Internet Horology Club 185
Silver vs Silveroid

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https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1086047761/m/10310773

March 07, 2009, 07:08
Cecil McGee
Silver vs Silveroid
Hey Guys/Ladies,
I have been carrying my newly acquired Civil War Waltham,and in less than a week the newly polished coin silver case has dulled considerably. My regular carry watch is in a Silveroid case,which I imagine is a silver alloy of some kind. It stays nice and shiny,and still looks like new. Is there something that can be done to keep a silver case looking good,other than constantly polishing it? I guess a denim watch pocket is too harsh for silver,but it sure keeps the Silveroid looking good.
March 07, 2009, 10:38
David Abbe
Just imagine what the silver case would look like when it was in the pocket of a civil war soldier! Lets see . . . Lye soap for washing, sulphur-based gunpowder, God knows what kind of chemicals in "liniments" usde for skin "care" . . . I think they mostly turned kind of a "protective" black color.

There is no silver in "Silveroid" cases. They were made of a copper and nickel compound that resisted most of the non-acidic stuff of that period.
March 07, 2009, 22:14
Bill Carlson
Thanks for the explanation of the "Silveroid" cases, Dave. Are the "Silverode" cases the same materials. I think that is the word that I have seen in a couple of mine.
Thanks


Bill Carlson
March 07, 2009, 22:43
Jerry King
Yes Bill, Silverode, Silverine, Silveroid they all had the same material which has zero, nada, Silver content....and it is probably the most durable of all material that cases were made from....

Cecil, Silver is of course one of our precious metals along with gold, platinum, and a few others....and silver is a very soft metal in it's pure form a very susceptible to the environment that it is in....oil from you hands, natural oils, will cause it to discolor....and the reason it is called coin silver is because the formula is the same as was all our silver coins before the gov.,in their infinite wisdom, in 1968 started making them from a mixture of Cadmium and Copper....actually 1964 was the last year of the 90% silver coins, they did use 40% silver in the Kennedy Half dollars until 1968....

Anyway, there it is as I see it....

Regards,
Jerry

I have four setting on my desk in my office and they are nearly black, mostly because I smoke a pipe... Big Grin
March 08, 2009, 17:12
Bill Carlson
Jerry, Thanks for the information. I suspected as much.
I used to smoke pipes, but quit quite a few years ago. Big Grin But I really enjoyed them and miss them. Enjoy a smoke for me. Smile


Bill Carlson
March 09, 2009, 06:13
Cecil McGee
The coin silver is pretty nice,but I guess for everyday I'll just get out my old PS Bartlett KW in the Silveroid case. Hey,they should have spelled it Silvervoid.