silver coin question

[Gaeckle]

Working on a project and I would like to use silver coins for inlays, some of the inlays are a bit larger than the coin I intend to purchase. That being said, do I need to anneal the coin like I would with brass, then will the coin stretch easily without fracture? The coin size I am going to purchase is scrap half dollars and a  couple of larger dollar coins.

[Hungry Horse]

Depends on the alloy of the particular coin you use. In my experience if you are going to draw the metal out very much, you will have to anneal it several times. Sterling will be more predictable. coin alloys have changed over time in some countries, and not so much in others, so it can be pretty much a $#@* shoot.

  Hungry Horse

[QuanLoi]

Take your coin to a jeweler.  He may have a device that consists of rollers similar to the type used on old time washing machines... only made specifically for metal work.  Not only will he flatten out the coin but extrude it, stretching it out to a larger shape.

[jerrywh]

 If you use American silver coins you can anneal them at 1300° F and them roll them out to what ever thickness you want. It is important that you do not quench them when they are red hot. Let them cool down to below a red heat before quenching.   After quenching they will be almost black. Just brush the oxide off with a wire brush .

[Elnathan]

Never tried it, but it can't hurt to anneal it. I'd assume that it would work-harden at least a bit when struck, and be left that way for durability while in circulation. If it is a 20th century US dollar (i.e., Morgan or Peace) it should be 90% silver and 10% copper, per Wikipedia. Same with the half dollars.

More random research that may or may not be of interest:
Early U.S. Federal dollars seem to have also used that 90/10 ratio, so it would by authentic for a repro of that era....Spanish dollars were theoretically 93.05% silver up until 1728,  91.66% silver from 1728-1772, 90.28% silver between 1772-1786, and then 89.58% from 1786 up through 1821, so roughly equivalent as well (the Spanish dollar was a common coin in 18th century America, I believe, so a likely donor for a coin silver inlay on a rifle of the time.) No word on the alloying elements. English shillings, as far as I can tell, were at least nominally pure silver up until 1816, when they went to around 92% silver, but I have to wonder if that was really the truth.

[Mike Brooks]

I have pounded out US old silver coins with a hammer for inlays for 30+ years, never have had to anneal.

[smylee grouch]

 I suppose running over it with a locomotive is out of the question.

[Metalshaper]

I suppose running over it with a locomotive is out of the question.

Works like gangbusters on pennies!!!          of course its been about 50 years since I last did that

Respect Always
Metalshaper/Jonathan

[webradbury]

I suppose running over it with a locomotive is out of the question.

Never out of the question!!

[smylee grouch]

I might try it tomorrow, but I will have to make sure to keep my fingers out of the way. 

[eddillon]

I tried to form a 1938 US dime.  Cracked almost immediately.  Anneal!

[Mr. Bubbles]

Sterling and coin silver will darken more over time.  Fine silver will stay brighter longer.

[Bill Raby]

You can hammer silver coins thinner without them cracking. But annealing will make it a whole lot easier. Sterling silver is .925 silver and .075 copper. US silver coins have been .900 silver and .100 copper for at least the last 200 years. Reason is that the higher copper content makes it harder. Striking the coins makes them MUCH harder. And that is a good thing for coins. Helps them to last longer. Silver coins have contained copper for over 2000 years. The only .999 coins produced by a mint are the Canadian Maple Leaf and Chinese Pandas after 1989. Same for .999 gold coins.

[Elnathan]

Bill,

I think virtually all  1 oz. silver coins these days are .999 silver, including the U.S. eagles, and, since 2013, Britannias.

If you just want fine silver, though, it seems like there are easier ways to get it than flattening a Maple Leaf.

[P.W.Berkuta]

Bill,

I think virtually all  1 oz. silver coins these days are .999 silver, including the U.S. eagles, and, since 2013, Britannias.

If you just want fine silver, though, it seems like there are easier ways to get it than flattening a Maple Leaf.

Just checked mine and the paperwork says - 99.9% silver

[smylee grouch]

I just ran over a silver dime(Mercury) with the company locomotive, one wheel and it , the dime, was pressed into the steel to the point you could not feel a seem but you could see Mercury's face. It was so thin it only had one side. The locomotive weighs over 470,000 pounds so if I was going to try it again I would probably use a empty box car.

[moleeyes36]

Maybe I'm oversimplifying things, but if you are going to use silver for inlays wouldn't an easier approach be to use dead soft sterling silver sheet stock rather than pounding out coins.  it's already soft and 92.5 % silver content according to Rio Grande. https://www.riogrande.com/product/sterling-silver-6-sheet-dead-soft/100109gp  Having never used silver for inlays, am I missing something here?


Mole Eyes

[Craig Wilcox]

Are you wanting to use the coin design as art on the inlay? Or just after the silver effect, and plan to engrave your own design?  If the former, you will probably have to anneal a few times, as that copper makes it work harden very quickly.  You may even try flattening it while hot.

If you ran over that Mercury dime with only one wheel of that 470,000 engine, it would only be compressed by the weight divided by the number of wheels.  Of course, if you are truly a grumpy old guy like me, two things would have happened.  The first is that you would run to get a chisel or scraper to get your dime back.  The second would be you calling 911, "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!"

I have some old bronze coins from Brazil, and have often thought of inlaying one just for the design on it.

[KentSmith]

I have used half dollars and quarters for inlays.  I pound them out on the anvil without annealing.  Never had one crack.  Usually obliterates the design on the coin.  A half dollar makes a large inlay.  I usually use quarters.  Takes about 5 minutes.

[smylee grouch]

I used the dime I ran over just to see what or how much it would flatten out. There are 12 wheels on that locomotive and it was not possible to feel a seam or ridge from dime to track so as I said if I were to do it again I would use a lighter rail car but a hammer and anvil would be my first choice for such a job.

[Mike Brooks]

I have used half dollars and quarters for inlays.  I pound them out on the anvil without annealing.  Never had one crack.  Usually obliterates the design on the coin.  A half dollar makes a large inlay.  I usually use quarters.  Takes about 5 minutes.

And there you go, another guy like me that's not trying to make something simple a major task.

[Gaeckle]

I want to use the coins for inlays. The coins I have, so there isn't any out of pocket expense, I have looked at the Rio Grande site, but really don't want to use them. If I need to, I have access to very large silver dollars, U.S. coin (can't remember the type, it's just large) at a very reasonable cost (10 bucks). The inlay I wish to replicate is found on a Valentine Shuller rifle at the Log Cabin Shop, an oval with a neat eagle engraved on it. I also want to use coin for other inlays that I plan on placing on the stock. I could use brass, but why not add something special?