Hey, so I am going to be talking to somebody about selling some gold and they said they are not sure of the authenticity. Might anybody here on CT have an exact replica I could use as a guide to look at? Also, are there any tips on photographing gold? I have done copper and silver with success but never photographed gold. Let me know, ~Cannyn Im not looking to borrow gold but something of a base metal that is practically no value.
the best way to test if gold is counterfeit is to weigh it i think? its hard to mach the density in gold. i dont really know other ways other than sending it into a tpg lol im sure someone more knowledgeable will post something soon
Are you tallking about US gold coins? US bullion? Pandas? Gold bars? If you are talking about US gold coins what dates and mintmarks are they? Bill Fivaz has a book on counterfeit US gold coins that we could look in and tell you what markers to look for for some coins.
From what they said they are not sure of the design. From what they say it seems to be a St. Gaudens Double Eagle (multiple) and they won't let me know much more. They want me to come there to photlgraph them and I truly have no idea about these.
No, not selling them, but looking for a way to distinguish counterfeit base metal from the real McCoy. I'm going to be doing a bit of research over the night to see what I can find on detecting counterfeits. ~Cannyn
You might want to rethink your plans. You will only know enough to be dangerous after one night of research. Many counterfeit gold coins are very difficult to detect even for experienced collectors and dealers (ESPECIALLY $2-1/2 & $5 gold Indians). You should start with some counterfeit detection training and add several years of experience before you start buying raw gold coins. I wish you luck if you choose to ignore my advice.
If they are not sure of the authenticity, that is highly suspect. Not sure where you connected (e.g., Craigslist?), but be very careful when meeting. TC
A sure fire method of doing this is by placing the metal in Nitric Acid. If it is not gold it will be very evident and dissolve. Wear a breathing mask and Gloves!!
It will work for silver, gold, platinum, palladium, any precious metal really. They are all non-magnetic, but highly electromagnetic which exploits the purpose of an electromagnetic test perfectly.
Honestly, if all you are going to do is provide them with a pic of their coins, you don;t need to determine the authenticity of them. However, buying them is another story altogether. And the best way to tell if a gold coin is real, is to compare it to a known good one. Fakes always have something wrong, in the reeding, the die cut, weight, color............something. If it doesn;t look exactly right, bet that it isn't. Test kits, scales, magnets are all aids that will help you determine what it is. But I never buy gold coins at other than gold value. When the numismatics become involved, I admit lack of ability to distinguish between real and a clever forgery. Even the TPG's get fooled, as a dealer at a recent show I attended pointed out. The forgery he had was discovered by a potential buyer and had been certified by the top TPG (according to the dealer) and he was in the throes of legality over it. "Caveat Emptor" is the byword, not without cause. IMHO
I'd say weigh it, measure it, and get good shots. You are good at photography. You can do all of this within the safety of someones home. Take the pictures and then post them on here to people who have been collecting gold pieces for 30+years. My only question is the source? Don't get involved in anything that could be potentially hot.
Do you mean "hot" as in good profit potential, or "hot" as in slang for stolen goods? If the former, it's terrible advice. If the latter, it's great advice. =)
