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horgad
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1641 Posts |
 Posted - 04/10/2008 : 14:35:11
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I have been pricing Canadian proof like coin sets and I have a couple questions that may be hard to answer.
1. Is there an easy way to tell the differnece between 1967 Canadian silver coins? Weight? According to coinflation some are 80% silver and some are 50%.
2. If the 1967 coin comes in a proof like set does that mean it is 80% silver for sure or were the sets issued in both 80% and 50%?
If you can answer these questions, my hat is off to you. 
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fiatboy
Administrator
912 Posts |
Posted - 04/10/2008 : 15:35:27
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quote:
1. Is there an easy way to tell the differnece between 1967 Canadian silver coins? Weight? According to coinflation some are 80% silver and some are 50%.
For regular, circulation-strike coins, I don't know of any definitive way to tell the difference between the two. There probably is a way, but I and most dealers assume they're 50%. Anyone else know of a way? Am I overlooking something obvious?
When I do come across a '67 Canadian coin that might be 50% or 80%, I look at it a long time, flip it, listen to it, drop it, listen to it again, rub it between my fingers, and then tell myself that I figured it out. :P But really, it's just a guess.
quote:
2. If the 1967 coin comes in a proof like set does that mean it is 80% silver for sure or were the sets issued in both 80% and 50%?
Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty darn sure the proof sets are 80% silver. |
"Bart, it's not about how many stocks you have, it's about how much copper wire you can get out of the building." --- Homer Simpson |
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NiBullionCu
Penny Pincher Member
USA
168 Posts |
Posted - 04/10/2008 : 15:45:39
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The easy answer is no, and no...
You must be logged in to see this link.
It is one of the "holy grail" questions.
Asked often, many theories, no solid answers seen yet... |
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fiatboy
Administrator
912 Posts |
Posted - 04/10/2008 : 17:19:15
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| Didn't the RCM publicize that the proof sets would be 80% silver? Such things were before my time, but that's what I've heard through the grapevine. I suppose they---the RCM or the dealers selling the sets now---could say whatever they want, because it would be impractical to verify their claims. |
"Bart, it's not about how many stocks you have, it's about how much copper wire you can get out of the building." --- Homer Simpson |
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horgad
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1641 Posts |
Posted - 04/11/2008 : 07:10:08
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I am going to try and dig up more about the 67 proof sets. If it is true that they are all 80% silver, I think that there might be some bargain silver out there because people are assuming that they are 50% and pricing them as such. Heck if you could buy up all the 67's, sort them, keep the 80%, and sell the 50%, I think you just found a bargain source of silver.
Note: I did find one dealer selling the 67 proof sets lumped in with the 80% years (same price), but E-Bay, on the other hand, seems to discount the 67 proof sets compared to the earlier years. |
Edited by - horgad on 04/11/2008 07:14:13 |
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horgad
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1641 Posts |
Posted - 04/11/2008 : 10:39:55
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Wikipedia says the weight of the Canadian quarter went from 5.83 grams to 5.05 grams when it switched from 80% to 50% silver. Does anybody want to confirm or deny?
You must be logged in to see this link. |
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Cerulean
Penny Hoarding Member
USA
993 Posts |
Posted - 04/11/2008 : 13:12:36
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A coin which is 80% silver weighs more than the 50% variety.
The 50% is not magnetic; the 99% nickel ones are.
I think that, between a fine scale and a magnet, you should be able to ID most '67 and '68 coins.
I also hear the "ring of silver" when I flip 80% coins, but not with the nickel ones. I don't have any 50% coins, so I haven't been able to test their ring properties. |
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misteroman
Administrator
USA
2565 Posts |
Posted - 04/11/2008 : 22:39:34
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| I thought you were talking about those birdy pennies.I always liked them. |
Buying CU cents!!!! Paying 1.2 unlimited amounts wanted. Can pick up if near Ohio area. |
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psi
Penny Collector Member
Canada
399 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2008 : 05:02:08
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I think you might have things a little mixed up Cerulean.. as far as I knew the Ag to Ni switch happened partway through 68, so the rabbit nickel would be the only magnetic coin of the 67 set. The magnet test is good for telling the 68's apart for sure though..
I weighed a 68 silver quarter on my crappy digital scale (0.1g accuracy) and it came up 5.9 g which is a bit weird.. the 67 weighed 5.8 on that scale (and so did other 80% quarters). I zeroed the scale a few times and got the same result. The 68 is a bit dirty but I couldn't see there being 0.7g of crud on there, so it's a bit weird. Whatever the explanation though I think it shows the 5.05g 67-68 thing in the wikipedia article is wrong, probably just a cut and paste error.
I got a 67 wolf 50c coin last week to complete my set.. now i can't find the fish dime I had though! Hopefully it turns up again, a lot of stuff got jumbled up when I was moving recently and I can't remember where I packed it now. |
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horgad
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1641 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2008 : 13:09:02
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Thanks for getting out the scale though I have to admit, that I am just as confused as ever.
Copper has got an atomic weight of 63.54 and silver has an atomic weight of 107.9. The should mean that a given volume of copper is about 41% lighter than the same volume of silver. So assuming that an 80% silver / 20% copper quarter weighs 5.83 grams, a 50/50 quarter of the same dimensions should weigh 12.3% less, (80% - 50%) * (41%) or 5.11 grams. (My math could be off -- if anybody wants to check it please do.)
So for a 80% quarter to weigh the same as a 50% quarter the volume must have changed. Any chance that you have some calipers?
The other possibilty is that 80% quarters were made post 1967. Anything seems possible when you are talking RCM.
Anyhow I think that I better get a few silver Canadians so I can check them out for myself... |
Edited by - horgad on 04/14/2008 15:48:23 |
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wolvesdad
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
2164 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2008 : 15:02:34
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But the problem still remains, that if you plan to leave them unopened in the 'prooflike' set plastic, there ISN'T a good way to tell.
I guess, you could reason, that if you can get them for cheap(the price of the 50%) and you don't mind a bit of a gamble, BUY ALL THAT YOU CAN....if the SHTF and you need silver for trading you can figure it out at that time! |
"May your percentages ever increase!" |
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1967 Canadians
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