China 1911 XuanTong Dragon Silver Dollar Coin LM-37 #RB004

  

This coin has not been authenticated or graded by any professional grading service. Here is how I test each coin. Sigma Precious Metal Verifier Test.

It checks the resistivity of the alloys in the coin to test what it is made of. If I use the Sigma Bullion wand, their website says that it can read 1.5mm deep into the surface metal so if the coin is 2.5mm thick and I test both sides that means it should read all the way through both sides and the coin should be good if the machine shows a measurement within the brackets on the screen. If it is not dead center on the main sensor on the screen on a 90% silver setting, I may attach the bullion wand to the machine and include photos testing it that way also to prove it is within the acceptable range.

If it shows dead center in the brackets, I usually dont need to check with the bullion wand. I have heard that an XRF (X-Ray tester) can only measure several hundred microns into the surface and I do not have one because they cost about 15K. After a lot of experince, I can say the usual diameter is 39.8mm, not 39mm like most sites round the number down to, the center is usually 2.5mm and the rim is usually 2.7mm. If the dimensions and weight are as usual, I dont do a specific gravity equation. The coins are usually around 26.8 grams.

I have seen a professional grading service be wrong in regards to certain coins being 26.4 grams and I have seen them grade heavier ones. I make sure it makes a sound to make sure there is not a tungsten core, but I do not rely on this test, I prefer specific gravity and the precious metal verifier to indicate the density of the metals, for example copper is 6% less dense than silver so a silver plated copper coin with these dimensions, based on a specific gravity equation, would not weigh 26.8 grams typically, it would probably weigh 6% less.

These coins were made in China so they are not going to sound exactly like an American silver dollar. If a coin is magnetic, the Sigma Precious Metals Verifier will not even give a reading, so I can just skip the magnet test photos because it says that in the precious metal verifier manual.

If it was attracted to magnets, it would get sucked right onto that magnet. Note : Silver is DIAMAGNETIC (look up diamagnetism, silver is actually repelled by magnetic fields) so the coin will slightly wobble a little bit if you put it on your fingertip and put a strong magnet near it and bob the magnet up and down really close to it, this does not mean it is made of steel or is fake, or is attracted to magnets, it is the coin being very slightly repelled away from the magnetic field. Try it with a silver coin you already have.