SILVER FACTS

1. SILVER'S CHEMICAL SYMBOL IS AG.
2. IT CAN BE HAMMERED OUT INTO SHEETS SO THIN THAT IT WOULD TAKE 100,000 OF THEM TO MAKE A STACH AN INCH HIGH. THESE SHEETS ARE SO THIN THAT LIGHT SHINES THROUGH THEM, SILVER CAN BE DRAWN INTO WIRES THAT ARE FINER THAN A HUMAN HAIR. IT IS THE BEST CONDUCTOR OF HEAT AND ELECTRICITY AMONG THE METALS.
3. THE ATOMIC WEIGHT OF SILVER IS 107.870, AND ITS ATOMIC NUMBER IS 47. SILVER MELTS AT A TEMPERATURE OF 1761 DEGREES F. OR 960 DEGREES C. SILVER HAS A SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF 10.5. WHEN MELTED, SILVER CAN ABSORB AS MUCH AS 20 TIMES ITS OWN VOLUME OF OXYGEN
4. PURE SILVER IS TOO SOFT TO STAND UP UNDER CONSTANT WEAR, IT IS USUALLY MIXED WITH COPPER TO FORM AN ALLOY BEFORE IT IS MADE INTO COMMERCIAL ARTICLES
5. SILVER COINS IN THE U.S. USED TO BE MADE OF 90% SILVER AND 10% COPPER. BUT, IN 1965, CONGRESS PASSED A BILL TO ELIMINATE ALL SILVER FROM NEW DIMES AND QUARTERS, AND TO REDUCE THE SILVER IN NEW HALF DOLLARS FROM 90% TO 40%
6. UNTIL THE COINAGE ACT OF 1920, BRITISH COINS WERE 92 1/2 PERCENT SILVER AND 7 1/2 PERCENT COPPER. THE 1920 ACT REDUCED THE SILVER CONTENT TO 50 PER CENT. THE 1946 ACT ELIMINATED ALL SILVER IN BRITISH COINS. THEY ARE NOW MADE OF A COPPER NICKEL ALLOW
7. STERLING SILVER CONTAINS AS MUCH OR MORE SILVER AS BRITISH COINS DID. THE WORD STERLING HAS BEEN USED TO MEAN HIGH QUALITY SILVER SINCE THE 1200'S
8. SILVER ITEMS MARKED STERLING MEANS THEY CONTAIN AT LEAST 92.5% SILVER, SOME JEWELRY, ESPECIALLY SOME OF FOREIGN MAKE, MAY BE MARKED .925, INSTEAD OF THE WORD STERLING.
9. SILVER PLATE IS MADE BY COATING BASE METALS WITH PURE SILVER OR SILVER ALLOY BY ELECTROLYSIS. SILVER PLATE, BEING A LOT LESS EXPENSIVE THAN PURE SILVER, IS MORE WIDELY USED FOR TABLEWARE.
10. SILVER IS NOT CHANGED BY MOISTURE, DRYNESS, ALKALI, OR VEGETABLE OILS, BUT SULFUR, WILL CAUSE SILVER TO TURN BLACK