Anniversaries commemorate a
relationship?s longevity and celebrate
the idea of many more years to come.
Corporate anniversaries should not be
overlooked, as it is a respectable
achievement to have kept a business
running ? similar to keeping a marriage
together for so many years.

Significance of 25 Years

If you are able to successfully stay in
business for a quarter of a century,
then you should celebrate! Enduring 25
years of stress during hard times and
joy during periods of prosperity shows a
business stamina that should be
recognized. You might even choose to
present original employees with a
commemorative plaque and gift at the
party.

Celebrate 25 Years of Business with a
Silver Anniversary Party

Wedding anniversaries are not the only
occasions that get to apply special
meanings. Traditionally, a silver
wedding anniversary signifies 25 years
together, but there is no reason why
your business can?t celebrate its 25th
anniversary with a silver theme.

Silver is strong, durable, and powerful,
just like your business has to be to
last this long. Silver can denote a
formal evening or work for a casual
party as well. Whether you choose formal
or casual, day or evening, get guests
prepared with silver anniversary
invitations.

Silver Anniversary Party Tips and Ideas

When planning your silver anniversary,
you will need to choose anniversary
invitations. What better way to
highlight your accomplishment than by
selecting silver anniversary
invitations? You could choose elegant
pocket silver anniversary invitations,
incorporating your corporate colors,
with silver as an accent. For example,
if your logo is navy blue, you might
choose a navy blue pocket folder with
your logo embossed in silver on the
pocket and the words ?25 Years? in
silver. The silver anniversary
invitation itself could be navy blue
with raised silver lettering in silver
envelopes with a navy blue lining.

If you are planning a more casual party,
you might choose silver anniversary
invitations with a less formal look and
feel. For instance, you might choose a
light blue with a swirled silver border
inviting guests to a silver anniversary
beach picnic, which could take place at
a nearby lake if you live in a
landlocked state.

If you are planning a semi-formal party
but still want a beautiful silver
anniversary invitation, you might choose
silver paper as your invitation
inspiration. You could choose a square
shaped silver paper with a satin bow
centered at the top with black
lettering. You might also choose a
single pane silver anniversary
invitation on shimmering silver paper
with an embossed border and black
lettering. If you really want guests to
prepare for a celebration, you might
consider a tea length silver anniversary
invitation in a tri-fold design with a
pair of die cut champagne glasses across
the tri-fold opening. Guests will be
impressed and won?t be able to miss the
reason for the party.

Sending dazzling silver anniversary
invitations will not only get guests in
the mood to celebrate your 25th
corporate anniversary, but will provide
the perfect keepsake to last the next 25
years.

Anniversaries commemorate a relationship?s longevity and
celebrate the idea of many more years to come. Corporate
anniversaries should not be overlooked, as it is a
respectable achievement to have kept a business running ?
similar to keeping a marriage together for so many years.

Technorati Tags : silver anniversary choose years

No jewellery workbox is complete without
a selection of silver findings.
Essential to any form of jewellery
making, silver findings are cheap,
plentiful and have a huge range of
applications in every aspect of the
craft. Used in everything from earrings
to broaches, bracelets, necklaces and
rings, silver findings are a cheap
alternative to gold, allowing everyone
to explore the fascinating world of
creating their own jewellery.

Silver findings also make it possible to
incorporate other aspects into your
designs such as the inclusion of
precious and semi-precious gemstones.
Jewellery making suppliers have
catalogues full of silver findings
specifically designed to take stones,
ranging from pre-cut cabochons to
unique, one-off designs that can be
adapted to suit a specific stone. The
reflection from the silver finding gives
the stone added depth and warmth,
particularly when working with more
translucent stones such as opal or the
ever-popular amber.

Silver findings also have an added
advantage in that they can be worked and
re-worked to create a specific effect.
If the jeweller is unhappy with the
final result, the stone can be removed
easily and the silver finding adjusted
to give a better fit or finish. Silver
is harder than gold but does tend to
scratch easily so it is essential that
you use the correct equipment when
working with silver findings to ensure
that the surface of the metal is not
damaged. Deep marks can be very
difficult to polish out and may detract
from the beauty of the final piece,
especially if they are on an exposed
surface.

