silver content

[WWIIBUFF]

Hello, I got these medals at the OMSA this week and I know there original and Im pretty sure they are silver but are they pure silver or just mostly silver.
Thanks
John

[Chopperman]

Interesting question. One that I can not answer.
I can tell you that most Imperial Iron cross frames are struck in .800 silver.
and that some have been seen in .925 silver. Which is the same as "Sterling" silver.
I also have a screwback style cross that has a 800 frame and the backing plate is done
in 500 silver.

My best guess would be 800 silver. A jeweller would be able to test them for you.

[Wagriff]

I agree-most medals like these were "coin silver" which would make it 80% pure.

[Glenn66]

Don't be thinking of melting these down for the bullion...

[Heavington]

I agree-most medals like these were "coin silver" which would make it 80% pure.

Coin silver is 90%, but I agree these are probably 80%, most German medals are.

[Wagriff]

I suppose that depends on which country you are going by. Canadian silver coins, for example, were .800, whereas US silver coins were generally .900. French could be .835 at times. The medals posted were common issues, so I imagine that they were 800's, where the high prestige type of medals could be quite high in percentage.

[tompress]

Hi,

Silver content in German coins of this period was 900, but medals and decorations were made of alloy with 935 or 800 fineness mainly. In example, frames of early war Iron Crosses were produced of 935 silver, what was not stamped, beacuse it was standard. Later (since end of 1916) it was 800 - often stamped to remark the lower silver content (you can read it in Frank Wernitz book )

925 (called Sterling) silver was used mostly in Great Britain, for both: coins and decorations, also for many US medals (US coins were 900, as mentioned)

On French medals you should look at the hallmark: *1" is for 925 silver, and *2* for 800 (between two cornucopias, if they are made by Monnaie de Paris).

In Scandinavia 813 silver content was mostly used.

Pure silver (999) is used for invesment bars and bullion coins only.

reagrds
Tomasz