4 ms·

Spoilers: mica in the paper and graphite in the ink.

by LatteLazy 3y ago

xhkkffbf 3y ago
Did the people in the taverns have the ability to test for mica or graphite?
- ceejayoz 3y ago
  Answered in the article; the mica flecks are visibly shiny, the graphite likely wasn't a counterfeiting measure.
  - User23 3y ago
    The beach in Coronado is strikingly beautiful because there's so much mica in the sand.
    - NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
      My sister was a real swimmer and she enjoyed beaches like OB or IB, but I always thought they were so grungy. Coronado is/was so pristine and sparkling compared to the others, plus you've got views of the Hotel Del AND North Island N.A.S. at the same time! Every time I had a girl in San Diego, and she wanted to go to the beach, day or night, it had to be Coronado, and so over the bridge I'd drive! Great Victorian homes there too, imported brick-by-brick.
- LatteLazy 3y ago
  I assumed the graphite was for longevity: it does not fade while vegetable based inks do. It's also less subject to running when wet. But I'm not sure where you could (or would want to) use that to test authenticity...
  - kragen 3y ago
    lampblack doesn't fade or run either
    - LatteLazy 3y ago
      Good knowledge, thanks!
    - adolph 3y ago
      It should perform similarly since it is also a form of carbon. As nouns the difference between lampblack and graphite is that lampblack is an amorphous form of carbon made from incompletely burned organic matter; used to make pigments and inks while graphite is an allotrope of carbon consisting of planes of carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal arrays with the planes stacked loosely that is used as a dry lubricant and in "lead" pencils. https://wikidiff.com/lampblack/graphite https://wikidiff.com/lampblack/graphite From the article: When they examined the black ink on some of the bills, however, the scientists were surprised to find that it appeared to contain graphite. For most printing jobs, Franklin tended to use black ink made from burned vegetable oils, known as lampblack, said James Green, librarian emeritus of the Library Company of Philadelphia. Graphite would have been hard to find, he suspects. Early usage of graphite: Sometime before 1565 (some sources say as early as 1500), an enormous deposit of graphite was discovered [in] . . . Cumbria, England. . . During the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603), Borrowdale graphite was used as a refractory material to line molds for cannonballs, resulting in rounder, smoother balls that could be fired farther, contributing to the strength of the English navy. This particular deposit of graphite was extremely pure and soft, and could easily be cut into sticks. Because of its military importance, this unique mine and its production were strictly controlled by the Crown. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphite https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphite mindata.org has numerous entries for graphite in News Jersey, York and England. The below one "Unnamed quartz-graphite schist occurrence" also includes the "schist" noted as a source of mica in the article. https://www.mindat.org/loc-404729.html https://www.mindat.org/loc-404729.html
      - kragen 3y ago
        while i agree that it should perform similarly, it being a form of carbon is not sufficient; diamond, for example, would not work

Spoilers: mica in the paper and graphite in the ink.

xhkkffbf 3y ago

Did the people in the taverns have the ability to test for mica or graphite?

ceejayoz 3y ago
Answered in the article; the mica flecks are visibly shiny, the graphite likely wasn't a counterfeiting measure.
- User23 3y ago
  The beach in Coronado is strikingly beautiful because there's so much mica in the sand.
  - NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
    My sister was a real swimmer and she enjoyed beaches like OB or IB, but I always thought they were so grungy. Coronado is/was so pristine and sparkling compared to the others, plus you've got views of the Hotel Del AND North Island N.A.S. at the same time! Every time I had a girl in San Diego, and she wanted to go to the beach, day or night, it had to be Coronado, and so over the bridge I'd drive! Great Victorian homes there too, imported brick-by-brick.
LatteLazy 3y ago
I assumed the graphite was for longevity: it does not fade while vegetable based inks do. It's also less subject to running when wet. But I'm not sure where you could (or would want to) use that to test authenticity...
- kragen 3y ago
  lampblack doesn't fade or run either
  - LatteLazy 3y ago
    Good knowledge, thanks!
  - adolph 3y ago
    It should perform similarly since it is also a form of carbon. As nouns the difference between lampblack and graphite is that lampblack is an amorphous form of carbon made from incompletely burned organic matter; used to make pigments and inks while graphite is an allotrope of carbon consisting of planes of carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal arrays with the planes stacked loosely that is used as a dry lubricant and in "lead" pencils. https://wikidiff.com/lampblack/graphite https://wikidiff.com/lampblack/graphite From the article: When they examined the black ink on some of the bills, however, the scientists were surprised to find that it appeared to contain graphite. For most printing jobs, Franklin tended to use black ink made from burned vegetable oils, known as lampblack, said James Green, librarian emeritus of the Library Company of Philadelphia. Graphite would have been hard to find, he suspects. Early usage of graphite: Sometime before 1565 (some sources say as early as 1500), an enormous deposit of graphite was discovered [in] . . . Cumbria, England. . . During the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603), Borrowdale graphite was used as a refractory material to line molds for cannonballs, resulting in rounder, smoother balls that could be fired farther, contributing to the strength of the English navy. This particular deposit of graphite was extremely pure and soft, and could easily be cut into sticks. Because of its military importance, this unique mine and its production were strictly controlled by the Crown. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphite https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphite mindata.org has numerous entries for graphite in News Jersey, York and England. The below one "Unnamed quartz-graphite schist occurrence" also includes the "schist" noted as a source of mica in the article. https://www.mindat.org/loc-404729.html https://www.mindat.org/loc-404729.html
    - kragen 3y ago
      while i agree that it should perform similarly, it being a form of carbon is not sufficient; diamond, for example, would not work