About silver and gold coins

Silver alloys used in coins

Pure silver, like pure gold, is too soft for most uses and is mixed with an alloy. Though many different metals are used as an alloy, copper is preferred since it is greatly toughens the alloy without detracting from the bright shine charicteristic of silver.

Sterling is the alloy most commonly used in jewelry making and silversmithing. It was adopted as a standard alloy in England in the 12th century when King Henery II imported refiners from an area of Germany known as the Easterling. The product they made was of a consistent quality and came to be known as Easterling silver.

Another common alloy contains slightly more copper, 10 to 20%, and is called coin silver. It melts at a temperature slightly lower than sterling and is more likely to tarnish. A 90% alloy was used in US coins until 1966 but now no silver is used. This trend away from silver coins has been international.

An alloy popular in the Far East uses 90% silver and 10% zinc, producing a metal with a low melting point and a bright, tinny shine.

Gold and silver rounds

Gold Krugerrands