For those who may be allergic to nickel
coated findings, silver and in
particular Sterling silver findings are
a useful alternative as they rarely
cause any form of allergic reaction with
the skin. It does depend on the copper
content of the finding, which if high
can turn the skin a green colour, but by
selecting good quality findings from a
reputable supplier this problem can be
easily avoided. Silver findings used in
earrings are relatively cheap and easy
to use, so it is worth the extra small
expense in selecting these over nickel
plated findings to ensure that your
jewellery can be worn by everyone.

The tiniest finding in anyones workbox
is also the most useful  the humble
jump ring. This circular ring, which is
split to allow it to be linked to other
findings, is used in almost every type
of jewellery making, particularly in the
manufacture of necklaces and bracelets.
Its most usual application is to fix
clasps to the ends of strings of beads
or chains and means that bracelet and
necklace lengths can be adjusted to
various sizes. It is always advisable to
silver solder the jump ring once it is
in place to avoid it catching on a piece
of clothing, for example, and opening up
allowing the necklace or bracelet to
separate.

Silver findings are readily available
from all good jewellery making suppliers
and a quick scan on the Internet will
give you plenty to choose from in your
area. However, if youre looking for
more unusual findings, dont be afraid
to hunt further afield to add a bit of
adventurous flare to your designs.

No jewellery workbox is complete without a selection of
silver findings. Essential to any form of jewellery making,
silver findings are cheap, plentiful and have a huge range
of applications in every aspect of the craft. Used in
everything from earrings to broaches, bracelets, necklaces
and rings, silver findings are a cheap alternative to gold,
allowing everyone to explore the fascinating world of
creating their own jewellery.

Technorati Tags : silver findings jewellery making

Do you own some fantastic silver
jewelry? For sure it would look very
beautiful and sparkle when you bought
it, but after a period of time it became
black and dull. Sterling silver is easy
to develop tarnish when it?s exposed to
air and other chemicals. So what do you
do to make it like new? Apparently, you
could find professional cleaner for
polishing silver, and usually it only
takes seconds to remove the stain. But
it will be a waste of money when you
could use some common household products
to do it. And they are safe; they won?t
hurt your hands. There are several
methods to help you to buff silver.

Dish cleaner.

1. Put silver in the warm water and add
some mild dish cleaner.

2. Hand washing softly.

3. Dry it with soft kitchen towel or
cotton cloth.

Lemon juice or baking soda

Actually it?s a little bit dangerous to
use lemon juice or baking soda because
they are too strong for silver cleaning.
If you don?t mind to take a risk of
damage your silver jewelry, you can give
it a shot. The steps are the same as
dish cleaner.

Toothpaste

You could not image that toothpaste
could be the perfect cleaner as some
professional silver polish products. It
really works!

1. Choose toothpaste without any
whitening options.

2. Put some toothpaste on your silver
jewelry and rub it with a piece of
cotton cloth gently.

3. Rinse off with warm water and use
towel to dry it.

Other tips

Coke:

Put silver into Coke for 12 hours to let
the stains dissolve; Polish silver with
cotton cloth and then dry it.

Lip stick:

Rub lip stick all over your silver
jewelry, then risen off with warm water
and use towel to dry it.

So right now your silver looks fabulous
with the perfect luster, and to keep
your silver clean to retain its shining
longer we should store silver correctly.

1. Avoid touching rubber, stainless
steel, or paint. Because rubber contains
sulfur which is the enemy of silver.

2. Avoid exposing silver a period time
to food like eggs, which are high in
sulfur.

Keep it dry, when silver get wet, some
chemicals in the air are easily to
attach to the surface of silver and
corrode it.

Although you could store carefully,
still, you need to clean and polish
silver frequently just like everyday you
wash your face. And do not wear silver
jewelry in swimming pool; the chlorine
could destroy it easily.

