Gold experts a question and some interesting info.. UPDATE THE REST OF THE STORY
Coin Finder
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This Double Eagle weights light buy a couple of grams...... It has a small raised period between 9th and 10th star on the observe. I had it tested and it tests at 88 percent gold. Why would someone make a fake out of gold. Whats with the raised period?
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Chinese junk made in the past few years and likely whoever tested that was off. Probably gold plated would be my guess and perhaps the test was the plating.
bob
Here's a Coinfacts one: and note the reverse has shield bars that are multiples not solids.
bob
well I had it tested with a X-Ray Spectrometer equipment to identify and verify the percentages of elements present in a metallic sample.
This method can’t determine precious metal content with the same accuracy as a fire assay however, this method can quickly verify metal content of an item with a 5% margin of error....
well is has been polished and there are lines in the bars, the photo does not bear this out..
Guessing it's not 88% gold, those spectrometers still can't get it right on heavily plated fakes. Off by a couple of grams? tells me you got a gold plated lead coin from Russia, north korea or perhaps china.
The whole worlds off its rocker, buy Gold™.
BOOMIN!™
Wooooha! Did someone just say it's officially "TACO™" Tuesday????
No top serif on the mintmark
Yes thank you it not mine but I'm helping a friend.. So I kinda know its a fake, but the testing is throwing me off. Might have to cut into it...
Your friend has a fake. That's the bottom line.
I like bottoms lines... I'm going to call him right now and tell him and then kick his dog!
That dot is Braille for suckafool
Don't kick the dog. He can kick himself.
Sadly a fake...There is a metals test equipment that would identify content....I cannot remember the name, it is expensive - about $600 if I remember correctly....I saw it discussed on the PM forum...Your coin likely has heavy plating... and that is why you are getting that reading. Cheers, RickO
Sigma Metalytics Precious Metals Verifier
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
I don't know anything about these but is there a chance that it is a Lebanese or Soviet fake made of real gold?
As I remember those counterfeits, they were better than this one.
@PerryHall.... Thank you... I knew it was Sigma something, but could not recall the full name. Cheers, RickO
Don't you dare tell him that my dog is pissed!
As it is fake, why not cut into it and test for sure?
Buying fakes gets very expensive, very quick!
I wouldn't want to deal with the gold dust.
I see.
Perhaps he doesn't want to cut into it because it wouldn't bring as much on eBay if he did.
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
That would be unethical and everyone knows nothing unethical happens on eBay. Sarcasm intended.
I added the wink emoji so everyone would know that I was joking.
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
I wonder if a sharp knife would cut through any plating without leaving any gold dust.
If it's one of the ubiquitous Asian fakes I'd be more worried about lead and cadmium dust...
RIP Mom- 1932-2012
The cheap ($600) metal analyzers are not able to give consistent, accurate results. They are intended for general surface assessment only.
Well, I had It cut in half and have photos...
So original as I said this coin was a friends. I am very serious about this. It is not mine. I did convince him to let me have it tested and it came back as 88% gold. Still not certain and from some of the comments here.... I had it cut in half. Here are the photos...It was tested again on all sides and it is 88 PERCENT GOLD. The analyzer was not wrong. I also got a decent explanation.....
Looks like bronze or maybe the color in the photos or my pad is off. Bullion now.
This. The penetration depth of X-rays on metals is very small. Thick plating will fool them.
Harder to fool them when cut in half.
It really depends on when the fake was made and what the premium was. It is probably not a modern fake at 88% gold with no premium on common date 20s. But if you go back 50 years, there was a premium on these coins and it was not uncommon for gold counterfeits to exist. Although I'm not sure I've seen one that was that close to 90%.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
And the explanation is what?
bob
Take almost right gold, make some fakes, cost is base price of gold, =/- $40 an ounce, make it into something that can be moved and may bring a premium. Middle East, etc.
+1
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So after it was cut in half they tested it three times on all sides. So its gold.... The explanation was that this was made during the 60's in Vietnam. Apparently is was a way to move gold out of the country at a very dangerous and volatile time.. Apparently other countries have done this and do this...
I hope you leaned something I certainly did...
To me, a forgery made under the circumstances might be worth a small premium. Wasn't there any way to confirm content short of destroying it?
Such as weight, mass, specific gravity, etc
Back several years ago, my brother had a coin shop. He brokered a deal on 100 $20.00 gold pieces for an estate. Out of the 100 there were 20 counterfeits. (including a 1919 Saint.) The 20 were cut in half and tested. They were, I believe approximately 90% gold. The gentleman that had bought them had a lot of them marked at $65.00-75.00 on the envelopes that he had paid for them.
The dealer that bought them paid almost $200.00 each for the counterfeits for the gold content. Compared to what the gentleman paid and what the estate got for them, it turned out to still be a good deal.