Identifying Fake Gold Bullion Coins

Due to the precious nature of the , there are many counterfeit coins produced just to cheat the unsuspecting buyer. Counterfeit can means two things, the 'fakes' and 'copies' of coin

Copies
'Copies' means coins that are minted to resemble the original coin but they are minted with the same metal that are used to mint the original coins.  Therefore unless you collect rare coins, 'copies' coins should not be a concern because you will be essentially buying the same gold value of the real bullion coin. In fact, 'copies' bullion coins are virtually non-existent in most types of bullion coins, scammer would only consider making 'copies' unless the coin in question happened to be very rare, which means that the coin will fetch a much higher value above its own metal content. 'Copies' are hard to identify, as the size and weight of the 'copies' will practically be the same as the real version, and counterfeiters tend to pay more attention to the many detailings of the coin, including face design, number of reeds, mint marks etc.

Fakes

'Fakes' poses a more significant risk for collectors, as 'fakes' are made with cheaper metal than the original bullion coin. This means that 'fakes' can practically sell for naught since the value of bullion coin are heavily based on its metal content. However the good news is that fakes are much more easier to identify, since they tend to have different size and weight in comparison the original. With the aid of a few instruments, such as a digital caliper, and a minute weight scale that can accurately measure up to 0.01 g, fake coins can be easily singled out / identified. For gold coins, there are also specialized tools such as the The Fisch tool, manufactured by Fisch instruments that checks the vital measurement of a specific coin, which includes its minimum allowable weight, maximum allowable thickness, maximum allowable diameter as well as the shape as defined by the mint that issues the coin.

Identifying Fake Gold Bullion Coins

Gold and platinum are some of the heaviest metal that exist in nature, most metal that are denser are either radioactive (impossible to work with) or simply too expensive to come by. Common replacement for golds in fake coins like leads, brass, copper and steel are less denser hence produce a lighter weight when casted in a coin.

Hence, identifying fake gold coins are pretty much straightforward, requiring only a digital caliper and a minute weight scale:

1. If the diameter and the thickness of the coin is right but the weight is lighter, the coin is possibly a fake.

2. If the weight is correct, but the coin appears to be larger or thicker, the coin is possibly a fake as well.