Abstract
In this paper, I investigate whether it is true and to what extent pirates determined the fineness of gold coins by biting them. I use the classic beam theory to model coin bending. I bite five discs made of different gold alloys and conclude that while fine gold is softer than alloyed gold, pirates biting coins is almost certainly a Hollywood trope which finds its origin both in Stevenson’s Treasure Island and in the California gold rush of 1849.
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