How Much Variation Is There For Pre 33 Gold Composition (1913 $2.5 Indian Head)?

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Author	Replies: 9 / Views: 772
SilverSwan New Member United Kingdom 21 Posts	Posted 08/10/2024 1:08 pm * Edited by Staff to Add Year / Mintmark / Denomination to Title. It's very important to have in the title. * So I received a $2.5 Indian head recently and everything about its detail looks ok to me, but its colour is lighter than I expected. I had it xrf tested and it came back .900 gold, .094 copper, and .005 silver. it was only tested once, so there could be some surface variation. I did assume that the presence of silver explained why it was lighter. But should it be there? Is the presence of silver normal? Or does it bring its authenticity into question? Report this Post to the Staff

Dearborn Moderator United States 95803 Posts	Posted 08/10/2024 1:35 pm Well lets start with an image of your coin. Collecting since 1972. Learning from then on "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Benjamin Franklin 7070 type set coin count: 51/76 Uncirculated American Silver Eagles My American Silver Eagle Proof Collection Sacagawea Dollars Innovation Dollars Eisenhower-Dollars Kennedy-Half Dollars Washington-Quarters Roosevelt-Dimes Buffalo-Nickels 1938-2005 Jefferson-Nickels Lincoln-Cents Report this Post to the Staff
SilverSwan New Member United Kingdom 21 Posts	Posted 08/10/2024 2:06 pm Report this Post to the Staff
BStrauss3 Pillar of the Community United States 4591 Posts	Posted 08/10/2024 4:31 pm https://www.usmint.gov/learn/histor...april-2-1792 Quote: SEC. 12. And be it further enacted, That the standard for all gold coins of the United States shall be eleven parts fine to one part alloy; and accordingly that eleven parts in twelve of the entire weight of each of the said coins shall consist of pure gold, and the remaining one twelfth part of alloy; and the said alloy shall be composed of silver and copper, in such proportions not exceeding one half silver as shall be found convenient; to be regulated by the director of the mint, the United States, until further provision shall be made by law. -----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/ Report this Post to the Staff
Coinfrog Bedrock of the Community United States 94367 Posts	Posted 08/10/2024 9:32 pm to the CCF! Report this Post to the Staff
nickelsearcher Moderator United States 15422 Posts	Posted 08/11/2024 05:56 am And BStrauss provides your answer. Take a look at my other hobby ... http://www.jk-dk.art Report this Post to the Staff
oriole Pillar of the Community Canada 5239 Posts	Posted 08/11/2024 07:28 am That law was changed in 1834 and again in 1837 (now .900 fine), according to the Red Book. What does the most recent law say about the composition of the alloy? Report this Post to the Staff
livingwater Pillar of the Community United States 2231 Posts	Posted 08/11/2024 08:32 am Don't know if the below links will help or not. The laws are specific as to the amount of the gold in a coin. It's purity had to be "fine" which I think is 99.9%? I could not find any regulation requirement for the purity of the other alloys such as copper. Maybe mint directors had/have some leeway as to how pure the copper was/is? Only .005% silver in the OP coin is not much. That would not concern me in terms of it being genuine or fake. The American Gold Eagle has 91.67% gold, 3% silver, the rest copper. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/31/5112 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Standard_Act https://www.usmint.gov/coins/coin-m...gold-bullion Edited by livingwater 08/11/2024 09:37 am Report this Post to the Staff
BStrauss3 Pillar of the Community United States 4591 Posts	Posted 08/11/2024 09:28 am Note the subtlety of 31 U.S. Code § 5112 - Denominations, specifications, and design of coins which specifies the tolerance for non-precious metal coins is wholly different vs. precious metal. e.g. (b) Quote: In minting 5-cent coins, the Secretary shall use bars that vary not more than 2.5 percent from the percent of nickel required. ... In minting gold coins, the Secretary shall use alloys that vary not more than 0.1 percent from the percent of gold required. The specifications for alloys are by weight. The cent is even less specific, from (b) Quote: Except as provided under subsection (c) of this section, the one-cent coin is an alloy of 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc. which references Quote: (c)The Secretary may prescribe the weight and the composition of copper and zinc in the alloy of the one-cent coin that the Secretary decides are appropriate when the Secretary decides that a different weight and alloy of copper and zinc are necessary to ensure an adequate supply of one-cent coins to meet the needs of the United States. Toss in (a)(6) Quote: except as provided under subsection (c) of this section, a one-cent coin that is 0.75 inch in diameter and weighs 3.11 grams. notice the total flexibility on thickness... as long as they are 0.75" in diameter, we could be using zinc foil cents. -----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/ Report this Post to the Staff
SilverSwan New Member United Kingdom 21 Posts	Posted 08/11/2024 2:29 pm Thanks for your input guys. Interesting stuff regarding the 1792 historical document, referring to .916 22 carat gold. Particularly SEC 19, every such officer or person who shall commit any or either of the said offences, shall be deemed guilty of felony, and shall suffer death.- You'd be a brave man to mess about with US gold in those days... @livingwater .005 would be 0.5% silver, which I accept may be considered trace amount. Hopefully it does explain how there can be differences in the colour of these coins (aside from toning over time) Does anyone here XRF their coins regularly? I have a local gold dealer that does it for free (I still can't work out how to use the quote feature properly) Edited by SilverSwan 08/11/2024 2:33 pm Report this Post to the Staff
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