I assume that muriatic acid is the common term used in the US for
hydrochloric acid (HCl).  I am not sure about its ability to dissolve
silver but it should be easy to obtain.  In the UK it is readily and
cheaply available at builders merchants under a variety of names for
cleaning mortar off brickwork.  This is a _very_ impure grade at about
16% concentration.

It really is not _that_ nasty as Ricky Diggs suggests.  I use it,
diluted a bit for removing lime scale from kettles, sinks etc.  Quick
and effective, unlike the wimp grade products sold in the supermarkets.

Adding water to acid is really only dangerous with sulphuric acid.
A drop of water added to concentrated sulphuric will virtually bounce
back at you with a hiss of steam!  Even adding sulphuric acid to water
will boil the water with ease.  Nitric and hydrochloric acids do not
suffer from this problem.

I wonder if acid will also remove mould from piano rolls.  ;%}

Jeffrey Borinsky