Generally, pure silver coins are not magnetic . Silver, in its purest form and most commonly used alloys for coinage, doesn’t exhibit the strong attraction to magnets that ferromagnetic metals like iron, nickel, or cobalt do.
This non-magnetic property can be a helpful, though not foolproof, indicator for collectors when trying to identify genuine silver coins. If a magnet strongly attracts a coin, it may contain other metals or be a counterfeit. However, some coins might be silver-plated over a magnetic core, so relying solely on the magnet test isn’t always sufficient for authentication.
It’s important to note that while silver isn’t ferromagnetic, it does possess a very weak form of magnetism known as diamagnetism . Diamagnetic materials, when exposed to a strong magnetic field, create a very slight repulsion. This effect is usually too subtle to be easily noticeable with a typical magnet test.
In summary, a genuine pure silver coin should not be attracted to a magnet. If it is, it’s likely made of a different metal or has a silver plating over a magnetic core.
