag
How-Low-On-Silver-Content-Below-70%-Can-You-Go?
Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
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erafjel's Avatar
Sweden
2124 Posts
 Posted 12/06/2023  5:54 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add erafjel to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
What a good idea, tdziemia! I'm in.

A couple of French coins use 0.680 silver. Here's one:

France 1938, 20 francs. 0.680 silver.

How-Low-On-Silver-Content-Below-70%-Can-You-Go?


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tdziemia's Avatar
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 Posted 12/06/2023  9:39 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add tdziemia to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Wow! Great contributions!
I had no idea we would start covering this range so quickly:

69% - Poland ¼ thaler 1657 KM#A94 (tdziemia)
68% - France 20 francs 1938 KM#879 (erafjel)
67% - France 30 sols 1792 KM#606 (ironhorse)
64% - Austria 5 schillings 1963 KM#2889 (Hondo Boguss)
62% - Flanders 4 stuivers 1540 N#96940 (tdziemia)
60% - Straits Settlements 20 cents 1927 KM#30b (Hondo Boguss)

I bet some of those gaps will get covered before long
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HondoB's Avatar
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 Posted 12/06/2023  10:44 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add HondoB to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
I bet some of those gaps will get covered before long

Many to go through, tdziemia - I'm wearing out Numista!
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mrwhatisit's Avatar
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 Posted 12/06/2023  11:20 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add mrwhatisit to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I knew I'd started something good

I know I have several other coins which can fit into this thread well...

How about this: a German 62.5% silver coin post WW2 which would round to 63%...
1968-D proof 5 marks of Max V. Pettenkofer...
How-Low-On-Silver-Content-Below-70%-Can-You-Go? How-Low-On-Silver-Content-Below-70%-Can-You-Go?
Edited by mrwhatisit
12/06/2023 11:32 pm
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HondoB's Avatar
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 Posted 12/06/2023  11:38 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add HondoB to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
You're an instigator, mrwhatisit!
Curaçao (Netherlands Antilles) ¼ Gulden 1944 - .640 Ag
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tdziemia's Avatar
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 Posted 12/07/2023  07:55 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add tdziemia to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Nice work, guys! I figured we would get 0.625 before long. I've got a couple, including this 1770 Polish 8 groszy coin (I see KM has it at 0.6267; either way it rounds to 63%):
How-Low-On-Silver-Content-Below-70%-Can-You-Go?
How-Low-On-Silver-Content-Below-70%-Can-You-Go?
Edited by tdziemia
12/07/2023 07:59 am
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