Young's Demonstrative Translation of Scientific Secrets / Or, A Collection of Above 500 Useful Receipts on a Variety of Subjects

by Daniel Young

164. TRUE IMITATION OF SILVER

Imitation of pure silver, so perfect in its resemblance that no chemist living can tell it from pure virgin silver. It was obtained from a German chemist now dead; he used it for unlawful purposes to the amount of thousands, and yet the metal is so perfect that he was never discovered. It is all melted together in a crucible, here it is: 1/4 oz. of copper, 2 oz. of brass, 3 oz. of pure silver, 1 oz. of bismuth, 2 ozs. of saltpetre, 2 ozs. of common salt, 1 oz. of arsenic, and 1 oz. of potash.