#13 - Numismatist: In medieval Spain, most gold coins were

[KelseyWoods]

Complete Question Explanation

Must Be True. The correct answer choice is (B).

This stimulus presents us with just a fact set, not an argument. Since this is a Must Be True question, we are looking for an answer choice that we can prove using the facts in the stimulus. Based on the facts we know that the gold mined in Senegal had a gold content of 92 percent and was minted without refining because it was so pure (the purest known). We also know that the mints refined gold and minted other kinds of coins with purer gold content, but never refined the Senegalese gold.

Answer choice (A): The facts above tell us nothing about the weight of the Senegalese gold coins. We know they all had the same proportion of gold (92%) but the whatever the other 8% consisted of could differ from coin to coin. So we don't know that they had the same weight.

Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. We can prove this answer choice with the facts above. We know that the Senegal gold was the purest known at 92% and was never refined, yet the mints still produced coins with purer gold content. That means that they must have refined and minted coins using gold that was less than 92% pure.

Answer choice (C): The facts above tell us nothing about the monetary value of the coins so we have no idea whether or not that value differed based on the percentage of gold in the coins.

Answer choice (D): We know that the mine refined and minted some coins that had a purer gold content than the 92% gold Senegalese coins but we do not know whether or not they minted gold coins that had a content of less than 92 percent.

Answer choice (E): We know that the Senegalese coins could be minted without being refined and that they were the purest known. But that does not necessarily mean that they were the only unrefined gold from which coins could be minted. Slightly less pure gold may have existed that could also be minted without being refined.

[moshei24]

Is the way (B) is supported that in the last sentence it says that "the mints produced other kinds of coins that had much purer gold content," which refers to having purer gold content than the Senegalese minted coins, because it was producing other kinds of coins + Senegalese gold was never refined? And since Senegalese gold was the purest at 92%, the coins produced in the mint had to have been less than 92%, which supports the fact that the mints took unrefined gold with a content of less than 92% and refined it and then produced the coins?

Did I understand that properly? Am I off somewhere?

Thanks!

[Steve Stein]

The Senegalese gold's content was the highest known--the gold mined there had gold content that was so high that it could be used for coins without having to be refined.

This implies that some other gold, mined from other sources (that would have had lower content) would have needed to be refined in order to produce coins.

I hope that clears that one up--let me know--thanks!

~Steve

[moshei24]

That's just a simple way of saying what I complicated?

[LSAT2018]

Is the inference taken from the opening sentence, 'most gold coins were minted from gold mined in West Africa, in the area that is now Senegal' ?

So in determining the inference, the logical opposite of most gold coins would be some gold coins? I know that most gold coins were from Senegal, and Senegalese gold was never refined but how can the inference be on refined gold?

[BostonLawGuy]

I would love it if someone can please help me understand what I keep thinking is a contradiction in the premises.

1. Gold mined in Senegal was the "purest known."
2. The mints produced OTHER kinds of coins that had a much purer gold content.

Is the author stating that other kinds of coins other than those made from Senegal gold have much purer gold content?

[Who Ray]

Hey hey Boston Law Guy!

1. Yes the Senegal mines produced the purest gold
2. Yes that's also true!

"Refining" solves the paradox you have identified. Through refining, you can up the gold content of any given piece of ore, so even though the initial metal the mints received from non-senegal mines were >92% gold, they were able to process them to a higher percentage.

The Dead Sea has a salt content of 31%, while the ocean has a salt content of about 3%. The Dead Sea water has a higher salt content than the ocean water; however, I can boil ocean water long enough such that its salt content is higher than the Dead Sea's.

I hope that clears things up!
Cheers,
Who Ray

[BostonLawGuy]

A big thanks to you!! I went back and saw that the stimulus stated that the mints PRODUCED coins with purer content. So the refinement process must have made the gold even more pure than the Senegalese gold.

Still don't know how refining gold changes the purity of it, but glad you cleared this up for me!

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi Boston Law Guy,

I completely agree that it's confusing! I imagined the refining process to be similar to the process for filtering tap water. You start with something less pure, and filter out until you get a more refined or pure product. The Senegalese gold started more pure to begin with, but the non-Senegalese can be filtered to obtain a greater purity.

Great job noticing the produce/refined and mined distinction!
Rachael

[caseyelizabeth]

Can someone explain why A is wrong?