yarm Posted July 25, 2011 Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 Is there a way to determine whether a medal is gilt copper or gilt silver without removing it from its "slab" (in this case, a silver ring with glass lunettes)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted July 25, 2011 Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 I have no idea on your question just wanted to say that it's a beautiful medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constanius Posted July 25, 2011 Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 Is there a way to determine whether a medal is gilt copper or gilt silver without removing it from its "slab" (in this case, a silver ring with glass lunettes)? Well BHM lists it in; AR R, AR gilt RRRR, AE N. No mention of gilt AE. The weight of the gilded silver, example examined by Brown, was 74.1005g. I guess it is possible for someone to have gilded an AE example but the weight would be different, but of course being encased is a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yarm Posted July 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 Constanius, You got me thinking I should find the weight of a copper example. Presumably, a gilt copper piece* would weigh a bit more but less than the silver gilt's 74.1 gm. (This assumes no significantly underweight or overweight planchets.) If I were prepared to remove mine from under glass, that would probably settle it. I'm going to inquire of NGC whether their metallurgical analysis can be done "in the slab". *Eimer has one for sale with a test cut In the last few years, I've come across several other versions of this medal unrecorded in Brown - one in "german silver", one in frosted silver and one in shelled alabaster. Art - Thanks, here's the entire medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 I wouldn't remove that from an original holder. It is too damned beautiful to risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 Nice photography too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzkirk Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 Awesome piece ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yarm Posted July 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 NGC's response "We would only be able to do a metallurgic analysis if the coin was taken out of its holder. The machine cannot test through plastic or glass." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 You got me thinking I should find the weight of a copper example. Presumably, a gilt copper piece* would weigh a bit more but less than the silver gilt's 74.1 gm. (This assumes no significantly underweight or overweight planchets.) If I were prepared to remove mine from under glass, that would probably settle it. I'm going to inquire of NGC whether their metallurgical analysis can be done "in the slab". I can tell you from experience that the weight of a bronze medal, the same medal gilt-bronze, and the same medal silver-plated-bronze are so close the error of your scale won't show a difference. The same medal in silver is much heavier. If you can make a rough estimate of the holder, you can compare the weight to the gilt silver. I think you just need the weight of a copper piece which I suspect will be enough less than the silver piece to put you somewhere in the range of having a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 Occam's Razor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yarm Posted August 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2011 Hedley Betts responded to my inquiry about the weight of a copper/bronze BHM 1775. "It weighs 70.8 grams. Its edge measures 4.34mm. I add this because I suspect that the thickness of the medal may have varied., since there was no standard of thickness and weight as there would have been for a coin." This is only 3.3 grams less than the silver gilt example cited by Brown. Even if the silver gilt example was also 4.34mm, this isn't much to work with if I were to estimate the weight of the silver ring and glass lunettes. Oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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