Re: What is the difference between coin silver and sterling silver?

Sharon,

Rather than trying to answer this one on my own, I'll just pass on this 
excerpt
from Encyclopedia Britannica Online:

"The best-known copper-silver alloy is sterling, which is 92.5 percent 
silver
and 7.5 percent copper. (In England sterling silver is traditionally 
identified
by the hallmark of a lion passant.) Coin silver is an alloy of 90 percent
silver and 10 percent copper. For jewelry and ornaments, 85-90 percent 
silver
(and the balance copper) is frequently used. Dental alloys of 60-70 percent
silver, 18-25 percent tin, 2-14 percent copper, and 0.5-2 percent zinc are
amalgamated with varying quantities of mercury to form the filling 
materials
for cavities in teeth.

Silver and alloys of silver and copper, although stable in air, tarnish in 
the
presence of sulfur. In order to improve tarnish resistance, up to 40 
percent
palladium is added. In order to obtain the lustre and corrosion resistance 
of
silver on other metals and alloys, silver electroplating is practiced.
Cyanide-based baths are most commonly employed.

Because silver has the highest electrical conductivity of all metals, it is
used in alloyed form for electrical contacts. Palladium and nickel improve 
the
metal's chemical resistance to oxidation and sulfidation as well as its
resistance to corrosion.

Silver brazing fillers are the most frequently used precious-metal fillers.
They are suitable for brazing nearly all steels and nonferrous metals 
except
aluminum, magnesium, and titanium. A typical brazing alloy composition is 
50
percent silver, 34 percent copper, and 16 percent zinc."

Regards,


Marc Breen