I was wondering if anyone knows where to get US coins that are cheap? The magic shop in Singapore are selling it too expensive.

seeing the exhange rate, they are making a lot of money.

Adrian

You can get it from Ning.

I don't think you can get coins from anywhere else except shops or dealers, since there isn't a money changer that would give you half-dollars.

... There isn't, right? :blink:

Hi, i currently just imported 1964 kennedy halfs. These are 90% silver dollars which are considered soft coins (less audible sound), and also collectors items cos its the only year that has 90% silver.

Also 30% silver content 1965 halves, both of which are more expensive then the recent half dollars with no silver content.

If you want please give me a pm.

Soft coins is a term made popular by David Roth. Soft or Slick coins are usually coins that have been through the ages resulting in wear on the surfaces. These coins are useful for certain routines eg stack work.

I have seldom seen Kennedys being soft enough even the 1964 ones. They are too new looking to be soft. The more common slick coins are Barbers, Morgans and Peace dollars. Sometimes, you might find Liberty Halves as well. These coins are usually sold for the price of silver which has fluctuated alot recently.

Cheerios,
Zhan Rui

Ooh, though i tested the 1964 coins, they seemed less "sharp" sounding than the 30% silvers when i rub them together. But i guess the sound would be much more compared to older silver coins

hmm actually from my understanding soft is more often refering to coins that have seen the wear and season of years hence, making them almost silent.

Like wat had been mention, unless u literally use sand paper to make the half dollars soft ([b]not too sure if thats possible tho[/]) by rubbing the sand paper constantly on their surface.

Half dollars are kinda too new to become soft within such a short period of time. Unless silver wears off faster than others? :unsure:

I think barbers look nice, just that I have no idea where to get them.

Silver is a soft metal ^_^ but i dont think sandpaper will work that way. You will probably spoil your coin.

Anyway, barbers are probably available on ebay. Just that some sellers would not want to ship to Singapore due to some law. They are quite expensive cos you will be competiting with collectors to get the coins.

ya..Cad's right. Sandpaper WON'T work. I've tried it. It will only damage the edges of the coins. (You wouldn't want to sandpaper a shiny half dollar would ya? ;) )

The easiest alternative is to buy them, or you can try buffing them through a buffer machine? Dunno :unsure:

I'm still new with coins, so I just stick to regular half dollars ^_^

You actually tried with sandpaper? OMG poor coin :P

yeah...i watched Paul Wilson's Crowded Coins..he recommended soft coins.

So I "act smart" and started sandpapering (if there is such a word) the coin, apparantly to make it "soft" :lol:

But its alright la..its one of those normal half dollars, so not that heart pain.

....

Wear and tear is not achieved by "tearing" it. Haha, and sanding the coin is certainly out of question.

So how to wear off the coin without damaging it? A very good way is to put the coin under very high heat, and then cool it, high heat again, and then cool it again.

When metal goes throught heat up and cool down a few times, it is experiencing wear and tear to itself, so it will soften the coin in the end. I won't suggest you put your coin into the oven, cause I never try before.

The second alternative, will to use a very heavy metal to pressure the coin, when the coin is under great pressure, its wear off and tear faster, (Thats why they need to repair bridges now and then).

The last way is to combine the 2 together. The heating part is the best and fastest method, but i wont try it at home loh.

And please, no sand paper.. :lol:

Tell me you're joking Larry.

seriously I though he was. :lol:

no meh? :unsure: :unsure:

Hm... i don think its worth to do that to silver coins. Too valuable in my opinion. However, if u study metal, it might just work, not sure though. :unsure:

HAHA!!

I thought I am, but i not.

SERIOUSLY, I DON'T WISH TO SEE ANYONE TRYING..

But those that try, don't say Larry say can. I say its possible, but I never tried it.

Anyway, those that wonder where i got those info or weird ideas from. No they are not weird ideas, i study material engineering in my final year and these are the methods they used.

Take an example, how does the government knows that the whole HDB flat can only stay for 99 years? No, not because no one will stay for 99 years(Actually no one will) But its because the tests on the steel pillar that holds the whole structure might not be able to hold after 99 years. Ya, you can debate that it is not true, currently, due to the different climate, it affects the building differently, but up to a certain extend,the government limit it to 99 years, but within the next 20 years, you can see that the building is about to tear down.

Another example, before a bridge can be built, how does the engineer knows how much cement to use? how much steel to use? what kind to use? It using a lot of tests. 2 Main tests are the heat and weight test. The heat test will determine the amount of strain it can take under long term of enviornment pressure, so the sample is placed inside a machine and under cooling and heating, the moment it cracks, the time is taken down and convert it to years. Second is the weight, the weight are either gauged and place there over a period of time, or the weight is varies and see how much weight can the metal hold. Then again, its convert to the N/m^2 that all of you see on the info plate infront of your life that tells you how much the floor can hold.

Though how untruth it might seems, these tests will give a result but the engineers will give a safety factor to it, pulling down more than 2 times the results, making it double safe, and also according for possible unforesee weather change, like storm or what.

Neverthless, those tests are all done in the lab, and so, if you really want to weaken your coins, the most easiest method to use is using a hammer and hit hardly onto your coin, well if you don't want it to deform, think of what you can do, other than that, the most safest way is to play with it for 20 years, and you got a soft coin after it. :)

Well that will be 37 for you to start the routine. :lol:

Thanks for the advice larry :)

just a side track, soft coins does not mean weak coins or soften silver or anything.

A better analogy of what a soft coin is would be

Rocks in a stream. As the years pass by, the water running across them smoothens them. Likewise, for soft coins, it most prob refers to coins that have seen the test of time. Not shiny new coins or silver coins :)

Ohh, no wonder it sounds possible. I taken materials engineering in poly last time too.

Coins going through that process seem so punishing. Those who wants soft coins have to find old coins then.

When I attended Daryl's lecture, he mentions that to make soft coins, use a sharpening stone. Put the coin on the wet sharpening stone, go in a figure of 8 until desired results. Try it.

Wow, from Daryl himself?? He must have tried and tested it. I guess moderate or light strength should be use else the result will become a blank coin :D

Looks like everyone is going off topic from what i am asking. I am looking for CHEAP US half dollar to practice some coin magic. i recently got a butter coin but i do not have a normal US half dollar, so i am unable to perform it. i Don;t want to risk it by someone askign to inspect it.

Adrian

It has already been answered.

Sorry, i missed that line. When i posted, Zhai Rui PM already. thanks everyone!

Adrian