Do you own some fantastic silver jewelry? For sure it would
look very beautiful and sparkle when you bought it, but
after a period of time it became black and dull. Sterling
silver is easy to develop tarnish when it?s exposed to air
and other chemicals. So what do you do to make it like new?

Technorati Tags : silver jewelry could cleaner

The Capped Bust Silver Quarter counts
among the rarest coins ever minted in
the United States. These silver quarter
coins were first minted in 1815 and were
the immediate successors of the equally
rare draped bust silver quarters which
started minting in 1796. These two
silver quarter varieties were minted by
the then fledgling US government to
replace the Spanish two-reales coin
circulating in the Americas.

The Capped Bust Silver Quarter carried
the same design as the other coins, like
the half dollar, minted during that
time. Production of these quarters went
on until 1838, and these coins together
with the draped bust quarter, have been
named by numismatists as the "Early
Quarters" commanding premium prices
among coin collectors.

Other key years to look out for when
scouting for the Early Quarters are
1823, 1804 and 1796. Notably from 1804
onwards, the reverse side of the Early
Quarters sported a bigger, "heraldic"
eagle, suggestive of strength and power
that collectors and numismatists
appreciate over coins of earlier vintage
which had smaller eagle designs.

A capped bust quarter circa 1827 would
be valued at around %40,000, as only
about 20 of these coins are known to be
still in existence. Other key years to
look out for when scouting for the Early
Quarters are 1823, 1804 and 1796.
Notably from 1804 onwards, the reverse
side of the Early Quarters sported a
bigger, "heraldic" eagle, suggestive of
strength and power that collectors and
numismatists appreciate over coins of
earlier vintage which had smaller eagle
designs.

It is a sound advice that before buying
a Capped Bust Silver Quarter or any of
the Early Quarters, the buyer must have
an assurance that these items have
certification of authenticity from
reputable numismatist groups or
associations like the ANACS, NGC, PCGS
and ICG. Another is to deal only with
reputable dealers. A useful website for
reference on the capped bust silver
quarter can be found in the net. This
site carries a legitimate eBay auction
listing of Early Quarters and their key
dates. Through this listing, a
prospective buyer could check the trend
of the pricing, and compare various
price levels within years, comparative
data that are useful to the serious
collector or dedicated numismatist.

The Capped Bust Silver Quarter was first minted in 1815 and
is one of the rarest coins ever minted in the United States.
A Capped Bust Quarter circa 1827 would be valued at around
%40,000, as only about 20 of these coins are known to be
still in existence. . .

Technorati Tags : quarter silver quarters capped

The Barber Silver Quarter is a vintage
coin and thus is highly valued by
collectors. First minted more than 100
years ago, the coin draws its name from
its designer, Charles E. Barber. These
silver coins are also called the Liberty
Head quarters.

Consider yourself lucky of you have an
1896-S mintage of this quarter, for this
is the most valuable of the lot. Still
luckier are those who could get their
hands on the Barber Dime which is one of
the most treasured coins ever minted in
the USA where but 24 coins were struck.
There were only nine left of these very
rare dimes which fetched for a whopping
bonanza of close to 2 million US dollars
in a fabled transaction two years ago.

There were 74 regular issues of the
Barber Silver Quarter, none of which
have the same reach as the pay-scale
classification of the Barber Dime
because the quarters offer no
significant variations. Nevertheless,
these quarters pose as a challenge to
collectors because of the scarcity or
low mintage of some coins that were
struck in a particular year.

The quarters' 1913-S mintage stands as
among the most distinct with its 40,000
quarters issued, which went on the
record as the lowest regular silver coin
issue for the 20th century. The Barber
Silver Quarter has a classic design
which was drawn from ancient Greece and
Rome inspirations. A Liberty head
sporting a cap and wreath of laurel
leaves is featured in the quarter's
obverse side.

