question about forging silver

[mical66]

ok this may be a stupid question,
after watching the TV series " How its made " and seeing how they smelt and refine silver. it makes me think that most of these legends about old timers finding silver minds and conveniently having a coin mold and making there own silver coins is false.

my question is could they actually smelt there own ore into pure silver without having a refinery in their cave ?

 

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[perry2]

Silver sometimes found in a near pure state and melts at a low temp ( 1760 f) so most anyone could melt it then make an ingot, roll or pound it out to flat strip and stamp out a coin //
Today most Silver is smelted out when working Copper or Gold ore. Perry

 

[hvacker]

There are old silver mines in the mountains (the Manzanos)near my home where some smelting was done on site. I don't know how pure it was. It could be they just got it close and shipped to a better smelter. There was one about 90 miles south. Some guys will take the dross and left overs to get the last bit.

 

[lastleg]

mical, I also find those stories unlikely if not downright impossible.

 

[hvacker]

Not sure what you find impossible. In the mountains here the evidence of smelting can still be seen. One mine in particular on the east slope of the Sandia mountains. There is coal available too about 50 miles NE. The level of purity might not fly as far as currency but some purifying would lighten the load considering mules for transportation and the nearest large smelter was 90 miles south.