People are melting sterling silver and marking their melt as .999 fine

[Akragon]

I've seen this a few times... the bottom image is from a reddit forum. Unless im mistaken theres no way that is pure silver... the top image was refined by me... notice the difference. I've seen these dark lookin silver bars everywhere. Pure silver just doesn't look like that... does it?

 

[Shark]

I would never pay spot for any home refined bar without proof of assay paper work. Many of these are stamped as three or four nines based on a guess.

 

[eaglekeeper]

I don't know how genuine that bar in the picture is, but I googled "Proclaim Liberty silver bar" and lots of hits came up for silver bars. Some with a mirror finish and others with a dull finish.

From one of the google hits:
" Designed and struck in partnership with Silvertowne Mint, a premier, privately-owned minting institution based in the United States."

 

[Akragon]

I don't know how genuine that bar in the picture is, but I googled "Proclaim Liberty silver bar" and lots of hits came up for silver bars. Some with a mirror finish and others with a dull finish.

From one of the google hits:
" Designed and struck in partnership with Silvertowne Mint, a premier, privately-owned minting institution based in the United States."

i did the same... nothing looks like the one in the OP. But there are a few dull finished bars... is that a quality people want?
like are some bars designed to look like a lump of lead?

 

[Yggdrasil]

i did the same... nothing looks like the one in the OP. But there are a few dull finished bars... is that a quality people want?
like are some bars designed to look like a lump of lead?

If you look closer it has a patterning on the surface so I struggle to see how this can be 49 fine.
It has obvious contamination of some kind or is it a feature of Silver cooling?
Maybe too hot before being subjected to air?

 

[goldshark]

The only way ANY national mint would purchase this, would be on a drill it, and assay the cuttings on site scenario. Scammers have been around since the dawn of man, and I'm sure the mints of the world have probably seen just about everything.
Doing a cost comparison between the worth of Sterling vs 4-9 Ag is roughly 7.5%. .075 X $23.00 per ounce = $1.725 rip off per Troy ounce. It is very surprising that people will risk their reputation as a trust worthy person, for $8.625 on a 5 Oz bar. The world has truly gone to the shi---er.
Silver will have various patterns, and degrees of sulphidization, depending on a number of conditions. A good piece of bullion will generally have a very good finish, and come packaged in a heavy plastic seal, along with a serial # and certificate.
I would only purchase bullion from somebody I know, who is a great refiner, or one of the known bullion producers.

 

[justinhcase]

People are quite silly.
They spend their money before they can test metals for themselves.

Caveat Emptor​

Most people selling metals do not know what they have in the first place so depend on us to tell them what something is.
It is an expensive education because the only way to learn is to trade and to start with you will make some expensive mistakes.

 

[Gwar]

https://sdbullion.com/5-oz-proclaim-liberty-silver-bar-poured

 

[4metals]

It is totally possible that the bar is .9999 and still appears that way. Remember .9999 Silver can still have .0001 crap in it. Most big houses that produce Silver for minting provide their limits of impurities specifically to allow the mint to see what the impurities are. Depending on the equipment, and the feedstock, a white scale often appears on the surface of a .9999 fine Silver bar. They won’t sell them like that so they have to burnish the finish to remove it and end up with that look. So I doubt it’s sterling and it is entirely possible it is a fine Silver bar that has been burnished.

 

[Gwar]

Having refined many batches of silver, utilizing the silver cell, there are may factors on how one's bar may look when poured in bigger amounts than a pebble..

 

[Gwar]

I am curious if Akragon has ever poured or is he using a small crucible with MAP gas ? I usually have to perform a wet sanding process after being poured and cooled utilizing water and high grit sand paper, then a dual tumbler with some very light abrasives for a six hours, I then polish and stamp, it is a lengthy process and I may lose of few grams but I find the results are satisfactory, I will need a hydraulic press to achieve better results when applying the stamp, I may continue with silver in the near future..

 

[BGDOCK]

Have you considered using scotchbrite pads instead of sand paper ?

Jeff

 

[Gwar]

Yes, I have used those as well, not very good, some of the 'Chore Boy' with holders' work in the first stages too..

 

[goldshark]

I am curious if Akragon has ever poured or is he using a small crucible with MAP gas ? I usually have to perform a wet sanding process after being poured and cooled utilizing water and high grit sand paper, then a dual tumbler with some very light abrasives for a six hours, I then polish and stamp, it is a lengthy process and I may lose of few grams but I find the results are satisfactory, I will need a hydraulic press to achieve better results when applying the stamp, I may continue with silver in the near future..

Nice looking, very presentable piece of bullion.

 

[BGDOCK]

The brown one I cut into smaller squares baring leaves swirl marks and takes of the flux/ slag.

 

[Akragon]

I am curious if Akragon has ever poured or is he using a small crucible with MAP gas ? I usually have to perform a wet sanding process after being poured and cooled utilizing water and high grit sand paper, then a dual tumbler with some very light abrasives for a six hours, I then polish and stamp, it is a lengthy process and I may lose of few grams but I find the results are satisfactory, I will need a hydraulic press to achieve better results when applying the stamp, I may continue with silver in the near future..

crucible with MAP gas actually...

 

[Akragon]

Perhaps i should have posted this thread as a question instead of an assumption

 

[BGDOCK]

I am curious if Akragon has ever poured or is he using a small crucible with MAP gas ? I usually have to perform a wet sanding process after being poured and cooled utilizing water and high grit sand paper, then a dual tumbler with some very light abrasives for a six hours, I then polish and stamp, it is a lengthy process and I may lose of few grams but I find the results are satisfactory, I will need a hydraulic press to achieve better results when applying the stamp, I may continue with silver in the near future..

That’s a nice bar, by the way