The "Liberty" inscription in the image's
headband, which could rapidly wear out
with handling of coins in circulation,
is often the numismatist's basis for
determining the condition and intrinsic
value of the circulated coins. The USA's
original 13 states are honored in this
quarter, represented by seven stars on
the coin's right and six on the left,
with the ever-familiar "In God We Trust"
motto appearing above.

The Barber Silver Quarter coins were first minted more than
100 years ago and are greatly treasured by collectors
because they are considered vintage editions. Consider
yourself lucky of you have an 1896-S mintage of this
quarter, for this is the most valuable of the lot. . .

Technorati Tags : quarter silver barber coins

How easily can you find unusual gifts,
today, uniquely popular? When you narrow
searches to find things special in this
new age of niches, you can also find
experts. They will answer your every
concern with a passion that spells
dedication. Some merchants choose to
gain a tight focus in only one area, to
define expertise more and more and lead
in their field, independence set apart
and driven to excellence.

Although they cater to smaller segments
of the market, they win customers from
storekeepers merely dabbling in the
connoisseur's area. Experience dominates
trade. The more experts define a niche,
the more they will even pull away from
colleagues in proficiency. Would you
rather spend money with salespeople
whose involvement in your purchasing
affairs only slightly regard you due to
volume, or other concerns; or with ones
whose intense interest is palpable
because they chose to immerse themselves
in a particular area, and push on to
expert status??

Many seek after experts when they expect
to pay for quality, like when you buy
each other jewelry. When can jewelry
become a niche? Selling rings, or
bracelets, necklaces, pendants, maybe?
Unless you added uniqueness to one of
those, I'm afraid you wouldn't find that
unusual present. If you hit upon an
unprompted nook, perhaps a web site
awaits your visit.

Small segments of a few countries
uniquely adorned, don large jewelry as
with many silver bracelets, or titanium
men's bracelets. Titanium's gained great
attention in a market where it competes
with precious metals that have been
around for thousands of years longer.
William Gregor of England discovered it
in 1791. Its price's comparable to
sterling silver, its expense attributed
to it because you can't solder it, and
the high-tech processing it requires.
Its qualities vary:

1. The ratio between strength and
density's higher than any other metal,
making titanium men's jewelry more
comfortable for the rugged.

2. It withstands extreme heat and
extreme mechanical force.

3. It possesses extreme tensile
strength.

4. It resists corrosion, especially from
oxygen.

5. Its elasticity and its inactivity
with tissues bring extreme
biological-compatibility.

Titanium's inertness, coupled with its
strength to weight (stronger than steel,
but 42%PRCTG% lighter) also makes it most
sought after, and is the most used
element in more industries than anything
in existence, today. Its attractive
natural gray surfaces cannot affect the
skin--it's hypoallergenic. Its pureness
as jewelry exceeds competing precious
metals: its 99+%PRCTG% pureness skyrockets
over 14kt gold's 58%PRCTG%, while platinum's
90%PRCTG% pure, the silver mostly used--92.5%PRCTG%
pure.

You can credit titanium for men's
growing popularity to its greater
scratch resistance, plus its ability to
have its surface's color changed through
oxidation, exotically and otherwise,
adding to its harmony. You can't change
most precious metals like that. But,
because the color can scratch off, you
should purchase colored titanium with a
satin finish, or have the color put in
grooves to help protect it.

Although many prefer gold and platinum,
if titanium had been discovered those
thousands of years ago, many agree its
popularity would fair well with the
others. If only each of us could match
such a marked growth as to our quality
as titanium has grown in its uses since
the time of its discovery...

Now, let's compare and contrast titanium
with the traditional metals:

1. You can combine titanium with inlays
of gold, or silver in jewelry design.

2. Corrosion resistant, and tarnish
resistant, titanium's lasting shine far
exceeds the competition: gold's and
silver's reaction with oxygen effects a
loss of color and shine.

3. Allergies to gold, silver, and nickel
(often mixed with gold and silver)
adversely affect people: titanium does
not react with biological tissues.

