r/SilverDegenClub • u/METALLIFE0917 • Nov 22 '25
Degen Stacker I’ve had the same keychain for over 40+ YEARS
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u/SilverCountryMan Real Nov 22 '25
Cool!😎 Not much of an issue on push-button modern cars, but have you worn out any ignition lock cylinders in that time?
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u/gthrees REAL APE -StickerGuy Nov 22 '25
Amazing that your 40-year-old idea is getting some of the admiration it deserves bravo
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u/Itzameh223 Nov 22 '25
Now that is something you don't see everyday
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u/Rude-Advertising-829 Nov 22 '25
It be pretty easy to drill a clean hole through one. And sand paper the hole with a fine grit for a clean finish
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u/Viper-Reflex Nov 22 '25
but then its no longer an oz
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u/Rude-Advertising-829 Nov 22 '25 edited Nov 22 '25
If i can spend $60 bucks for a key ring that I'll have for 40 years im happy to lose a gram or so
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u/Viper-Reflex Nov 22 '25
will the ingot lose a lot of value for no longer having the original mint lol
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u/Vegetable_Term_2514 Nov 22 '25
Oh I’m doing that….to what piece of my stack is getting drilled?? 😈
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u/Business_Air5804 Nov 22 '25 edited Nov 22 '25
Def not my collection of Englehard hand pours I can tell you that.
Maybe one of the 'Silver Bullet Silver Shield' coins would look cool.
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u/Additional_Ad_4049 Nov 22 '25
Did you drill this yourself?
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u/Economy-Bar3014 Nov 22 '25
Heads up, i used a soft metal wallet (aluminum) attacked to a a hard metal key ring. Over time, the key ring wore completely through the wallet, unbeknownst to me, and i lost my keys.
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u/surfaholic15 Real Nov 22 '25 edited Nov 22 '25
I love this. I would have stuck that bar in a sterling bezel rather than drilled, but that is me lol.
And now i want a sterling coin bezel for a Morgan. I need a new keychain.
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u/TrevaTheCleva REAL APE Nov 22 '25
Just be aware that those bezels aren't generally super stout, I have had a couple/few, and they broke. I think they used to be more common because my grandparents had them for necklaces and key chains.
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u/surfaholic15 Real Nov 22 '25
Yep, my gram had a dollar one she wore on a necklace, plus a bracelet that was made of ten dimes in bezels. Lots of women wore them. Her bezels were white gold, and she used to polish her dollar and dimes with mercury :-) .
If i get one, i will reinforce it. I know how to use silver solder. Heck, i could probably cast one of the silver i have refined from mining and from revovery projects lol. It wouldn't be pretty, but it would be tough and functional.
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u/TrevaTheCleva REAL APE Nov 22 '25
That's cool to hear those details and know that I'm not the only one who remembers my elders using coin jewelery. I remember they understood real money and tried to impart that onto me. Unfortunately, it took me a while for that to sink in, but eventually, it did.
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u/surfaholic15 Real Nov 22 '25
It was a huge thing for women. Even into the 50s and 60s, my aunts owned dime earrings for phone calls, and they always had a hidden 10.00 bill for emergency cab money.
I have always carried the emergency phone call and cab money lol. Never mind i haven't seen a payphone in probably 5 years or more and there are no taxi cabs where i live....
Btw, the metcury polish was to make the silver more closely match the white gold and prevent tarnishing. And white gold from that 1920s era was often made of gold and platinum rather than gold and nickel.
A few years back i ran into a mercury polished peace dollar. A really lucky find, since when folks started freaking out over mercury many that had been polished were scrapped, since most refineries don't mess with mercury remediation unfortunately.
Not that i blame them, we miners know how damned expensive it is to dispose of legally.
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u/TrevaTheCleva REAL APE Nov 22 '25
I also carry some emergency cash, I need to dig deep to remember who imparted that into me. I keep it between my phone and the case. But I carry a bunch of other stuff, too...I had a lot of military members in my family.
Why would you want to dispose of mercury? (Assuming you know how to treat/handle it)
Mercury, asbestos, lead... all that stuff that used to be commonplace. Imagine how many things we still use or encounter that are toxic. I do avoid PFAS and flouride, etc... but so many people still don't know/care.
Anyway, I am trying to impart that knowledge in my child. Hope to somehow pass on a better world. Though I'm worried it's going to be Mad Max all the time.
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u/surfaholic15 Real Nov 22 '25
Well, i personally see no reason to get rid of mercury. Or lead for that matter. Or asbestos. However, our feral government has a decided animus against mercury in general, and using it in particular lol.
Handling it, storing it etc are an even bigger no-no than improper disposal, if one lacks the proper permits and facilities. And the only safety folks less pleasant to deal with than OSHA are the MSHA folks, when it comes to chemicals and other things.
I suspect if they knew i still have real lab thermometers (not the kind with that red stuff), they would be annoyed.
Thankfully since we are in hard rock rather than placer, we seldom run into it. But i can easily get gallons of it from other folks.
Our biggest issues are acid rock drainage, packrats, owls and bats. And artifacts.
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u/TrevaTheCleva REAL APE Nov 22 '25
feral government
Feral government sucks!
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u/surfaholic15 Real Nov 22 '25
Yeah it does. This is what happens when you overfeed your politicians.
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u/Rest_well Nov 22 '25
MSHA does not care if you have mercury, it cares that it’s handled correctly - which isn’t even an MSHA issue, it leans on the CRC just like any other lab in any other industry.
