Silver Mine Gifts Blog

November 11th marks Veterans Day in the United States. Originally established in 1926 as “Armistice Day” in order to celebrate the end of World War I, and honor those who fought in the conflict, the name was changed after subsequent wars such as World War II and the Korean War. In 1954, President Eisenhower signed a law that officially changed Armistice Day to Veterans Day, a national holiday to honor those Americans who have fought in any war. Although Veterans Day has also in modern time become associated with sales events in retail stores, its original role – to commemorate those who have sacrificed to defend the United States – still remains its fundamental role.

In Remembrance of 9/11

As this year marks the tenth anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, we would like to take this opportunity to offer our thoughts to those who lost family or friends on that day. 9/11 has changed the United States and the world in so many ways, but it has had an even more profound impact on those personally affected by this tragic day. Our deepest sympathies and prayers go to those people who have had their lives forever changed.

It doesn’t take someone being an automobile enthusiast to recognize the Rolls-Royce namesake. Rolls-Royce has a storied history and has been producing automobiles since the start of the 20th century and for much of the company’s history Rolls-Royce has been considered the most prestigious automaker in the world.

Rolls-Royce’s first model to bear the “Silver” tag was the Silver Ghost, a car originally named the “40/50 h.p.” Though hardly any of the automobile contained actual silver, the fittings being silver-plated, it was given this name by myriad reporters who fell in love with its wonderful design. Rolls-Royce didn’t officially recognize this name until 1925, following the launch of the Phantom line. The Silver Ghost is the direct origin of Rolls-Royce’s claim of manufacturing the “Best car in the world” — a declaration made not by themselves, but by the prestigious automobile publication Autocar in 1907.

Before the widely accepted use of silver and gold as a form or trade and currency there was electrum. Electrum (from the Greek ήλεκτρου for “amber,” in allusion to its color), a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver with trace amounts of copper and other metals, possesses silver in concentrations just higher than twenty percent and its color is best described as a pale amber, though this varies depending on the metallic composition. Although electrum occurs naturally, it can be produced artificially.

From Wikipedia:

1. “Argentum” is the Latin word origin of silver. Its symbol, Ag, in the periodic table of elements, also originated from this word.
2. Because it prevents bacteria growth, silver can be used for water purification as an alternative to powerful chemicals like chlorine and bromine.
3. Silver coins were being used as early as 700 BC.



4. Utilized even by prehistoric civilizations, man learned to separate silver from lead as early as 3000 B.C.
5. Silver fulminate is a powerful explosive. It’s sometimes formed during the silvering process.
6. Silver has the lowest contact resistance of any metal.