Apmex ten oz bars
BigMoneyLewis
Posts: 194 ✭
I noticed today that one of my ten oz Apmex silver bars that I recieved from Apmex this week is diffrent . It's a bit rougher around the edges , and is not as wide as the others .
Same thickness, same height, but about a 1/4" less in width (VERY noticable when side by side with another Apmex ten oz ) Also , the smaller lettering on the front as well as the reverse is alot more narrow . VERY noticable diffrences between the two bars .
So my question is , has any one else noticed this. Is it simply a change in the manufacturing process , or did some joker sell some fakes back to Apmex , and due to the large vol they handle, they got through the screening process ?
Lewis
Same thickness, same height, but about a 1/4" less in width (VERY noticable when side by side with another Apmex ten oz ) Also , the smaller lettering on the front as well as the reverse is alot more narrow . VERY noticable diffrences between the two bars .
So my question is , has any one else noticed this. Is it simply a change in the manufacturing process , or did some joker sell some fakes back to Apmex , and due to the large vol they handle, they got through the screening process ?
Lewis
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stamped in to the bar, and on the other, the lettering is raised up .
I did contact Apmex this morning and they assured me every item of bullion incoming and outgoing is checked for authinticity . I was told they did use various mints to produce the bars and some minor diffrences in dimensions may occour . I did weigh the bars and they weigh the exact same (as far as I can tell on my postal scale) and both seem to be equaly diamagnetic on the 45 degree test . I feel better about it , but even after looking at dozens and dozens of pics of Apmex ten ounce bars on google images, I still have not yet seen another pic of a bar like the one in question.
Lewis
I am sure that if they think your bar sounds off they will want you to send it to them so they can check it out.
If they sold a bad bar they would want to know that and make it right.
Let us know how it turns out.
bob
Not sure how to post pics . One other diffrence in the bars , one has the lettering in the logo
stamped in to the bar, and on the other, the lettering is raised up .
I did contact Apmex this morning and they assured me every item of bullion incoming and outgoing is checked for authinticity . I was told they did use various mints to produce the bars and some minor diffrences in dimensions may occour . I did weigh the bars and they weigh the exact same (as far as I can tell on my postal scale) and both seem to be equaly diamagnetic on the 45 degree test . I feel better about it , but even after looking at dozens and dozens of pics of Apmex ten ounce bars on google images, I still have not yet seen another pic of a bar like the one in question.
Lewis
Very strange that one would have incuse relief and the other not.
That does not make any sense at all.
Have you seen this page? APMEX
Time to learn how to do a specific gravity test.
Let us know how it turns out.
bob
Length x width x height divided by weight = density.
Time to learn how to do a specific gravity test.
Let us know how it turns out.
bob
Length x width x height divided by weight = density.
By height, I assume you mean thickness. Where do you measure the thickness? It has raised rims and the thickness varies across the silver bar.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Time to learn how to do a specific gravity test.
Let us know how it turns out.
bob
Length x width x height divided by weight = density.
By height, I assume you mean thickness. Where do you measure the thickness? It has raised rims and the thickness varies across the silver bar.
Yes, thickness.
I guess you'd need a micrometer to measure inside the rims. All you're looking at is a quick estimate. The average person wouldn't have the stuff to even determine SG, esp. for something the size of a 10 ounce bar. For all intents and purposes the value is the same.
gregward@mchsi.com
Thanks,
Lewis
OK , I just took some real good detailed pics of a side by side comparison , but I do not have any way to post them . Perhaps if someone could e-mail me , I can e-mail someone the two pics, and they could post for me ?
gregward@mchsi.com
Thanks,
Lewis
email sent
Thanks for your help !
Lewis
A picture can be worth 1,000 words to help determine what you're asking.
Bajjerfan , I just e-mailed the pics.
Thanks for your help !
Lewis
Will post them as soon as PhotoBucket is back from lunch.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Thanks for loading the pix bajjerfan.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Trying to jog the memory....wasn't there a fake bar thread a long while ago about these?? The font differences have me thinking that, but I imagine these are fine.
Most fake silver bars are the 1 oz size. They are thicker that their genuine counterparts to bring their weight up to a full ounce because they are silver plated brass which is less dense than silver.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
in this day and age , you have to stay on your toes. I soptted some fake 1 oz sunshine bars at a local bullion dealer last year , told the dealer , and he ran a couple tests and said I was right . Had I not just read the diagnostic characteristics of the fake 1 oz Sunshine bar only a couple weeks previous, I would have bought them not knowing. They got past a bullion dealer that does this all day long every day .
Back to the Apmex 10 oz bar . One thing I should note for those that may not know .
The graphics on any 10 oz Apmex like this are "portrait" style on the obverse , but "landscape" style on the reverse . I mention that so their is no confusion about the
deminsions of the bar . Both bars are the exact same height (as looking at the front)
but one is approx 1/4" less wide . The one that is less wide does appear to be slightly thicker , and that would explain how they both could weight the same despite the diffrence
in width . The only scale I have is a postal scale , it does not have troy oz, but before I removed these from plastic , they both weighed 11.2 oz . Holding the bar at about a 45 degree angle and placing a rare earth magnet at the top , it slides down slowly , just as it should , however ,copper , zink and brass are also diamagnetic so that test is not fool proof. I did contact Apmex by e-mail twice . The first time to inquire about the diffrence in dimensions . They responded about using more than one refinery to produce bars , and a slight diffrence in dimension was nothing to be alarmed about . They also assured me if it came from Apmex, it is genuine . The next day I e-mailed the two pics to them in hopes of getting more info, such as when these other bars were made , etc. They e-mailed back a 1 800 number for me to call, and when I did I got a young lady who had no idea what I was even talking about , but again re assured me that if it came from Apmex directly, which it did, then it was genuine . So ...if nothing else , this has been a learning experience , and has brought to light the fact that their are some ten oz bars out there that have very diffrent design characteristics than the normal .These are obviously somewhat obscure
as I have still not seen a pic of this second style anywhere on the ole "interweb " despite having looked at images of a hundred or so 10 oz Apmex bars .
Lewis
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Wow, really different bars.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Thanks for loading the pix bajjerfan.
PB was still out to lunch as of late last night. Props to collective coin for coming to the rescue. See my sigline if anyone is interested in giving CC a try.