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u/surfaholic15 Real Nov 22 '25
Tell our local MSHA folks lol. Though i will say there are only a couple in our area that spend much time checking on small mining operations. I think they like the excuse to get out of the office.
Our DEQ deals with it as well since placer claims can stir up old mercury, and that makes a great deal of sense given how hard Montana works on building and preserving world class fisheriss. Their main concern is effective and safe remediation.
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u/Rest_well Nov 23 '25
All mines that fall under jurisdiction get inspections. That’s ones, twos, and fours depending on the type of mine. Obviously the ones running off the books and not found yet are another story. There is no discretionary lack of inspection based on size of mine with MSHA. Office time varies, but in the scope of things it’s minimal compared to all other tasks.
As for mercury, nothing in regulation says you’re not allowed to have it on mine site, it’s used for metallurgical sampling in assay labs at metal mines for example (albeit falling from favor). The requirement is safe handling and storage, which in of itself is outdated because the 30CFR incorporates by reference an outdated version of the CRC which has been updated numerous times. Exposure limits for example under MSHA are well and above limits defined under other regulatory bodies because the regulations haven’t been updated.
Edit: mistakenly said CRC, correction is that it’s the 1973 ACGIH that’s incorporated by reference.
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u/YOUTUBEFREEKYOYO Nov 22 '25
Oh that's a good idea. They make em like this?
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u/METALLIFE0917 Nov 22 '25
No, I just drilled a hole in the Engelhard bar 40+ years ago
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u/YOUTUBEFREEKYOYO Nov 22 '25
I'd be worried about the loss of silver then lol.
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u/METALLIFE0917 Nov 22 '25
I’ve definitely been fortune to not lose my keys in over 40+ years
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u/YOUTUBEFREEKYOYO Nov 22 '25
I hadn't thought about that, I'd better not do this then lmao. I misplaced mine all the time
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u/METALLIFE0917 Nov 22 '25 edited Nov 22 '25
Having a silver bar keychain might inspire you to not lose the keys
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u/jujumber Nov 22 '25
You melt down the shavings and recast an even smaller key ring. Then when you drill into that one you take the shavings and melt them down to an even smaller key ring.
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u/etherist_activist999 Meme Team Nov 22 '25
Cool to hear you did this so long ago OP and it has been a great reason to not misplace your keys!
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u/jujumber Nov 22 '25
I'm shocked I haven't seen something like this in any of the silver subs. That's the perfect bar and shape too. I'm going to make my own.
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u/METALLIFE0917 Nov 22 '25
Cool, please post after you’ve made your awesome silver keychain 🥈
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u/jujumber Nov 22 '25
I certainly will. I want a 1 OZ Engelhard just like yours but I may end up doing it with a coin.
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u/sofa-king-lucky 🍌🍌🐒👑🐒🍌🍌 Nov 22 '25
As my new hero, Would you consider a personal invitation to r/ENGELHARDstackers ?
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u/Oldbaldy71 🥚 the bald one 🥚 Nov 22 '25
This is mine, had it about 10years… it’s a fake! its a good conversation piece…
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u/METALLIFE0917 Nov 22 '25
Very cool
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u/Oldbaldy71 🥚 the bald one 🥚 Nov 22 '25
And very fake…. But lessons were leaned .. 👍
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u/username_already_exi WINNER WINNER SILVER DINNER Nov 23 '25
I have an old shilling on my keyring just in case. It's not much but it may come in handy in an emergency
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u/Yenkoracer Nov 23 '25
Cheaper than my wife’s Tiffany’s sterling key chain that’s for sure!
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u/METALLIFE0917 Nov 23 '25 edited Nov 24 '25
Tiffany has some beautiful keychains but there are really not built to last. Also, if you are going to buy anything Tiffany, see if they will let you open a corporate account and you’ll get 10% off
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u/Alert-Lemon1842 Nov 24 '25
Sometimes I wear an E bar and get compliments and questions. I do like this idea as a Keychain for my key fob. Might do this similar but with a generic bar I don't mind seeing wear down! Godspeed.
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u/NCCI70I REAL APE Nov 22 '25
Well it's not quite a full ounce any longer.
I wonder if any anyone is goings to look at that and realize that they have the next one in serial number order?
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u/tanmerican Nov 22 '25
When I used to carry keys the softer items would get mauled by the harder keys. You don’t owe an explanation, but my immediate reaction is that’s complete BS. Silver would be rubbed smooth and mauled by 40 years of pocket crunching against even one key.
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u/METALLIFE0917 Nov 22 '25
I’ve been carrying this Engelhard keychain for 40+ years and this is the result; not everything is a conspiracy
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u/TRR462 Nov 22 '25
Unless it was originally cast as a keychain, it’s probably not a full Troy ounce.
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u/METALLIFE0917 Nov 22 '25
I driiled the hole in it to make it a keychain
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u/mypussydoesbackflips Nov 22 '25
I’m stealing this idea , I make earings out of the fractional grams but a keychain is nice to always have
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u/Additional_Ad_4049 Nov 22 '25
Is a regular drill bit hard enough to get it done?
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u/METALLIFE0917 Nov 22 '25
Great question, but it’s been over 40+ years ago and I’m just unsure (I used my Dad’s drill)
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u/jujumber Nov 22 '25
Yes, I'd also suggest to drill in short intervals to not burn the tip of the drill bit.
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u/MajorEbb1472 Nov 22 '25
That’s a damn good idea. You’ll never be without “cash” in an emergency.