How to tell difference between lead and silver?

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I have been detecting and got a couple of good signals from a silvery object looks natural and I have a 1kg of silver and it looks silver perhaps a little more tarnished but it has been out in the environment and not refined like my bar. Though I suspect it could be also lead. They all look it has been extruded through rock am wondering if there is a simple way to tell if it is lead or silver.
 
Hi Mate,

Lead is very heavy, and turns to a white superficial color after years in the ground.
Silver is much lighter and turn black when a long time in the ground.

Lead is soft.
Silver is harder.

All of the above may be false if we are speaking of ore and not pure metal!
 
spot on easiest way to tell is hit it with something hard, lead is more malleable at todays rate its probably worth more than silver :)
 
i should ad sometimes mercury coated gold can be thrown in the mix it will turn gold when burned google mercury poisening before playing with it though
 
Figures from Wikipedia:

Ag = 10.49g/cm3
Pb = 11.34g/cm3
Au = 19.30g/cm3

Is the difference of a little over 1g/cm3 "much" lighter? Im asking, not telling :D

Im still in my first couple of hours with a detector and haven't left my backyard yet and having great fun with it.

Found a cool looking (once molten) lump of stuff the other day and im not sure what it is. Its either Ag or Pb. Id like to find out without damaging it as its such a funky shape.

Probably Pb I know, but still id like to be sure.

I suppose I could find the volume and weight and work it out that way?

Any other easier ways to tell?

(PS - I could check what it reads on the detector against a known lead sample and see if there is a difference?)

thx

Erg
 
You could take a sheet of white paper, lead will mark it and silver will not.

Also you could test with a hot soldering iron (not always practical) or heated rod of metal from the campfire.....lead will melt when touched, silver wont!

;)
 
Great idea Metamorphic. Soldering iron it is.

Who would have thought detecting in your own backyard would be so...engaging.

thx

Erg
 

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