Ruthenium Coins. What is it Used For?
In addition to being potentially a byproduct of radioactive material, it is most effectively used for more industrial and industrious purposes. For Industry, Ruthenium is very efficient at adding strength and conductivity to other metals. It does not dissolve when added to most acids. It also has nine known radioactive isotopes which come in handy for the medical profession.
One version of it can act like X-Rays. When Ruthenium is mixed with other metals to make an alloy, it provides the strength and hardening. When mixed with platinum or palladium, these new alloys are used on electrical resistors and contacts, microprocessors, and microelectronics. Other nifty uses for this rare metal include: How Are Precious Metals Refined? What exactly are "Precious Metals", and why are they so important to us?
These metallic elements exist on our planet naturally. They are considered valuable to us as they have several redeeming properties. The most obvious is their lustre, or the way the sunlight or artificial light reflects off the surface of the metal. Their lustre makes them very shiny and sparkly to the eye. They are considered precious as these metals are rare in comparison to other naturally occurring metal elements, like iron. Our history shows, mostly through the discoveries of ancient coinage, that we humans have almost always placed a value on these metals. The metals we consider rare and precious are palladium, platinum, gold and silver. In addition to coin currency, jewelry, art, and industry, another popular use for precious metals is investments. What Are Assay Cards? As you may already know brand new, uncirculated silver and gold coins, rounds, or bars are packaged by the various mints in different methods.
The example photo to the right is the 1 gram gold Maple Leaf coin in an Assay card. This is called the MapleGram by the Royal Canadian Mint. It has a stamped value of fifty cents and is about the size of my smallest fingernail. The five 2015 Silver American Eagle coins that I just received this month from a mint distributor were packaged in the normal vinyl flip pouches. Last year I purchased a tube of twenty 2014 Silver American Eagle coins.
You may be wondering why I go to the extra effort to secure my coins in the acrylic, air-tight capsules. Maple Leaf Coins - Gold and Silver. Growing up a mere 30 miles south of the Canadian border, I was very accustomed to seeing Canadian currency.
I always seemed to have a Canadian penny, nickle, dime, quarter, or fifty cent piece mixed with my American coins in my pocket or purse. This is normal for the northern border states to forget the foreign currency exchange rate when dealing with small currency coins. There are also a one dollar and two dollar coin. The penny bears the Maple Leaf design. The penny is no longer being minted as of 2012 and will soon be out of circulation. Silver Art Bars. Why is Silver a Favorite?
Why is silver a favorite amongst collectors? I believe there are several reasons. First, the cost to the collector to locate and buy silver products is lower than gold and platinum. Silver currently has been hovering around $17 to $20 a troy ounce. Gold Art Bars. Where Can You Buy Gold Bars?
Purchasing gold bars is actually easy than you may think. if you are purchasing them for personal use, like collecting, you can easily search for gold bars online at Amazon or eBay. You can also purchase gold products directly from the mint or mint distributor websites. Please note that not all mints sell directly to the public. Some of the mint and mint distributors that I have purchased precious metals from are JM Bullion and the American Precious Metals Exchange (APMEX). A special note on buying from these mints/mint distributors: to save money and ensure you paid the lowest cost for your product, you can pay by check.
If online purchasing is not for you, you can buy the bars and coins from a local reputable dealer, or actual precious metal exchange if you have one in your hometown. I have also noticed a trend involving placing specialized Automated Teller Machines (ATM) that dispense gold bars in high traffic public places. What is the LBMA? 1921 Morgan and Peace Silver Dollars. Assistant Engraver on Loan from London To fully appreciate both the Morgan and Peace silver dollars, I believe it necessary to provide a review of the man who designed the U.S.
Morgan silver dollar and became its namesake. George T. Morgan was an assistant engraver born in Birmingham, England in 1845. He worked for Messrs. In 1876, the United States Mint realized it lacked skilled die engravers so it contacted the London Mint for help. George was about 30 years old when he traveled across the sea to North America. Who Grades Coins? How Do I Know?
As a coin collector, you may have come across coins that are encased in a small cardboard holder. These holders keep the coin in plastic to help protect them the damage and corrosion our oily human fingers can cause. The picture to the right is an example of two recent coins I purchased from a coin dealer at a flea market near Orlando, Florida this past summer. Collecting PAMP Suisse Silver Art Bars. Coin Identification Table - Identify Your U.S. Coins Using These Coin Photo Images. Professional Coin Conservation from Numismatic Conservation Services. Coin Certification Company - Numismatic Guaranty Corporation.
Coin Grading Services - Coin Authentication. American Numismatic Association.