The sound of silver?

[Oroargento]

Hi all,

 

A strange question i'm sure, but one I have often pondered. There may also be a very simple answer!

 

3 coins, a silver maple, a silver eagle and a philharmonic all have very different 'rings' when tapped with something metallic. I'm aware of the silver ring test but I struggle to understand how metal of the same kind and usually the same fineness 999 can have such different sounds. Silver eagles tend to be higher pitched and the ring lasts much longer than the maple for example. Why is this? They usually contain the same composition alloy i.e. copper but each coin tends to have it's own unique sound. They all usually weigh 31.1g so is it simply the slight changes in diameter or width that result in the changes?

 

 

[Fluttershy]

it`s the shape and hardness that makes the difference, not the composition or weight/mass.

 

a 1 Oz ball of silver wouldn`t ring at all, and yet a bell shape would ring quite nicely made of the same metal and quantity

[HawkHybrid]

physical coin attributes. just as a bell rings very different

from a cube made of the same volume of the same metal.

 

HH

[CatStudent]

The resonance frequency depends basically on density, thickness and diameter. In fact, there exists a cool app that detects fake vs real silver coins by "listening" its ding, it has recorded several acoustic profiles for each type of coin (maple, eagle, ...).

[SolidSilverBogbrush]

The resonance frequency depends basically on density, thickness and diameter. In fact, there exists a cool app that detects fake vs real silver coins by "listening" its ding, it has recorded several acoustic profiles for each type of coin (maple, eagle, ...).

I have that app. I bought to see how it works and thought I can write a better one. But I need more time than I have.

[Cointreau]

The ring test doesn't always work.

[CatStudent]

The ring test doesn't always work.

I agree, but it is a useful tool together with a magnet, caliper and a scale.

[Pirocco]

An ASE has a diameter of 41 mm, Maple 38, Philharmoniker 37.

So for a same weight, the ASE is "thinner", so vibrates easier, so higher pitch.

I think that explains the difference between these 3.

[Oroargento]

Thanks for the responses everyone..I can stop pondering why now!