Silver has thousands of uses in the modern world. Here are 18 of them.
Super Silver – the People’s Money
160 million 90% silver U.S. half dollars were minted for common circulation. The coin’s obverse honored the memory of assassinated U.S. President, John F. Kennedy. From 1965 to 1970, silver content was reduced to 40%. By 1971, silver content was reduced to 0%.
Silver is called “the people’s money” because throughout history silver has been accessible and affordable to the common citizen. When Kings, Queens, empires and elites used gold as a store of wealth, common citizens used silver as money in their daily lives.
Several languages use the same word for “silver” and “money”. This is because silver, and gold, have always been used as money. The ancient Lydians used silver as money going back to at least 2500 B.C.
The People’s Money: Silver was used as money all over the world throughout history until only very recently.
For various reasons such as war, rising global silver prices or political devaluing of currency, all countries have by now removed silver from their circulating currencies.
see also: 18+ Facts about Gold
Did you know that silver comes in second to oil as the most used commodity on the planet?
18 Things That Depend On Silver
- Solar Panels – Every solar panel uses silver because silver has the best thermal and electrical conductivity of any known conductor on the planet. Silver plays a vital role in solar panels because it can carry electricity immediately or to a battery to be stored.
- All Computers – That’s right, everything from cell phones to laptops to personal computers to business computers depend on silver. No silver, no device! Silver is used globally in almost every device that has a switch or a circuit board.
- Screens – Big screens, little screens, plasma screens, all use and depend on silver. In fact, the cinema term, “Silver Screen”, is still used today but originated when movies were projected onto a large screen coated with metallic paint, or even with flecks of powdered silver, to better reflect the images across the screen.
- Medicine – As a biocide, silver has the amazing ability to penetrate bacteria cell walls without hurting the mammalian cells while destroying the bacteria’s growth and survival. Long used for its anti-bacteria properties, silver is used extensively in modern medical equipment to prevent the spread of germs and bacteria. Everything from stethoscopes to needles to linens to bandages and ointments are using silver these days to protect and preserve good health.
- Vehicles – If its got an engine and an ON switch or button it uses silver. Silver-coated contacts use a significant amount of the world’s annual silver production. Anything powered electrically in a vehicle such as windows or seats or trunk, etc., depend on silver to get the job done.
- Silverware – Real silverware—culinary utensils made from silver, usually silver-plated, are still made and in demand all over the world. And, for good reason. Silver is naturally antibacterial. Today, most people eat using plastic and wood utensils but not long ago the world’s #1 choice was silver simply because of its protective capability to ward off germs.
- Water Treatment – Purification systems rely on colloidal silver to rid algae and bacteria from building up in pipes, pools, sanitation tanks, etc. In days gone by, silver coins were dropped into water and wine containers to keep the liquids clean.
- Coinage – Even though governments have stopped using silver as a currency, most countries still produce sovereign silver coins in large quantities. Numismatic coins are bought and sold globally as precious metals investments and collector items and while the demand for these coins is rising the annual supply of above-ground silver is diminishing.
- Bullion – Silver bullion in the form of bars is kept and held by the big “bullion banks” who profit by leasing the valued commodity or when the price of silver rises.
- Military Applications – Silver-zinc batteries providing power for missile guidance control, telemetry, tracking, flight termination and actuator systems is among the many uses of silver employed by armed forces.
- Clothing – Doctors and lab technicians rely on nano silver finished coats that offer antimicrobial properties as do athletes who wear sports garments designed to fight bacteria from sweat.
- Weather Modification – Small amounts of silver iodide are used in cloud seeding.
- High Traffic Items – A silver ion solution is used to treat things that are touched by many such as bank counter pens, door handles, etc. Silver’s bacteria reducing strength is activated, becoming hydrophilic, when these items are touched by human hands.
- Body Care Products – Silver colloidal in a gel can heal skin, silver chloride in deodorant fights odor, and a nano silver solution in toothpaste can protect teeth and gums from decay, infection, and disease.
- Air Conditioning – Silver ion filters in an air conditioning unit release silver ions killing fungus and bacteria.
- Detergents – Laundry detergents made with nano silver prevent odorous clothing from ruining your relationships. Sounds good to me.
- Cosmetics – Silver nano particles are used in pigments and cosmetics.
- Let us not forget Jewelry – Do I even need to say anything about that? Seriously.