4. With titanium, you fair better in
water, in outdoor activities--its
durability outruns other jewelry that's
often lost or damaged. Titanium's
strength, and lighter weight deliver
confidence, deliver comfort. Find
fashion, find new trends, find
versatility, find this niche, and find
the expert on this newly forming
tradition.

Titanium's inertness, coupled with its strength to weight
(stronger than steel, but 42%PRCTG% lighter) also makes it most
sought after, and is the most used element in more
industries than anything in existence, today. Its attractive
natural gray surfaces cannot affect the skin--it's
hypoallergenic. Its pureness as jewelry exceeds competing
precious metals: its 99+%PRCTG% pureness skyrockets over 14kt
gold's 58%PRCTG%, while platinum's 90%PRCTG% pure, the silver mostly
used--92.5%PRCTG% pure.

Technorati Tags : titanium silver jewelry strength

Sterling silver is a popular choice for
jewelry makers. Many silver jewelry
buyers look for the quality stamp that
accompanies fine quality sterling silver
jewelry (found on the underside of the
silver item), as these can last a
lifetime, with proper care. So how does
one properly care for sterling silver?

The first problem encountered by
sterling silver owners is scratches. It
is easy to avoid this by putting your
silver jewelery inside a cloth pouch,
which will serve as padding. There are
also special tarnish prevention cloths
or bags which slow down the tarnishing
process. Or, should you have only one
jewelry box, place it in a compartment
or drawer of its own. Keeping it in a
dry, cool place also helps.

The next important thing to remember is
to keep it away from household chemicals
we often use for cleaning, such as
bleach and ammonia. Another chemical to
watch out for is chlorine. When
swimming, remove your jewelry as the
chemical in the swimming pool will
damage silver.

Putting your silver at a safe place and
keeping them away from the
abovementioned chemicals are not enough.
It is also necessary for you to clean
your silver pieces. The other problem
faced by silver jewelry owners is
tarnish build-up. This is when you
notice that your silver jewelry begins
to 'dull,' which is a natural occurrence
when silver reacts with the hydrogen
sulphide or sulphur in air. However, do
not be afraid when you see this, as it
is easily managed. There are many
polishes which can remove silver tarnish
build-up, and you can find these
polishes or solutions, as well as the
cloths to wipe your silver, in stores
you frequent, such as hardware stores
and specialty craft stores. Upon seeing
tarnish, it is best to clean it right
away, as this is also the time when it
is easily removed. Regular cleaning will
assure you of gleaming silver which will
last you a lifetime.

Phosphate-free detergent is also
recommended. You also probably have
heard of many people using toothpaste in
cleaning their sterling silver jewelry.
However, experts warn that it might
actually be too coarse, leaving dull
scratches on your silver item.

Many people think that keeping their
silver jewelry carefully will ensure
that it will remain shiny and bright,
and we have also found out that cleaning
is required. However, the best way to
keep sterling silver jewelry from
tarnish build-up is by simply wearing
it. This creates a patina; a glow which
is combined with darker areas. However,
many people prefer their silver jewelry
to be more shiny and bright, and if you
are also like them, using polish is the
best solution to restore its original
brightness.

Sterling jewelry might sound to be
lovely pieces of jewelry to wear, but
the best thing is that it is relatively
inexpensive - both buying and caring for
it are within reach of nearly any
budget. With the proper knowledge, one
can own sterling silver jewelry, which
can last a lifetimewithout putting a
dent in one's earnings.

So how does one properly care for sterling silver? The first
problem encountered by sterling silver owners is scratches.

Technorati Tags : silver jewelry sterling which

Jewellery was originally made using
precious metals and rare gems. This
attribute made people yearn to possess
such masterpieces that were rare and
unique. Jewellery?s worth was based on
the metal, the stones used and the
craftsmanship. These factors made
jewellery an unattainable aspiration to
many and a luxury that only the elite
could afford. In recent years there has
been a paradigm shift. The use of
sterling silver has made jewellery a
dream come true to those who have been
just gaping at the windows of jewellery
shops. Silver has been used as a metal
for jewellery for long, but silver as
such is too soft a metal, and pure
silver is seldom used for making
jewellery. Sterling silver, however, is
a harder alloy lending itself for
exquisite craftsmanship Sterling silver
is 92.5 percent of silver and the
remaining an alloy that is predominantly
copper.

