fake gold coin and bars!?!
Hello i work in a coin shop in Temecula California and have been seeing lots of fake gold pamp suisse 10g bars in package come over the counter, but i i identify them as fakes by weighing them and matching them up with the correct weight still in package. I know there are people making some with the right weight in package but have the wrong dimensions on the bar which is almost impossible to measure without taking it out. i haven't bought any fakes so far but plenty of shops around me have lost thousands of dollars from these fakes! does anyone have any tips on how to identify fake bars in plastic without ripping them out????? i also came across a fake 20$ liberty gold coin that looked pretty close to the real ones, but weighed a couple grams off so i passed on it. i made a cheat sheet with all the weights and dimensions on common gold coins and bullion such as krugrands, sovereigns and such for everyone working in the shop. look out everyone and always check your work when buying gold!
Comments
user_5225
Level 5
be careful.
Quarter quiz dude
Level 5
Be careful!
Kepi
Level 6
There's so much scamming going on, these people have no ethics! Everyone has to be extra careful when buying anything numismatic.
jojopumpkin
Level 3
and wow im glad that guy got caught they need that to be more public so all those scammers out there know whats coming for the,
jojopumpkin
Level 3
Yea i like the purity tester machine allot. i have always used the acid tests but i don't like risking damaging the product especially when it turns out real. The tester would be great for bullion products SUCH AS 10-100 oz BARS that don't have official dimensions, but would still force me to break open sealed in package products ;( I would choose not to buy these bars and just stick to bullion coins, but that would hurt the stores business and reputation in the long run. just have to learn how to adapt to these con artists out there!
Longstrider
Level 6
The NCIC, Numismatic Crime Information Center, is a start. Here's a good alert that relates to your blog: http://www.numismaticcrimes.org/?q=node/414 I've seen those metal purity testers at coin shows. They seem to work well as JordaNumismatics says.
Peter
Level 4
Just be Careful in want buy and see. Also ask if it worth it, or other question.
JordaNumismatics
Level 4
If you are running a business, you may consider buying a metal purity tester that can test metals even if they have a airtite surrounding them.
LNCS
Level 5
More and more stories like this coming up. Really need to be careful when purchasing any gold.