[inceptor]

Deebo said he wouldn't know what silver from stainless steel... well me neither

is there a field test we can do when we are looking at gold and silver.. or white gold.
how do you know something is solid like a silver coin?

what yr did silver nickels turn cheap metal. should we know what yrs they used silver. pls advise.

For US coins it's pre-1965

 

[inceptor]

thank you...
how do we test and know the other metals?

Mine all have the minting marks on them. But you got me to thinkin. There are more precise kits out there using acid but this is a quick, down and dirty test.

 

[inceptor]

The best way to test silver is with a neodymium magnet. It won't stick to the silver as if it is steel. Instead, the magnet will slide slowly down the piece of silver.
This is a nondestructive test, much better than using chemicals.
There are a lot of Youtube videos that will instruct you, and the magnets, also known as rare earth magnets, can be found on the internet, too.

And cheap. I found 100 for under $10 at amazon.

Amazon.com: rare earth magnets