1/2 oz Silver Lunars

[blab]

I've recently got into stacking, and at the moment i'm collecting the series 2 1/2 oz Lunar coins, i have 3 already and they all weigh 15.6g which is right for 1/2 oz, but i've recently bought the 2011 rabbit and it weighs 16.1 grams, does that sound abit too heavy for a 1/2 oz, i have done the magnet check and that seems fine and i dont know of any fakes of the lunar rabbit.

Any help would be great. Thanks

[HawkHybrid]

magnet check meaning its non magnetic or diamagnetic?

 

HH

[blab]

54 minutes ago, HawkHybrid said:

magnet check meaning its non magnetic or diamagnetic?

 

HH

I tested it and its diamagnetic, its just the weight that seems to bother me, i know they say give or take .2or3 grams, but this coin is .6 grams heavier, should i be concerned?

[HelpingHands]

Post a photo and someone will say if anything looks wrong.

[Roy]

 

Mine.

[BackyardBullion]

My best suggestion would be to do a specific gravity test.

If its 10.4 - 10.6 then its 999 silver and you have nothing to worry about, just some extra free silver or some dodgy scales!

Let us know the results!

 

[blab]

16 minutes ago, BackyardBullion said:

My best suggestion would be to do a specific gravity test.

If its 10.4 - 10.6 then its 999 silver and you have nothing to worry about, just some extra free silver or some dodgy scales!

Let us know the results!

 

Ok Thanks will try that, but here are some photos of the coin 

 

[BackyardBullion]

It looks as good as you would expect in photos - hard to tell really without it in the hand. Do the SGT - only sure way beyond an acid test!

[blab]

I did the gravity test, just to make sure i did this right, the coin weighs 16.1 grams, then in the water the coin weighed 1.6 grams then divide that which is 10.06.

My scales are only accurate to 0.1 and not 0.01 does that matter?

[jayboat]

I cant help that much with checking your coin as other will have better information. 

I just wanted to say the 1/2 oz lunar in my mind is a great coin to stack. I have seen and read in a few different places that they on avg they perform better than other weights on resale premium. Of course the buyer has to be someone willing to pay the premium. Its easy to pick up 5-10 here and there. I stack 50 each year, i am on my 3rd year now with 10 rooster's got. It kinda sucks the wait is 18 years are so before i and possibly you will have a complete set as i can not afford to back date 50 of each from 2014 backwards. I except the price of silver to be higher is 5-6 years and might sell some of the series 2 coins to help aid with buying series 3 coins. I would really like to have 50 complete sets in nice wooden boxes someday. 

Its good that you are stacking something you enjoy, you can pick up singles on sarniasilver.com. I only use them for small orders because of vat but i have never had a problem. 

[TheWhiteStuff]

Where did you get it from? That's always a good indication.

If its from the ones Atkins had on VAT free a few days ago then its almost certainly real.

Can i suggest you put the coin on a cloth or something rather than just plonk it on the table?

Just zero set the scales with the cloth on. Use a cotton handkerchief or something.

Even if no visible damage. If someone does this every time the coin is bought then that's how it accumulates.

Please remember when you buy an old coin that's in perfect condition someone has taken the time to look after it. 

Even if you don't plan on selling it people will appreciate if after you are gone.

Some people think life is about making your mark on the world but with coins its best if you just look after them.

[TheWhiteStuff]

I don't have this coin but i just looked at some photos.

The first leaf on the right  (from the ground) should be pointing up. Yours appears to point down or missing.

Unless this is just bad quality photo?

If its fake you will probably find a load more stuff wrong when you compare in detail.

[Roy]

It's tricky.

Under a loupe, my coin has 5 leaves under the sharp '7 o'clock' leaf. 

Could just be angle, camera quality etc.

 

As an aside, I need to say something. Sorry.

I don't need to check my coin, I bought it from Arshi. It's genuine.

Buy a coin from the forum with confidence.

Please become a Premium Member, it's worth the support and advice you'll get. 

[BackyardBullion]

3 hours ago, blab said:

I did the gravity test, just to make sure i did this right, the coin weighs 16.1 grams, then in the water the coin weighed 1.6 grams then divide that which is 10.06.

My scales are only accurate to 0.1 and not 0.01 does that matter?

It might make some difference, if the scales are rounding down from 16.15 and up from 1.55 then you SGT value would be 10.4 

[HawkHybrid]

31 minutes ago, TheWhiteStuff said:

Please remember when you buy an old coin that's in perfect condition someone has taken the time to look after it. 

or someone has forgotten they've left it in the attic

for the past 20 years 

(as the current custodian of the coins do you take

pride in doing a good job?)

 

my personal view is I'm uncomfortable with the larger

than expected weight difference. you should check

it closely with coin in hand versus a known example.

despite the sg test results, on this occasion I'm not

convinced.

 

HH

[TheWhiteStuff]

Yes the best job is to do nothing at all.

But you can still look after it as best you can when doing things like this.

Like wearing gloves, i just don't see any reason not to. 100% cotton gloves are less than £2.

What is the cost of a handkerchief.

Putting the coin down on a table is easy but its hard to pick up a coin without sliding it and that's when it gets scratched.

[BackyardBullion]

25 minutes ago, HawkHybrid said:

My personal view is I'm uncomfortable with the larger

than expected weight difference. you should check

it closely with coin in hand versus a known example.

despite the sg test results, on this occasion I'm not

convinced.

 

HH

I agree, its not often that mints give you a whole half a gram extra silver! Best to do a more accurate SGT test to be sure (with scales to 0.01 gram at least)

Failing that I would suggest an acid test - but this kind of ruins the coin! 

Ultimately if it is fake its only 1/2 oz and not the biggest loss ever - and you are doing all the right things by weighing and testing your coins!

[blab]

I bought the coin of eBay, and I know people say not to buy from there unless it's a well known seller, but I took the risk and yes it's only a 1/2 Oz.

Also I will take good care of them now you mentioned about it. 

Here is another photo, hard to take a good one with a phone.

[TheWhiteStuff]

Did it come in a lunar capsule? Although not conclusive a fake coin would probably use a cheaper capsule. Sometimes more obvious than the coin itself.

[Danny-boy]

It's genuine, don't stress.

[blab]

10 hours ago, TheWhiteStuff said:

Did it come in a lunar capsule? Although not conclusive a fake coin would probably use a cheaper capsule. Sometimes more obvious than the coin itself.

Yes it came in a Lunar capsule, i'm going to buy more accurate scales to 0.01 instead of 0.1 and redo the gravity test. Thanks to everyone on here for their opinions and help, very much appreciated, Seems like a very helpful forum  

[Dune69]

12 hours ago, blab said:

I bought the coin of eBay, and I know people say not to buy from there unless it's a well known seller, but I took the risk and yes it's only a 1/2 Oz.

Also I will take good care of them now you mentioned about it. 

Here is another photo, hard to take a good one with a phone.

this photo looks right to me comparing it with a genuine coin

I have 2 IOM half sovs that are both over weight and both are genuine

[vand]

Overweight and bought off the 'bay... doesn't look good imo.

[HelpingHands]

From the photos it looks good to me.  I can't see anything that would make me suspicious.

 

 

[sovereignsteve]

Had a real good look at the photo alongside a real one under a loupe and, although I thought I could detect a couple of slight differences, they were probably too insignificant to matter. Could be reflections as well. I can't believe someone would be able or go to the trouble of manufacturing such an accurate fake of a bog standard half ounce lunar.

So if the size and density stack up, along with the magnet test, then I'm sure it'll be good.