How to check a gold coin for authenticity. 5 ways

Yesterday we met a guy who wants to sell a gold coin with a Canadian leaf. Such coins are quite common, so such a proposal did not raise our suspicions. However, the coin turned out to be fake. The fact of counterfeiting such coins surprised us, much more often there are fake Chinese coins with the image of a panda, $ 20 with a portrait of freedom, and twenty dollars of St. Gaudens. We are well versed in gold and are able to determine the authenticity of a coin on the fly, while a layman who has not previously encountered such a thing may not notice the difference. Taking advantage of the provided opportunity, we decided to tell our readers how to recognize a fake.

Checking the weight of the coin

First of all, coins of the same composition may have different weights, so you need to know how much a genuine gold coin weighs. For example, the gold coin George the Victorious with a denomination of 50 rubles weighs 7.89 g. A coin with a Canadian leaf is estimated at 1 ounce and 24 carats and weighs 31.1 grams. A 22-carat gold coin such as the American Eagle or the Krugerrand, a South African gold coin, weighs 33.93 grams. The 20 dollar coin with the portrait of liberty and the twenty dollars of Saint-Gaudens weigh 33.43 grams. When making a deal to buy gold, you should use a reliable table of weights. We have relied on the Pocket American Electronic Weight Scale for several years. This scale can be purchased for less than $ 10, which is a good investment even if you only buy a couple of coins. Although the first thing we should do is check all coins, this is not the only thing that can guarantee authenticity.

Coin diameter and thickness

Counterfeiters have become more experienced and adjust the weight of the coin to match the original. However, if the original and the fake are made of different metals, the difference in diameter and thickness will be obvious. Using a quality caliper can help you ensure that the sample examined matches the original specifications of a genuine gold coin. We use an electronic vernier caliper. Attention should be paid to the correspondence between the thickness and diameter, since there are fakes that have the same diameter and weight, but different thicknesses, compared to the original.

Forward, in search

If you still prefer to get by with just one tool, the Fisch brand offers equipment for verifying the authenticity of gold coins. There are separate tools for each coin denomination. Despite the fact that the detector from Fisch loses in cost to a simple caliper and scales, it will last much longer. We only cover the offered products, not cooperating with this company in any way. Using the detector, a coin can be checked in three different ways, at once for weight, diameter and thickness. If you are interested in buying different coins, a universal method of checking them will come in handy.

Other possibilities

Depending on your budget, there are different ways to check the authenticity of coins. The cheapest way is to compare the suspicious coin with the one already in your collection, so you can easily determine if their characteristics are the same. Another relatively inexpensive way is to use a magnet.

It is advisable to buy a rare earth magnet. This is an unusually strong magnet capable of attracting absolutely any magnetic metal nearby, even in very small quantities. You just have to put a coin on the magnet and see if there is an attraction, which will undoubtedly indicate a fake. A more reliable option would be to buy a machine for analyzing the composition of metals, such as are presented on the websites of Niton and Olympus. The over $ 1,000 price tag will stop many rational buyers, though. Among the expensive methods is also a test for determining the density of the metal, which requires special knowledge in this area.

Conclusion

In general, there is practically no cause for concern if you cooperate with trusted suppliers, however, when concluding a deal for the first time, you can always play it safe by following our instructions. And do not forget that buying a magnet, scales and calipers guarantees you 99% confidence in the authenticity of the coin. If you're still ready to take the next step in technology, you can always invest in a Fisch detector or run metal density tests.