On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 15:19:40 +1000, "A.Gent"
wrote:

According to British standards, US silver coinage is not silver (92.5%+),
but is debased at 90%.

Would you write an article about debased coinage through history and
include the entire run of circulating U.S. silver coins in it? U.S.
silver coins aren't debased. They've always been .900 silver (with
minor exceptions). This is the "standard" that's used in this country
-- going back to the concept of standards again. Virtually all
circulating U.S. silver coins are .900, made of this purity for sound
reasons (for one thing, they're more durable, with added copper, than
sterling). Saying that U.S. silver coins aren't made of silver would
be the same kind of mistake Michael made by saying that pre-Alexander
the Great gold coins weren't made of gold.

--

Coin Collecting: Consumer Guide: http://rg.ancients.info/guide
Glomming: Coin Connoisseurship: http://rg.ancients.info/glom
Bogos: Counterfeit Coins: http://rg.ancients.info/bogos