How can you tell if something is really old ingot?

My IG friend KINGDUNCANOFTUCSON asks “How can you tell if something is really old ingot”  Lets first define what is ingot?  Silver ingot is a piece of relatively pure silver that has been cast into a shape suitable for working.  So using this definition we can think of silver ingot as small bars made from coin silver, silver nuggets or silver remnants  that have been melted down into a bar shape.  Once the ingot “bar” has been poured and cooled to the right size, it was often hammered by the craftsman against an anvil, rail, stone or wood to flatten and shape it for further work.  Older ingot pieces will show imperfections such as cracks, wrinkles and uneven surfaces.  Under magnification you will find that many of the older pieces have slightly different thicknesses throughout the length of the piece.   I also look for patina and wear as the older ingot items are not afraid to show their age.  I hope this helps answer your question, Sandra!~