Garage sale find and question

[Honeyman]

I bought this tea tin for a buck this morning. There are no hallmarks or writing anywhere on it. Normally I would not buy anything without hallmarks or a sterling label. But this thing is really heavy and a magnet will not stick on it. So I thought I'd take a chance. I repair musical instruments and work on precious metal flutes all the time, and this just has the look and appearence of sterling to me.

How do I determine if it is solid silver or junk?

 

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[buzzhead]

Acid test will determine if it is silver but not the actual content. It's hard to determine content without hallmarks. My scrap dealer buys stuff like this if it tests good at 50% of the Sterling weight.

 

[villagenut]

If ther is no mark like 900,925 or sterling you may have to do a chemical test. This involves getting a test kit and scratching or filing a spot deep enough to be below any plating if it were in fact plated.Then putting a drop of chemical(acid) on that inconspicuous place on the item in question. Usually a newer piece would be marked though, so it may be plating over another metal like brass that is non magnetic.