Sterling silver offers just the right
material properties like malleability
and flexural strength and allows itself
to be crafted into intricate designs.
Another great advantage is that sterling
silver can be gold plated or plated with
rhodium to make it look like platinum,
giving it the appearance of one of the
most expensive metals at the price of
silver. One more unbeatable feature
about sterling silver is that the metal
can be given an antique finish to add a
touch of nostalgia and a classic look to
jewellery.

Sterling silver jewellery has now swept
the market and one can find an endless
collection of beautifully designer
silver rings, earrings, bracelets,
necklaces, Silver Pendant Necklaces and
jewellery sets.

Though sterling silver came as a cost
effective replacement for expensive
jewellery, it has found the rich, the
elite and the celebrities too building
up huge and varied collections of
sterling silver jewellery, which
otherwise would have not been possible.
Today, sterling contemporary silver
jewellery designs are celebrity inspired
and designer inspired. There is not a
single intricate craftsmanship that is
not possible to imitate with this
wonderful metal.

Jewellery has always been an object of immense fascination
for women. The quest for newness in jewellery is one that
has been ongoing for ages together as craftsmen strive to
create innovations in design, material and styles to satisfy
the embellishment needs of women and decorate their beauty.

Technorati Tags : silver jewellery sterling metal

Perhaps no coin being collected today
conjures up visions of the old west like
the Morgan Dollar. Minted from 1878 to
1904 and then for one more year in 1921,
the changes that took place in America
during the span of the Morgan Dollar are
startling. And although collecting
Morgan Dollars is a favorite of most
collectors, the silver Morgan Dollar was
not that popular of a coin and ignored
by collectors for decades after its
demise. It was not until the early
1960?s that collecting Morgan Dollars
became popular. During this time silver
was near %1.29 per ounce. At that price,
the silver metal value of a silver
dollar was worth a dollar. During this
time many banks still had bags and rolls
of silver dollars and all one needed to
do was go down to the bank and ask for
them.

The Mint Act of April 2, 1792 provided
for decimal coinage. The largest being
the dollar, or 100 cents. From the first
few thousand dollar coins weakly stuck
in 1794 and the many more through 1873,
the dollar enjoyed moderate success.
Dollars were coined on and off until the
Coinage Act of 1873 eliminated the
dollar and put in its place a slightly
larger dollar called the Trade Dollar.
The Trade Dollar was produced with the
intent to export it for trade with
China. As such, very few made it into
general circulation in the US.
Meanwhile, the silver mining industry in
the west had fallen on hard times. As is
the case even today, industries in
trouble look to the US government for
help and the silver industry was no
exception. An idea was put forward that
the US government buy silver bullion for
its own account to help support the
market. Embracing this cause in the
mid-1870?s was Representative Richard P.
(?Silver Dick?) Bland of Missouri. Other
politicians jumped on the bandwagon with
the thought that a strong silver market
would benefit everyone west of the
Mississippi. After much discussion and
debate, the Bland-Allison Act was passed
on February 28th, 1878. The legislation
was initially vetoed by President
Rutherford B. Hayes but congress
overrode the veto putting a new law in
the books. The legislation dictated that
the US government purchase %2,000,000 to
%4,000,000 a month in silver bullion
with the specific purpose to convert the
silver into standard silver dollars (90%PRCTG%
silver and 10%PRCTG% copper). At the time,
silver was around %1.00 per ounce. At
that price, the government was
purchasing millions of ounces of silver
each month.

