Help Needed

Is there someone amongst all the experts who read these pages able to help a mere mortal who has inherited a modest coin collection, got hooked, and started adding to the collection. Can anyone help me to identify the material used in a coin when one is made of cupro-nickel and the other of silver? I refer particularly to the following: "en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces/5982.html and 26258.html. all dimensions and weights are identical and I just do not know which one I have. This allpies to quite a few coins in the collection. Any help would be appreciated.

Please cut and past the whole link into your post, I get "Page not found" when I try to access it. You should also post pictures of the coins which are in question. Additionally, if a coin is made in silver and another non-precious metal, the silver ones are usually only issued directly from the Mint in uncirculated condition.

You're apparently talking about this pair of 1972 Silver Wedding 25p:
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces5982.html
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces26158.html

In general, copper nickel and silver are easy to distinguish, silver being more 'whitish', while copper nickel has a more steely, metallic look.

In this case it is more important to find out if it is a proof or not. Proof is a special quality with polished shiny background and frosted details. Proofs are intended for collectors only and generally come in closed capsules. It is better to leave them inside those capsules and under no condition touch them.
The silver one is available in Proof quality only, the copper nickel one has both a Proof and normal quality.
If yours is not in a capsule in a pretty decorative box, then it is probably the regular copper nickel one.

Thanks for the prompt reply. Problem is I have both of these coins and they both appear identical but I am sure that I have one of each. I would hate to get rid of the silve one and end up with the cupro-nickel.

If you realy have both types you have to meassure their diameter, thickness and weight.
They can't have all the same dimensions if they are out of different materials.
If they have the same diameter and the same weight the Cu-Ni coin has to be thicker.
If they have the same diameter and thickness the Cu-Ni has to be lighter.

There are a couple of tests for silver, the quickest and easiest are:

the ping test

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r396vrEfLw4

and the ice cube test

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaYh3SlRK0w

a more complicated test is the density test

https://en.numista.com/numisdoc/measure-a-coin-s-density-27.html

I also recommend to make at least the ping test, which is easy to make. If you are not sure of the result and you have a mobile phone, then you can make the ping test with your phone. Just load an easy to use app which will give you the frequency as a result. I have started to collect these frequencies but my silver collection is still less than 1.000 coins.

Density test is also very reliable, but not that easy to make.

Απόσπασμα: "neilithic"​​the ping test
​and the ice cube test
​a more complicated test is the density test

Keep in mind that we're possibly talking about a proof. I would be hesitant doing whichever of these tests on a proof coin.

I would advise Coin Geek to go to a coin dealer or coin fair. People with a trained eye will have little difficulty identifying.

Toilet paper or kleenex test

You can tell by the coins finish. One will look like a dark mirror reflection (don't confuse this with highly polished) and the other will give a brushed metal look reflection with no real reflection as a mirror finish.

Left is the silver proof and the right CuNi. The lettering will highly stand out from the background field.

I remembered those two pictures above, earlier today when I came
out of a supermarket. Got some nice items in the change they gave me >

as I spent £6.50 and gave them a £20 note. In the £13.50 change they gave me
were two of the new plastic £5 notes, a normal £1 coin, a commemorative
£2 coin, and a curious 50 Pence coin. Could not work out (at the time) what made
me think there was something different about it.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces864.html

So someone (or their children) had broke open a Proof set and spent a 50p at least!
What I have (on left in pictures) has a shiny background with frosted central designs.