New Source for Circulated Silver - If you Really Work for it! [w/PICS]

[madwest]

I'd been thinking about foreign silver a lot lately. Last time I was in the coin shop, I decided to search the foreign coin "bin."

It was literally overflowing and nearly impossible to systematically search, but I did find a 1959 Un Peso - 10% silver (1.457gm ASW) and a 1943 Swiss Frank - 83.5% silver (3.80gm ASW). Total silver: 0.186 oz = $7.75 melt. This was from a 6 for $1 bin so I grabbed some coins that seemed like they could be Ag to make it to 6 (early date, toned, etc) but none turned out to be Ag - all were Ni (no Cupro-Ni).

I'm inclined to study hard and go back. It would take many hours to date check that whole bin though. Are there any short cuts? I doubt they would tolerate repeated dropping to sort by sound. A magnet would rule out the Nickel coins.

Every coin shop has this type of bin and there isn't likely to be a lot of Ag if the shop operator is on his/her game. When I paid here, the guy says "oh, you found a silver one. Congratulations." I said "Cool. I like silver." I'm pretty certain he was referring to the 1Fr coin.

 

[clovis97]

Nice finds!!!! I have a Swiss franc like the one you have. I found mine in a box of books at an auction, and paid $1 for the whole lot!

 

[yonico]

i'd bring a small testing kit with me lol
if they won't mind you rubbing their coins and the acid

J.K

but what i do is search info on the coin on my iphone or tablet. takes a second and you get not only the composition but also the exact weight and purity

 

[Diver_Down]

More than likely, the shop owners knows that silver is in there. Somewhat like salting the pile. Their main business is US coins. When buying collections, it is a take it or leave it proposition. In many cases, the shop owners are stuck with the foreign. There are many good buys when it comes to foreign coins and many do not have precious metal content to prop up their value.

 

[Generic_Lad]

I just go through there and pick out any things that have a possibility of being silver or that look interesting. I mean, you can find all kinds of stuff in there, at my local one I picked up some old copper-nickel coins of the German Empire back in the 1800s! All kinds of things can be thrown in there, trade tokens, transit tokens, you name it and it can be in there.

 

[azlegends]

Bring a piece of tissue cloth with you.

 

[BuffaloBoy]

AWESOME SCORE! I wish my coin store still had their foreign coin bin, they took that away and now sell in capsules in a 25c machine 3 coins for 25c. ..

 

[oroh2o]

I agree with Diver_Down. I salt my foreign coins when I do an outdoor flea mkt. I sell foreign coins for 10 /$1.00, minimum of 10. Then I throw a handful of wheat cents in the pot. People think they are getting a bargain by digging out the wheats, but I'm getting 10 cents each for old dug wheats. Gives the kids and customers something to do looking for old coins. HH