Silver is a relatively soft metal, especially in its pure form. It rates only 2.5 to 3 out of 10 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. This softness can make pure silver prone to bending, scratching, and denting when not handled with care.
Due to the softness of fine silver, it is often mixed with other metals to increase its hardness when used for applications like jewelry, but also with some coins. Sterling silver, for instance, is an alloy that contains 92.5% purity of silver and 7.5% of other metals, usually copper, ultimately increasing the hardness and durability of the composition.
