Oregon Silver

Wild-Bill · May 31, 2018

Good morning TN, I posted this under "what its worth", but thought I would see if I get more info from this forum..
I've been lurking around here for some time..enjoying the stories and gleaning knowledge where I can. I finally made a profile to get some opinions from some of you all. I'm not an expert in anything treasure related and will never claim to be one lol..so I'm going to utilize one of the best sources of info I've found on the net...all of you!!
The piece in question is a book of silver medals that once was owned by my wife's grandfather. There are a total of 50 medals with imprints on the front and a description of the image on the back. I'm going to include a few pics but let me know if you need more. The info at the front of the book says it is a numbered collection and the dies would be destroyed after minting. My first question..is this .99% silver? The write up describes it as "pure silver" and the receipt says "sterling"..see the pics below. I'm also guessing that it is worth much more as a complete collection and not just for melt value. I truly appreciate any info or opinions.

dejapooh · May 31, 2018

The booklet does not say "Pure" silver, but rather says, "Solid Silver." Since the receipt says Sterling (which is .925 silver), I am guessing it is not Pure 100% silver, but is in fact, sterling.

These private issues (typically by the Franklin Mint) are produced to order (or by the subscription). They are not typically collected, and generally sell for melt value or a bit more. The more of them you have, the closer you are likely to get to melt when selling them. Sorry to rain on your parade. There are a lot of Gold Bugs on here, people who believe holding Gold and Silver is a good buffer against emergencies and currency collapse. Gold bugs would like this, but not pay more than melt. That's just under $.48 a gram for sterling. You may find someone who likes this stuff in Oregon who would be willing to go to $.50 a gram. If you wanted to go Ebay, You could probably ask $.60 a gram. after fees and such, you would get $.50 or maybe a touch more.

Good luck.

Wild-Bill · May 31, 2018

Thank you Dejapooh, thats what I was afraid of. It's a nice collection, so I might see if it is something a collector might want to pick up.

Diver_Down · May 31, 2018

People have in the past used Craigslist as a person-to-person transaction to avoid the fees of eBay. You will get more interest if you target those interested in Oregon's history over just targeting a silver stacker. If you are on Facebook, you can the FB Marketplace or find a local selling group on FB. These go by different names such as Virtual Yard Sale, Swip Swap, etc. Search and you are bound to find group that is suitable. They will likely yield the largest return especially if you appeal to Oregon's history and the medallic artwork. The silver content is just an added selling interest.

Wild-Bill · May 31, 2018

Great idea Diver!! Each medal weighs in at 29.5 grams...50 medals total. So at melt value its around $750. Thats not too bad

But I love the idea of finding someone who may hold more of a sentimental interest..they really are gorgeous pieces.

Tportland · Nov 23, 2018

I have in possession a set of verified pure silver .999 with toning on coins. State of Oregon album as you show and describe. (interesting to note)The 1814 coin in your book, does not match the 1814 coins in my book

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