Coins With Lead

1917 Liberty Silver Half Dollar: 365 ppm Lead + 203 ppm Mercury (899,400 ppm Silver). Not a good fidget for kids.

1917 Liberty Silver Half Dollar: 365 ppm Lead + 203 ppm Mercury (899,400 ppm Silver). Not a good fidget for kids.

| | | | | | | | | |

Silver coin 60-second reading Lead (Pb): 365 +/- 43 ppm Cadmium (C): non-detect Mercury (Hg): 203 +/- 54 ppm Bromine (Br): 19 +/- 11 ppm Chromium (Cr): non-detect Vanadium (V): 794 +/- 522 Copper (Cu): 95,300 +/- 600 ppm Zinc (Zn): 100 +/- 59 ppm Silver (Ag): 899,400 +/- 1,600 ppm Tin (Sn): 2,920 +/-…

Sonoma County Community Blood Bank – Blood Type Token (vintage?): 262 ppm Lead + 13 ppm Cadmium.

Sonoma County Community Blood Bank – Blood Type Token (vintage?): 262 ppm Lead + 13 ppm Cadmium.

| | | | | |

XRF test results for the coin / token pictured. 75-second reading Lead (Pb): 262 +/- 30 ppm Cadmium (Cd): 13 +/- 9 ppm Mercury (Hg): non-detect Bromine (Br): non-detect Chromium (Cr): non-detect Iron (Fe): 468 +/- 37 ppm Nickel (Ni): 100 +/- 44 ppm Copper (Cu): 875,400 +/- 500 ppm Zinc (Zn): 122,800 +/- 300…

Vintage faux-antique coin from Greece: 542,300 ppm Lead [54%] + 2,144 Cadmium + 2,705 Antimony. Bad news all around.

Vintage faux-antique coin from Greece: 542,300 ppm Lead [54%] + 2,144 Cadmium + 2,705 Antimony. Bad news all around.

| | | | | | | | | | |

Faux-Antique Greek Coin The owner of this coin told me she got it at a shop in Greece. She said there was a bowl of them at the shop and the owner of the shop was giving them away to patrons of his shop as a souvenir. Souvenirs like this are especially concerning as the…