Help please

[extrafine]

Is there an easy way to distinguish the 0.5000 Silver from 0.8000 Silver coins of 1967? I own the 10 and 25 Cents KM#67/67a and KM#68/68a.

 

Thanks

Toni

[More]

My 2010 26th edition of Canadian coins, says that in 1968 25 cent pieces were 50% silver & 50 % copper, the 999 pure nickle ones of 1968 are attracted to a magnet & are supposedly darker in color

I have a similar write up for the 1968 dime.

In 1967 the silver percentage changed from 80% to 50% for the dime, but they are not distingushable by eye...32 million were produced of 80% silver & 31 million of 50% silver

OF the quarter... 49 million were minted in 1967 & there is no info on how many were 50% or 80 %, they are all included in the 49 million count.

[KoRnholio]

As far as I know there is no way to do it reliably/cost effectively without melting them down. Some people claim to be able to hear the difference in pitch of a 50% vs 80% silver coin, but even if possible, it would be very time consuming and unreliable. The sound would also be affected by other stuff such as dirt, grease, corrosion, on the coin, as well as the shape (bent, nicked, etc).

 

As was said earlier, you can use a magnet to separate the nickel coins from silver ones.