Three Fakes - from London Coin Show

[SouthCoastInvestor]

OK, after finally getting around to doing some testing on the dozens of silver coins I have bought from the last few coin fairs and some local dealers, I am ashamed to admit that I found three fakes in my collection, all purchased from the same dealer at the London Coin Fair as it happens.

They are

- 1oz Panda - magnet slides too quickly, slightly underweight, doesn't look right

- 1oz Kookaburra - magnet slides too quickly, too overweight

- 1oz Scottsdale Mint bar - magnetic!

I never expected that a dealer would have fakes - surely they would all at least be tested before being put on sale.

I see this as an important learning experience.

I now know what coins are likely to be faked and what to avoid buying at fairs without rigorous examination (probably just best to avoid the obvious candidates).

I now have a better idea of what the fakes look like.

I will be taking my magnet with me next time.

Maybe I need to invest in one of the electronic testers.

 

[sixgun]

Let's have a look at these monsters. Good detail photos if possible.

[HawkHybrid]

41 minutes ago, SouthCoastInvestor said:

1oz Scottsdale Mint bar - magnetic

 

that's really bad, easily the quickest and cheapest test you

can make that can show up a fake if it fails the test.

 

HH

[Shinus73]

I find the bar and Panda easy to believe, the Kookaburra less so. I’ve never seen a convincing Kookaburra fake.

[HelpingHands]

If you bought three coins from the same dealer and they were all fake then maybe his full stock was.

If you're not the only one people may have complained to the fair.   Have a google too.

[Lowlow]

Every bullion buyer and collector probably has a small cache of fakes they have collected over the years - live and learn, good story for the silver pub

[Pampfan]

It seems odd to me that someone would fake a Scottsdale mint bar. I guess nothing  is safe!

Please post some pics - 

 

[mr-dead]

4 hours ago, Pampfan said:

It seems odd to me that someone would fake a Scottsdale mint bar. I guess nothing  is safe!

Please post some pics - 

 

Plenty of 1oz fake bars out there, the silvertowne fake bars are everywhere.

Example fake bars on Alibaba:

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Cutely-embossed-collectible-fine-German-silver_60570182910.html?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.1.137c3ffbS6hLMc&s=p

 

[SILVERFINGER]

Name and shame the dealer, there is no way someone in this trade would not of known they were fakes, someone was selling faked militaria at some of the shows I attend, he was kicked out by the event organisers and banned from every show in the UK once word got around.

[SouthCoastInvestor]

I'll post some pics later

[dicker]

6 hours ago, SILVERFINGER said:

Name and shame the dealer, there is no way someone in this trade would not of known they were fakes, someone was selling faked militaria at some of the shows I attend, he was kicked out by the event organisers and banned from every show in the UK once word got around.

That really is terrible!  I know militaria is often faked - but it’s a shocker that someone does that at a fair!

[Lowlow]

... or ... before you decide to ruin their business ... maybe just talk to them ... ffs ...

[RogerBelmar]

8 hours ago, SILVERFINGER said:

Name and shame the dealer, there is no way someone in this trade would not of known they were fakes, someone was selling faked militaria at some of the shows I attend, he was kicked out by the event organisers and banned from every show in the UK once word got around.

I agree with you that there’s no way that dealer would not have known he was selling fakes. Three fakes from the same dealer is one too many. What this means is that we can’t afford to let our guard down even at coin fairs where we least expect these fraudsters to operate. I saw a YouTube video about a restauranteur who used all his profits to buy gold bars, the ones sealed in plastic. He never once bothered to cut through the plastic to check the authenticity of the bars until his mother got sick. Every single bar in his safe turned out to be a fake. He lived out his days in a state-paid old folks home.

[Pete]

Can you share a bit more specific data about the alleged fake Kook.
Overweight - what is the weight ?
Are the dimensions right ?
I imagine a good fake will have the correct diameter so if it is overweight then it must be too thick - right ?
The magnet test to me isn't definitive so a specific gravity test would be interesting.
Year and pictures ??

[SouthCoastInvestor]

ok, here is #1 - the obviously-fake Scottsdale bar. The magnet sticks to it, the troy weight is very close though

 

[greendragon]

15 minutes ago, Pete said:

The magnet test to me isn't definitive

i always thought if it failed the magnet test it was fake? stuck to it or fell off

i understood if it passed the test it could still be something else? copper content?

poster said it failed the test .

[SouthCoastInvestor]

ok, here is the Kookaburra, it is actually underweight, not overweight as I stated before. 0.986 ozt, - outside of normal tolerances? And the diameter should be 40.60 but it measures 40.03 - higher than the normal margin of error? The magnet slides off too quickly.

 

 

[SouthCoastInvestor]

And finally here is the Panda.  I am having second thoughts now about this being a fake because the measurements are within tolerances? But the ping does not sound right, and the magnet slides too quickly. 

[blackadder]

The Kookaburra don't look right to me just looking at it,What's that small pin prick looking circle on the outer edge? also the queens neck don't look right

[Lowlow]

6 minutes ago, blackadder said:

The Kookaburra don't look right to me just looking at it,What's that small pin prick looking circle on the outer edge?

There are some youtubes about fake Kookaburra's .. just a random Youtube search

 

[SouthCoastInvestor]

Confirmed - the Kookaburra is fake, that ain't silver on the inside . . . . .

[Lowlow]

1 minute ago, SouthCoastInvestor said:

Confirmed - the Kookaburra is fake, that ain't silver on the inside . . . . .

Maybe it is gold ? 

Bad news ... sorry South.

[blackadder]

1 minute ago, SouthCoastInvestor said:

Confirmed - the Kookaburra is fake, that ain't silver on the inside . . . . .

You can see it's fake from looking at it,Can you get in touch with the dealer you bought it from?

[matrawr]

1 hour ago, SouthCoastInvestor said:

And finally here is the Panda.  I am having second thoughts now about this being a fake because the measurements are within tolerances? But the ping does not sound right, and the magnet slides too quickly. 

You said it's the ping? I use an app called bullion test on my tablet I paid a few quid for it may be worth forking out?

[Lowlow]

Do be careful if you talk to them that you don't threaten them in any way .. threatening to call the police unless they do "X" is also a crime.