Silver Panda 1 oz Coins Fake or Real???

swampfox

I am new to this forum but I have recently started collecting Silver Pandas & have found that they are apparently a lot of fake ones out there. Can you guys help me in how I can determine the difference in a silver panda & a silver plated. If they are in the mint sealed bag, can I assume they are real? Do you all have suggestions on reputable dealers that I can purchase these from. Thanks for your help and I look forward to the answer.

theboz11

I have collected Pandas for years, off and on, and have never heard of, or come across a fake Panda. Is this something new? They are bullion pieces and rarely are bullion pieces faked. The weight difference is to obvious for such a small return.

Try Panda America if you want real ones and don't mind their premium.

trozau

Here are some links to info found on eBay:

a) link 1

b) link 2

c) link 3

d) link 4

theboz11

Interesting! Oh well, each to their own. I would rather counterfeit something rare.

swampfox

I sure want to thank you for the information. Any recomendations on good dealers to buy from.

trozau

Try Kelley's Coins. They should be cheaper than Panda America.

TommyB

I have the 83, 4, and 5 in 1 oz. silver. They have gone up so much in the past few years I have decided to send them in for grading. Reading about the fake ones helped me decide to do this. I am sure mine are fine, have had them a long time, but want themauthenticated in case I ever sell them someday. I was astounded to see the 3 going for well over 2k as a set.

TB

lordmarcovan

I've seen fake gold Pandas, but haven't heard of fake silver ones.

Then again, with all the fake stuff coming out of the Far East, one wonders...

OnlyBuffalos

Silver Eagle Coin has 1 ounce Silver Pandas for the years 2007 ($22), 2006 ($22) and 2005 ($23).

APMEX has a few additional years for sale at competitive prices.

The early years have always been difficult to locate especially those certified by PCGS in MS69 or PR69DC. The early proofs (1983, 1984 and 1985) are a real challenge to find in PCGS PR69DC and only somewhat slightly less in an NGC holder. Very, very few are of PR69DC quality and are seldom seen for sale thus. Of the three dates, I have only seen the 1984 in a PCGS PR69DC holder and the asking price was $750. The coin sold quickly at a Fort Worth show two years ago. I think the PCGS PR69DC pops are 1 for both 1983 and 1985; 6 for 1984.

NGC appears to have a much larger share of the certified market and this may in part be due to the fact that they have a registry for silver and gold pandas. Pre-2000 PCGS certified Panda coins typically sell for more and some early dates sell for a great deal more.

I have not found very much difference in quality between NGC and PCGS for the recent dates as the silver and gold Pandas have been of high quality lately. I do think there is a different standard in gold for many of the earlier years. APMEX earlier this year had a large selection of PCGS gold Pandas but lately the pickings have been slim except for the recent dates.

TommyB

nice info, buffalo.

I did send in my 83, 84, 85, and 87 Silver one ounce Proofs this morning. Will let you know how they grade.

TB

trozau

With more and more gold and silver China Panda coins being slabbed, the more TPG slabbed collectors are bound to take notice of them.

kimon1230

It indeed is exceedingly difficult to find pre-2003 graded MS70 silver pandas. I've never seen pre-2000 ms70 pandas.
I'm trying to build a collection and I'm having the toughest time.

Other than ebay, where would one be able to find graded pandas?

silvereaglecoins

Unfortunately, counterfeit silver pandas are mass produced in China and sold all over the world to unsuspecting souls. The fakes (typically silver plated medallions) look remarkably good and some are nearly impossible to detect. trozau's links (above) are the best resource for spotting fakes. However, my # 1 red flag is the edge reeding... If the silver panda is dated 2001 or earlier, the reeded edge should be straight (the side of the coin should look like this: ||||||||||||); if the silver panda is dated 2002 or later, the reeded edge should be slanted (like this: \\\\\\). Most fakes have straight reeding or plain edges (no reeding).

Also, dealers pay at least $5 over silver spot for wholesale pandas (quantity 600), so if you see bargain priced pandas (priced at $10-$15) on eBay, they are most likely fakes. Some eBay sellers from China even include "Genuine" in their item title even though the items are questionable. Here's one: L@@K Genuine Panda Coin: PRC 2007 1OZ 99.9% Silver US. I'm not saying that this eBay seller is selling fake coins but something sure looks fishy to me.

Genuine early dates silver pandas (1983 to 1988) are sometimes worth hundreds of dollars so you should NEVER buy a raw early date silver panda unless you are feeling lucky. NGC certified pandas are recommended for the earlier dates and are usually available from PandaAmerica, although they tend to be very expensive.

TommyB

My grades are in for my early year silver 1 oz. pandas. Not the best, but at least they all are the real deal.

83 PR67 ULTRACAMEO
84 PR68 ULTRACAMEO
85 PR66 ULTRACAMEO
87 PR68 ULTRACAMEO