Coin silver

Coin silver It is an alloy of 90 % silver and 10% copper. The history of this silver goes back deep into history. Silver itself is a ductile, malleable precious metal and lacks sufficient hardness for long-term use. For this reason, it was necessary to give silver a sufficiently hard and durable base to ensure its long-term use. Ancient metallurgists and jewelers created a silver alloy that is still used today. For thousands of years, people minted silver coins containing alloying additives.

Coin silver There is no specific standard. Currently, the most common alloy is the 900 grade. In Asian and European countries, the 800 grade was used, which included 90% silver and 20% tin, aluminum, and nickel alloys. In some types coin silver Contains 92.5% silver. Alloying additives provide the product with good strength, hardness, toughness, and wear resistance. Therefore,  metal It is quite resistant to abrasion and wear. In small quantities, copper imparts a certain rigidity without losing its luster and maintaining good malleability.

Coin silver Containing the "lion's share" of silver, silver is itself susceptible to oxidation. It is considered a low-reactivity metal due to its copper content, which is why it darkens over time. The higher the fineness of coin silver, the less intense the oxidation process. Today, science has made tremendous advances in the study of the physical and chemical properties of metals, allowing jewelers to diversify the 925 alloy by adding other metals, such as germanium, zinc, platinum, and silicon. The alloy acquires several new properties. Strength and corrosion resistance are further increased, and the silver color is more stable.

The cost of the coin silver The value varies and depends on the alloy's purity. As of 2016, 1 gram of 925 fineness silver cost 14.54 grams, while 800 fineness cost 12.57 grams. The highest purity, 999 fineness, costs 15.72 grams per gram. The total price of silver worldwide, measured in ounces, is 31.1034768 grams, equal to US$19.70, with one gram equal to US$0.63. Clearly, coin silver is much lower in value than other precious metals, yet it remains very popular in use and production. Nowadays, silver coins have almost ceased to be used as a monetary equivalent in most countries, but their production continues for slightly different purposes, such as collector coins, investment coins, and commemorative coins.