| White metal has almost as many definitions as there
are people attempting to define it! However, as a friend of mine pointed
out the critical definition is probably: |
| In a coin dealer's description,
white metal just means "I don't know what metal this thing is
made of but it is white." The term originally meant one of the
soft alloys used for making bearings in machinery. |
|
| |
| I'd probably call it a mixture intended to look something
like silver without the attendant cost. It was, according to BHM "a
base alloy containing a high proportion of tin or pewter." Another
definition
I found states it is: "A name given to a range of alloys usually
containing antimony alloyed with tin, copper or lead to produce a white
silvery metal used in the manufacture of medallions." |
| |
| The point to remember is that a medal can be identified
as made of white metal by a dealer when in fact it is made from tin or pewter.
Of course considering that tin is fairly common to all of this perhaps it
isn't really mis-identified. Also, if you've bought or are looking at a
medal that is supposed to be silver remember that these alloys are much
lighter generally than silver. Just because it's bright silver in color doesn't mean it's silver no matter how much the dealer may wish it
to be. |
| |
| Are white metal medals worth less money? I'd like to
say "yes" and continue to snap up as many as possible as cheaply
as possible. The truth is that like everything else it depends on a variety
of factors. If a rare medal was only struck in white metal what would you
think? A common medal struck in a variety of metals with equal numbers struck
in white metal as say, bronze; I would probably pay more for a good example
in bronze personally. |
| |
| Billon on the other hand is: "An alloy of copper
and silver, with more than half copper. Large quantities of billon coins
were produced in the Roman era, many with a silver wash. This alloy was
also used by the French in the 18th century." I've also seen many
coins from the minor German States made from this alloy. In fact, the coins
are often copper colored with a whitish wash in areas protected from wear
by the design. The whitish wash is the remains of a silver coating which
was the only apparent occurance of silver in the mixture. I've never encountered
a medal manufactured from billon. |