Back in 1876, Mint Director Henry
Richard Linderman anticipated that
legislation would someday be passed to
create another circulating silver dollar
and had Chief Engraver William Barber
fiddle with a new designs. The legal
tender status of the Trade Dollar had
been revoked and the country was without
a dollar coin. Like today though, but
for different reasons, there was not a
demand for a silver dollar. In 1877, it
seemed like a sure thing that
legislation for a new silver dollar
would soon become a reality. A new
design was needed and Barber, assistant
engraver George T. Morgan and outside
artist Anthony Paquet went into high
gear producing several different
designs. On February 21st, 1878,
Linderman selected the design. Although
he thought Barber and Morgan had high
artistic taste, he selected the design
with the lowest relief requiring the
lowest power to strike. This of course
was the design created by Morgan. The
portrait was modeled after 19 year old
Miss Anna Willess Williams. Morgan had
previously used Miss Williams on several
pattern half dollars in 1877. Several
years later Charles Barber, son of
William Barber, would basically copy
this design for his own coin designs
which later became known as the Barber
Dime, Barber Quarter, and Barber Half.
He also ?designed? the Liberty Nickel.

Just a week after the passing of the
Bland-Allison Act, the first Morgan
dollars were coined on March 7th, 1878.
After several adjustments of the dies,
the Philadelphia mint cranked out the
first dollar coin. After close
examination of the coin, it was rejected
and sent to the melting room. The press
was then adjusted and 11 more coins were
produced. The last was rejected and this
coin was also sent to the melting room.
These first coins were struck on
polished planchets, removed by hand and
put in numbered envelopes with the
intent to deliver the first coin to the
President and the 2nd coin went to
Secretary of the Treasury John Sherman
and the 3rd to Linderman. After that,
the press began churning out 80 dollar
coins a minute. Within a few days,
several other presses would come online
and dies would be delivered to San
Francisco, New Orleans and Carson City.

As mentioned before, the purchasing
power of a dollar back in the 1880?s was
huge. Most transactions were completed
in smaller denominations as large
purchases were under a dollar.
Additionally, many people were still
bartering for goods (trading pigs for
chickens, etc). As such, the supply of
silver dollars far exceeded demand.
Incredibility, with this supply, The
Bland-Allison act was modified by the
Sherman Silver Purchase Act which
mandated the US Government purchase 4.5
million ounces of silver per month. The
hitch was that these purchases were to
be paid with Treasury bonds redeemable
in either gold or silver. Since gold was
seen as the more valued metal, most bond
holders redeemed them for gold which
depleted the Treasury?s gold supply
which then caused a financial panic
through the whole country in 1893. This
led to the repeal of the Sherman Silver
Purchase Act. The result was a massive
slowdown in silver dollar production for
the years of 1893, 1894 and 1895. Not
coincidently, these years also contain
some of the most elusive key dates.
Production picked back up in 1896 but it
would be a few years before production
went back above the 10,000,000 mark for
any individual mint. In 1904, the supply
of silver was exhausted and the Morgan
Dollar ceased production, or so it
seemed.

In 1918, Congress passed the Pittman Act
and recalled over 270 million silver
dollars for melting. Total mintage of
the entire series totaled nearly 657
million. If you subtract out the high
mintage 1921 dates of 86.7 million,
(these were made from the melted older
dollars), around 47%PRCTG% of Morgans dated
prior to 1921 were destroyed. These
silver dollars had been sitting in
Treasury vaults for years just
collecting dust. The provision of the
act, called for the recall of these
dollars for the purpose of making new
ones. So, in 1921, the Morgan dollar was
revived for one more year. Barber had
died four years before (February 18,
1917) and now George T Morgan was Chief
Engraver who you recall designed the
dollar. The Philadelphia mint made over
44 million, the highest number it had
ever made, while the San Francisco mint
made over 20 million, which was more
dollars in one year that it had ever
made. Also, this marked the only year
that the Denver mint made Morgan
Dollars. The New Orleans and Carson City
Mints had long ago ceased operations.
Later that year, the Peace Dollar would
permanently replace the Morgan Dollar.

