You have probably heard this one before, but here goes. I see a lot of coins/tokens at the local flea market that are in boxes of mixed junk. They are sometimes not American coins/tokens. Many are silver or gold in color. Is there a way to determine if they are silver or gold without using special equipment, acids, etc.? The reason that I ask is because a friend got a gold coin from India in a bag of mixed coins at an auction. It is about 1/4 ounce in weight. He paid $10 for the bag without inspecting the contents. To me it looked much like the flea market stuff. Thanks for your help. I also know enough not to be taken in at a flea market by fly-by-night dealers. I have a dealer that is a member of ANA and some local groups. I've been doing business with him for several years for bullion and my American Eagle collection. Thanks.
Make a list of the weights of pre-1965 silver and gold US coins. Carry a portable electronic scale, a refrigerator magnet, and a sheet of tissue paper with you. Compare the weight of each questioned coin to your list. Touch the magnet to each silvery colored coin. Lay the tissue on top of each silvery colored coin under the strong light usually available at a store or show (at flea markets/yard sales just shine a flashlight on it at close range) Real gold coins will be significantly heavier than base metal coins of the same size, and real silver coins will approximate the weight of similarly-sized US coins. The system won't be perfect, but it should weed out most of the brass and shiny cu-ni. The magnet will ID the pure nickel and the steel coins. The tissue paper test should also help on differentiating silver/cu-ni. Silver coins will stand out by their much greater reflectivity. Aluminum, of course, will be obvious by its light weight. No non-destructive test will be conclusive, but perhaps you can increase your odds of choosing precious metal.
