We are often asked by some of our readers how they can determine the authenticity of the silver they come across in their precious metal endeavors. While there are many methods of making this determination, for this post we list what we think are the three quickest and easiest. 1) The Ring Test Silver has a nice ringing sound when it is tapped. If it is a coin, you can flick it into the air. Alternatively, you can gently tap it with another coin. In both instances, you should hear a … [Read more...]

Recently there has been a lot of excitement and discussion about the real value of a penny.  In one article from December of 2011, ABC News(1) talks about the waves of people going out of their way to sort and hoard pennies.  The story mentions one individual who spent upwards of $500.00 on a coin-sorting machine to assist with the process.  Another person made an entire business of sorting and selling them at nearly 50% profit.  This obsession over the smallest unit of our currency got us … [Read more...]