Magnetic Characters of Mc talis, ^'c. 81 



amined it, is similarly magnetic. And, on the other hand, 

 wlien a silver coin has been found to be but very slightly 

 magnetic, I have but rarely met with one of that particular 

 coinage in which any considerable degree of magnetism could 

 be detected. 



29. Of the silver coins that have come under my notice, a 

 half-crown of William and Mary, dated 1691, is the most 

 eminently magnetic. The next, in point of magnetic action, 

 are the half-crowns of 1844 and 1845 ; then one of George 

 IV., the date of which I have not noted. The half-crowns 

 of George III., of 1819 and 1820, are more slightly magnetic 

 than those last named, and the half-crowns of both coinages 

 in 1817 are still less magnetic than those of 1819 and 1820. 

 Shillings, also, of certain coinages, are magnetic in an eminent 

 degree, and there are but few, if any, that I have examined, 

 that are entirely neutral to the high magnetic powers with 

 which they have been assailed. 



30. Silver articles for domestic purposes, such as spoons, 

 prongs, fruit-knives, &c., were, in many specimens, found to 

 be much more magnetic than any of the silver coins that I 

 have examined. I have borrowed several sets of silver tea- 

 spoons from neighbouring families, and, with the exception of 

 one half-dozen of Scotch spoons, of a very old date, all have dis- 

 played high magnetic powers, though of very different degrees 

 in different sets. But what is very remarkable, if one indi- 

 vidual spoon was found to be highly magnetic, the whole of 

 that particular set, whether it consisted of half a dozen or a 

 dozen spoons, were highly magnetic also. And, generally, 

 whatever might be the magnetic condition of any individual 

 spoon, the whole number of the set to which that spoon be- 

 longed were magnetic alike, or very nearly so. Hence, if the 

 quantity of magnetic action of any individual spoon were to 

 be denoted by q, and the number of spoons in the set denoted 

 by w, the sum-total of magnetic action in that set of spoons 

 would hQ n q nearly. Of course, this reasoning applies only 

 to individual sets of spoons which are of uniform make, com- 

 position, and structure of metal. It appears also, as far as 

 my experience has extended, that the same mode of reasoning 



VOL, XLII. NO. LXXXIII. — JANUARY 1847. F 