With the paper dollar becoming more
popular for commerce, dollar coins
vanished from circulation and piled up
in bank vaults. More meltings occurred
due to the War Time Silver Act of 1942
and then in 1979-1980 when silver shot
up to near %50 per ounce. No doubt
millions of Morgans and Peace dollars
were melted. Today, it is estimated that
only 15-17%PRCTG% of all Morgan dollars
produced still exist. Taking this into
consideration, low mintage dates are
even scarcer than their mintage would
indicate making this a very desirable
coin to collect.

Ever Wonder how the Morgan Dollar Came About. Did you know
that this coin was not very popular, just like most dollar
coins, but is now one of the most desired collector coin?

Technorati Tags : dollar silver morgan dollars

Learning how to silver solder is an
essential skill in making good quality
jewellery. The application of silver
soldering is one that should be
approached with a little caution at
first, as you are using high temperature
blowtorches to melt the solder onto the
metal. It can be very easy to make
mistakes, so a simple guide to the
basics should help you to minimise the
mistakes and prevent you from wasting
too many resources.

Types of solder

There are four basic grades of silver
solder and they are classified according
to their melting points as ex-easy,
easy, medium and hard. Ex-easy and easy
silver solders melt at a lower
temperature and are best used for repair
work or when a lower temperature is
required. If solder is required at two
or three joints near each other, it is
best to start with Hard moving down to
Easy to prevent melting the previous
soldered joint.

Preparation

Before silver soldering, ensure that the
surface youre working on is thoroughly
cleaned. Any grease (even from a
fingerprint) can affect how well the
solder takes to the metal, so clean
the piece carefully before beginning.
You can then soften the silver to be
joined by a process know as annealing by
applying the flame of a blowtorch to the
area that needs to be soldered until the
metal heats up to a dull pink colour.
Check that there are no gaps between the
two pieces of metal that you want to
solder. Silver solder acts in a
capillary motion when heated, meaning
that it flows along the path of least
resistance. Any gaps will allow the
solder to run down on one side of the
seam and the resulting finish will be
poor.

Flux

Flux is a chemical cleaning agent that
removes any remaining silver oxide from
the surface of the finding and the
solder itself and allows the silver
solder to flow freely, preventing
blobbing. The best flux is a borax
paste, which is directly applied to the
joint.. Silver soldering without the use
of flux is not advised, as the resulting
finish will be poor and the solder will
have a tendency to pit, leaving an
uneven and rather unsightly bond.

Applying the heat

Once the joint is coated on both
surfaces with flux, you can then apply
heat to the joint. Torch soldering is
probably one of the most common methods,
Choose a torch with an adjustable flame
size. This ensures that you do not
overheat and scorch the metal, dulling
the surface and even potentially
buckling the metal. The flame shouldnt
rest over one area for any length of
time  rather the torch should be moved
constantly to prevent the metal
overheating. Once the correct
temperature has been reached, the solder
should change form from a solid square
to a liquid and flow evenly into the
joint. Alternatively, if the silver
solder is in wire form, the tip is fed
carefully onto the metal where it should
melt on contact and once again, flow
smoothly into the seam.

Finishing

Once the silver soldering has been
completed and the piece has cooled, it
can be cleaned to remove any residual
flux by soaking it in hot water. If this
proves difficult, a weak solution
(5-10%PRCTG%) of sulphuric acid can be used
followed by rinsing the piece in hot
water. This process is known as
pickling However, if you are
incorporating gemstones into your work,
be aware that even a weak acid solution
can damage the surface of more porous
stones.

Safety

Even small gas torches operate at
extremely high temperatures, so ensure
that your workbench is suitably
protected and that you have the correct
safety equipment such as goggles and
thick gloves to work with. A small fire
extinguisher is also a useful addition
to any working environment where any
naked flames may be used to prevent
small fires from spreading. Your
workroom should be well ventilated.

Learning how to silver solder is an essential skill in
making good quality jewellery. The application of silver
soldering is one that should be approached with a little
caution at first, as you are using high temperature
blowtorches to melt the solder onto the metal. It can be
very easy to make mistakes, so a simple guide to the basics
should help you to minimise the mistakes and prevent you
from wasting too many resources.

Technorati Tags : silver solder metal should