Be Aware that Fake Silver is in the Marketplace

Silver buyers should be aware that there is a significant amount of fake silver in the marketplace, including silver coins and silver bullion. A minimal amount of knowledge regarding this subject can go a long way toward protecting yourself from purchasing these fake products. Most fakes can be discovered by performing some simple tests; 1) weighing the piece, 2) measuring the diameter and thickness of the piece, and 3) testing for silver content. The first two tests are relatively easy while the third can prove to be more difficult and expensive.

Most Fake Silver (but not all) is Easily Detected

Most fake silver can be spotted by using the 3 tests listed in the previous paragraph, but that does not mean that if the piece passes these 3 tests that it is genuine. There are counterfeits that are struck on a planchet with the correct silver content and that weigh and measure correctly. So these tests are a good way to filter out the majority of fakes, but not all. The way to think about it is that if the piece passes these tests it is possibly genuine.

Weighing and Measuring silver products

An acceptable scale for this purpose can be purchased for about $25. I have personal experience with a palm size scale by My Weigh, Model MX 300. It is rated to weigh a maximum of 300 grams (a little less than 10 troy ounces) and is accurate within 0.1 grams. It uses three AAA batteries for power with no AC adapter available. Here’s a photo of it:

This small investment has helped me to reject quite a few items for sale. There are many competitive products to choose from depending on your individual needs (e.g. weighing 10 Troy Ounce bars will require an upgrade from this scale).

Any standard measuring device such as a ruler is the simplest method for measuring the products, but a digital caliper instrument is more precise. I have a General UltraTech caliper with an LCD display for showing digital measurements (shown below).

Specifications for some common silver coins

The information of what each piece should weigh and measure and the silver content is readily available on Google, although the earliest coins are not manufactured as consistently as the more modern coins. Here’s a short list with some more common coins:

Specifications for some common silver bars

Silver bars come in a large variety of formats other than those listed in the table below, so if the bar you are checking out does not meet these specifications it may very well still be silver.

Testing for Silver Content

Testing for silver content is easier when it is ok to scratch the surface of the object, in which case scratch tests and acid tests can be employed. It is generally not ok to deface coins and silver bars for testing so less invasive techniques need to be employed. Some simple tests are described in the paragraphs below.

Instant Rejection

A good starting point for testing metal content is to use a strong magnet. If the magnet sticks to the coin/bar, it is not a silver coin (silver is not a magnetic material).

Rare earth magnets are probably your best choice as they are very strong for their size. Be careful not to buy the cheap versions as they tend to develop surface chips and can even shatter when two of them collide. You can buy high quality nickel plated Neodynium Grade 42 magnets about the size of a US Nickel in our store at the link below and we’ll have them delivered to you in a couple of days.

Neodymium rare earth magnet

[ Just a side note, a magnet works great for testing to see if a 1943 cent is steel or copper, as copper is not a magnetic material either.]

Silver Ring Test

If you drop a silver coin onto a wooden table, a very pleasant “ring” tone will result. This is the same sound that experienced cash register operators know to be the sound of silver. Drop a non-silver coin and you get a dull “thud”. If you do get a “ring”, be sure to do other tests/measurements as copper can also produce a nice sound.

Click the link below for a short video that demonstrates the ring test:

Silver Ring Test

Silver Slide Test

Another easy test is to lean the coin/bar and slide a magnet down its face. If the magnet slides slowly down the face of the coin then the coin has silver or copper content. If the magnet falls quickly down the face of the coin it does not have silver content. The video below shows this experiment with a base metal coin .vs. a silver coin. The magnet will slide down quickly on a base metal coin, but will slide more slowly if the coin is silver or copper.

Click the link below for a video of a neodymium rare earth magnet, grade 42 sliding down a genuine silver bar and a fake silver bar side by side:

Silver Slide Test

Click on the link below if you are interested in buying a rare earth magnet:

Neodymium rare earth magnet

Fisch Tester

There is a product on the market called the Fisch tester that will allow you to measure the diameter, thickness, and weight of specific coins. Specific hard plastic tester tools are included for specific denominations, so to be able to test different types of coins you need a number of these tools. They work well and don’t damage the coins but they are fairly expensive. Here’s a link to the Fisch Tester web pages. TheFisch.

More Advanced Tests

There are a number of more advanced methods for testing your coins/bars but most of these are quite expensive and not too portable. For example, if you’re going to a coin show it is easier to bring a magnet than a mass spectrometer.

Conclusions

There are some simple tests available that can help to avoid buying non-silver products at silver prices. These tests are not foolproof but they do help identify a large percentage of the fakes in the marketplace. Using one or more of these tests routinely will enable you to become more familiar with silver products in general and will enhance your ability to spot fakes before you buy them.