What machine do you use to test gold and silver items?
superpsychmd
Posts: 1,305 ✭✭✭
I thought I saw a pic posted in one of the messages here which showed such a machine. Looking interesting
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I'm backward. Specific Gravity and eye-ball. You gave me a good idea for a new discussion!
Sigma Precious Metals Verifier (PMV).
Verifies known content. You tell it what you are trying to verify, it verifies the PM content. Reads through slabs. Happy with it.
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This one ---
The device is a little bulky, but results are very accurate. That's my assistant at lower center.
Water, air, and a scale. (specific gravity)
bob
Interesting video. The stuff about pre-1945 and post-1945 US coinage alloy differences is bunk.
That's what I use for 'known' items.
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
Use sigma for bars, coins, etc.
Have even found it to be helpful on flatware using sterling setting
scrap jewelry and stuff , good ol fashion acid testing
would like to have owned a xrf gun, but just couldn't stomach the cost , especially lately with low amount of scrap coming in, and also I am getting to where I just as well pass on scrap, most of it comes from questionable sources, and prefer to not even have those folks coming in any longer.
Sigma usually, but like Insider says a lot of time in hand you can just tell.
My YouTube Channel
Why, a 3,000,000 lb. Southwark-Emery Universal Testing Machine, of course.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
Most of the time I use quality loupe, a good light source, my eyes, and my brain.
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
This thread is hilarious. How accurate do most of these machines say they are? I would really be interested to know how they work!
A government accident left me a former man, a potato. That photo on my profile is a low resolution selfie. I like coins.
Acid text and XRF Spectrometer
all around collector of many fine things
"I use a Hewlett-Packard model 5710a dual-column gas chromatograph with flame analyzing detectors."
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@BustyPotato said: "This thread is hilarious. How accurate do most of these machines say they are? I would really be interested to know how they work!"
They are probably a lot more accurate than our eyes and hefting a bar in our hand to feel its weight.
@coinpro76 said: "Acid text and XRF Spectrometer."
I don't think any real "pros" test rare coins with acid.
For rare coins I use the plastic test.
I have a sigma pro for metal content. For thickness I use Epoch 600, Positector UTG, or 36DL.
@BustyPotato This thread is hilarious. How accurate do most of these machines say they are? I would really be interested to know how they work!
This little machine measures the resistivity of precious metals, each of which has a very different and distinguishable resistivity. This form of examination makes duplication nearly impossible, as the makeup of a gold with 90% purity and one with 91.67% would be distinctively read.
Should an inauthentic piece of bullion be crafted in order to fool the scanner, the results would be clearly obvious to any observer- it would be impossible for something crafted in this manner to hold the same visual appeal of a true piece of bullion.
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
So, I guess the best answer is to use ALL of the 'tools' available to you, many of which are mentioned above
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
I can't **weight **
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
Specific gravity. Experience. Sometimes a ring test. On rare occasion with old, tarnished silver, smell.
Get a nice pure copper bar or round and put it on checking it under ".999 Fine Silver". It can't differentiate between very pure copper and silver. The manufacturer admitted to that, and that the Sigma PM Verifier is just one of many tests to use to verify metal and purity. My go to is specific gravity.
The two biggest concerns with the original PMV are pure copper testing as silver, and copper (or silver) alloys testing as gold. I have yet to see a silver-plated copper fake, but theoretically this could be done and would fool the PMV by itself. And there are already counterfeit gold bars (mostly the fractional bars in plastic cards) that read as gold. By using the thickness measuring and dimension checking features of the PRO, you can indeed distinguish copper from silver and copper alloys from gold, even when the resistivity values are the same. And typically the two resistivity values you get with the PRO will differ enough on a plated item to raise suspicion (the values should be very close to the same for a pure solid piece of metal).
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
The thread states "What machine do you use to test gold and silver items?"
Not coins but Items good sir, any real "Pro" would know if a rare coin was authentic enough by handling (ie weight,appearance,) it to not have to subject it to a drill press and fire assay
God forbid, if you ever have to test any gold items besides coins feel free to send them to the coinpro for authentication
all around collector of many fine things
Your eyes should always be your first test. If they can't tell the difference between pure copper and fine silver, you have no business relying on the PMV.
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I have been wanting one of these Sigma Precious Metal Verifiers ever since they came out.
I have watched the prices come down a bit and I just pulled the trigger on one for $730 PLUS 10% eBay Buck of $73 so $657 net cost.
Pretty good deal I think. Now I will have to check all my bullion and make sure I haven't got taken over the years.
What about silver-plated copper? Duh. I have used the Sigma PM Verifier before. Great instrument, but it does make mistakes, which is why I called them about the copper issue.
That attitude you have that this one MACHINE will keep you safe will set you up for failure. Beware!