Before you decide to melt your silver coins down, for whatever purpose, there are a few important points that you should be aware of. The first, and most important, thing to understand is that in the United States it is illegal to destroy minted coins. If the coin itself is usable as legal tender in the United States, you can not by law destroy it.
Another point to be aware of is that not all coins that are silver colored are actually made of silver. It is far more common to find coins that are comprised of nickel, zinc, or other metals. If the purity of the metal is important for your eventual purposes, then you need to be very sure the coin is 99% or more pure silver.
The final point to consider applies only if you are intending to sell the product of your labors. If you intend to melt silver into bars or other shapes, you should be aware that many dealers will not buy these bars because they can not be sure of the inner composition. They have no way to tell if the center of the bar is silver, gold or lead. It is also a common occurrence that the silver coin itself is more valuable than the weight of the silver by itself.
Now, if you are still ready to melt down your silver coins, you will need three primary tools. First you will need a torch or kiln. An oxy-acetylene or butane torch will work best. For the oxy-acetylene, you will want to have a good flow of oxygen to create a short, blue flame. If you are using a kiln, the melting temperature for silver is 1763 degrees Fahrenheit, so be certain the kiln you are using is capable of reaching that temperature.
Second, you will need some type of vessel to hold the melted silver in. This is usually called a crucible. This vessel is most commonly made of graphite and will withstand the heat of the melted metal without breaking or melting itself.
Finally, you will want to have some type of mold or cast to pour the liquid silver into. You will have to find this for sale commercially since creating a mold for a high temperate metals requires some skill and experience.
Before you continue, be certain that you have all of the proper safety gear ready and are working in a clean, well ventilated space.
To begin, line the inside of the crucible with boric acid. This is a powder that can be purchased as most hardware stores. This will help to contain the silver and prevent it from picking up anything on the inside the crucible. Put the silver into the crucible, light your torch and get a strong flame. Move the flame around the outside of the silver being careful not to touch it. If the flame hits the silver directly, it will cause it to boil and this may leave air bubbles after it cools. The silver will eventually melt into a liquid.
Make sure that you have followed any instructions that came with your mold. Depending on what type you purchased, it may need to be heated before use. Pour the liquid silver into the mold. This is a very basic method of molding. More complex methods for delicate shapes require special types of machinery such as centrifugal casting machines.
Again, depending on the shape you are casting and the type of mold you have, you may at this point need to plunge your mold into water or allow it to cool for a while outside. Once cooled, you can open your mold and you will have a casting made from your silver coins.
It can not be stressed enough how dangerous of a process this is. You will need to move slowly and be excruciatingly careful. You are working with molten metal which is very dangerous and, once melted, very viscous. Make sure you know exactly what you are doing long before you begin.
Photo Credits: seriykotik1970
Originally posted 2010-08-06 03:50:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Get to Know the American Collectible Gold Coins Gold has always been a highly valuable commodity. It caused a rush in the west when it was discovered and has been valuable throughout time. This is why so many civilizations used it to create their currency. The gold coins which were created have been used throughout time either because...... -
The Booty Offered from English Coins There have been many different coins which have been created and used by the English government. These coins span the years for some with a very short run for others. It is easy to see why the coins in England have such a high value when exchanged across the pond....... -
The 3 Most Sought After Collectors Coins from the Old West The coins produced during the period of time in American history when the Western United States was being settled are some of the most sought after collectors coins for those who are Old West enthusiasts. Below is some information about three of the currently most sought after collectors coins from...... -
3 Facts about one the Rarest Coin Hoards of Morgan Silver Dollars The Morgan Silver Dollar is one of the rarest coin collectors have been seeking out recently. There are different grades and type of the 1800âs Morgan Dollar coins which can be found. Recently there were several of these coins released to the public for sale. These coins were from a...... -
How to Tell a Collectible Coin from a Normal Coin The 1804 silver dollar is worth around $10.1 million. There are about four other coins valued above $5 million. There are plenty of other coins worth millions if not hundreds of thousands. What makes them so special? How can you make sure that you are holding on to these kinds......
Related Websites -
Roman Coins Coins and Paper Money -> Coins: Ancient -> Roman: Republic When it comes to collecting coins or paper money, many prefer to go straight to roman coins. These are highly historic collectibles that may actually be worth a good deal of money and many are quite rare. When you consider...... -
Types of Coin Collecting Software Collecting different coins is a truly pleasurable and profitable type of hobby or endeavor. Most people who are novices in collecting encounter problems relating to having too many coins, and therefore they do not have an adequate amount of information about the coins that they have or about the coins...... -
Top 4 Reasons for the Rising Silver Coin Value Silver coins are among the most valuable of the coins people collect year to year. There are a few different reasons for this. Knowing the reasons for the silver coin value to go up will help you to understand whether you are getting a good deal on a coin you...... -
3 Unique Things about Antique Coin Molds The world of coin making has changed a lot over the years. What was once a long drawn out process of several strikes with a large hammer and a cast was changed into something which could be done with one strike of a machine thanks to the use of hydraulics...... -
Liberty Head Silver Dollars money -> Coins-US -> Dollars Liberty Head silver dollars have been referred to in many different ways over the years. First they were called Buzzard Dollars, because no one really liked the original design of the rather scrawny eagle on the back. The large, heavy coins were also referred......
- Monarch Bars, Rounds Silver Bullion Coins & Paper Money
- Antique Bars, Rounds Silver Bullion Coins & Paper Money
- Solid Bars, Rounds Silver Bullion Coins & Paper Money
- Chile Foreign Silver Silver Bullion Coins & Paper Money
- Ball Mold Downrigger, Outrigger Gear Fishing
Categories:
Coins, Melting Coins, Silver Coins
Tags:
0 comments ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment