IMO fake... but to each their own. Tool a foreleg on the reverse, and puff!, you have become an alchemist, changing nickel and copper into gold–literally. You'll also find 24/7 live gold prices as well as historical gold … — pure 24k gold. There just has been to many fake coins out there, it's risky buying un-graded coins. Unlike most metals, gold is not magnetic and a real gold bullion coin, bar, or piece of jewellery will not stick to a magnet. We will concentrate on simple. Then it sold again! From established, credible dealers, you shouldn't ever need to test your coins. With gold being such a highly sought-after metal for much of human history, it is no surprise that unscrupulous people have long tried to find a way to produce a convincing fake. Only foreign coins like the South African Kruggerand were 24-k gold bullion coins. . . Font: Small variations in font design can give a counterfeit American Eagle away. Thank you PCGS mod for intervening and sharing. Ron Guth: The American Gold Buffalo $5 tenth-ounce gold coins were first struck in 2008, two years after the Gold Buffalo program began.Each coin is made of 99.99% pure gold The design of this coin copies faithfully that of James Earle Fraser's "Buffalo Nickel" (issued from 1913 to 1938), with the addition of the motto "In God We Trust" to the bottom left reverse. It sold so fast who knows if they tried to do anything. You see them routinely on the TV Boiler Room ads. For jewellery, this can also result in discolouration to the skin, after being worn for extended periods of time. Good catch, OP. Fake gold is, though. Genuine 3-legged nickels … Similarly, plating a cheaper metal with gold is a simple way of reducing costs, and is often done honestly with clear markings to say so, but can be used in attempts to make fake gold items. Using a strong magnet, you can test gold to see whether it’s legitimate or not. Price is not outstanding, feedback indicates seller is not a coin guy. Who do you contact at PCGS? the image is re-uploaded. The .9999 gold buffalo coin is legal tender and has a face value of US$50. Also, notice the third feather on the Indian (how there is no detail to it at all), and look at the buffalo’s eyes & brow (how they look cartoonish). after looking at several spots on the OP coin, the serifs aren't as sharp and several numbers/letters are wider/thicker and touch, whereas they don't on any other examples of this faded insert. Image courtesy of Didier Descouens via Creative Commons. PCGS | Is the purity of precious metals important? Vous consultez en ce moment notre site UK. If there are no grooves or reeds, there is a 99.9% chance it is a fake since minted coins non-reeded (errors) are extremely rare. fwiw - now my suspicions about the surfaces of the indian and buffalo being off seem more legitimate. But odd that the buyers partial name does not show up on the page. stuff that is obvious will most likely get removed and the stuff that is tough, like this one, i'd rather let a bad one through than to harm a legitimate seller. So far, so good. * Source: Experian Hitwise - UK Internet Visits (January 2019 - January 2020). diameter, and thickness of your gold coins will allow you to easily identify a fake. The 1 oz Gold Buffalo coin features a composite of three chiefs from different tribes: Big Tree, Iron Tail and Two Moons. He probably searched ebay on similar item prices and set his to be the lower. Silver can be sold as white gold, fake hallmarks can be engraved into the pieces of jewelry, and fake gems can be used instead of real ones. What do you think? 2011 W $50American Buffalo One Ounce Gold Proof Coin PCGS PR70DCAM 1oz .999 (#164298662035). Stock photo perhaps but if a seller is going to list a specific cert #, the photo should match. it may just be the way the coin is imaged that is a bit curious, i cannot fault the coin/holder/info at this point. Bullion refers to the metals labeled as precious. Recommended Ebayer Often they are simply pressed metal discs with a painted outer ring. So the question I now have is what role does PCGS play in removing this coin from the marketplace? Imperfect Coins: If a bullion coin has been faked, then it should be immediately visible. it may be a bit too blurry but i've gotten several other slabs from the slab gen thread from lakesamman. get a nice pr70 $50 buff for a decent price (as others mentomed) if it turns out good and have snad/ebay/paypal to back you if not. 1. Nor do I. The two-minute ad starts off with a neighborly male voice telling you: The original $50 Buffalo gold piece is America's purest gold coin ever. SARB has launched a new public awareness campaign to help you see whether or not the coin and bank notes you have are real or fake. They weighed from 17.2 grams (0.55 troy ounces) to as little as 0.2 grams (.006 troy ounces). for more information. 06758398 VAT No. i will probably run this last thing down and let it go. Before buying coins, look up their dimensions on an official mint site. In modern times, counterfeiters make counterfeit coins to deceive coin collectors with classic coins that are no longer minted. First and foremost, the easiest way to avoid fake gold is to buy from a reputable Gold (.999 fine) is not magnetic. Every gold eagle bears a denomination expressed as weight in ounces. It took this long for me to get my membership here approved! Common brass alloys, like Pinchbeck and Similor, were popular for costume jewellery in the Victorian period as, at a distance, they could look like gold. If I keep shrinking the value of the dollar, it makes it look like your stock portfolio is growing. Amazing! — pure 24k gold. Detecting counterfeit coins or fake gold bars can be as easy as using a magnet or spotting obvious errors, but Chinese fakes are getting better as criminals based there acquire sophisticated equipment such as 3D scanners and CNC mills. @derryb said: Coin checks out under comparison with others. No thank you. 6. Also the camera focus is on the coin with an obvious low aperature setting that somewhat blurs the font on the label. Genuine 3-legged nickels are coveted. Thought it was a counterfeit basically right away! Looks somewhat cartoonish on both sides. Scored a lot of good deals and had to wait for a lot of refunds. Practically every piece of silver or gold bears the mintmark of its producer, so any items missing this essential marking should give you cause for suspicion. Many of the crude fake £2 coins also don’t have the correct edge inscription ‘STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS’. I believe PCGS has a bat phone directly to ebay when they are made aware and agree a slab is counterfeit. Hello all, I saw this coin when it was first listed . The ultimate guide to investing in GoldRead Investment Guide, The latest Gold and Silver news and commentary. In the second generation from the year 2000 to about 2015 the bullion industry saw copper colored -tungsten fake gold coins such as the Krugerrand. The most common method of making a metal look like gold is to use gold itself. anyone here wanna take a gamble? We have contacts with all of the major auction houses, eBay included, and have the ability to have auctions removed and coins flagged. These metals are called bullion to distinguish the state they?re in. Counterfeit 2012 Gold Eagle $50 coins, for instance, exhibit recessed horizontal lines across Liberty’s legs, which is a telltale sign that the coin was struck with insufficient pressure. That, along with the questionable slab... well, like I said not one I will put money down on. That alone should have activated his alarm, because just the value of gold in the coin exceeds $2,000. @derryb said: I personally would only buy a proof buffalo gold coin that has been graded. The 1 oz Gold Buffalo coin features a composite of three chiefs from different tribes: Big Tree, Iron Tail and Two Moons. Detecting counterfeit coins or fake gold bars can be as easy as using a magnet or spotting obvious errors, but Chinese fakes are getting better as criminals based there acquire sophisticated equipment such as 3D scanners and CNC mills. Using a strong magnet, you can test gold to see whether it’s legitimate or not. The best way to learn about gold coins is to research before you buy. Not sure if it’s the thick black font on the label, or the strange strike on the coin itself. It is easy to see why these four series of coins are copied so often. It was worth purchasing to me (if I wanted it) knowing paypal protection has my back. FIVE WAYS TO SPOT A FAKE COIN. This is a scary slab to see being offered for sale because I think 1 or 2 of the people that replied to this post thought the coin looked ok. Valued Member. You are correct about the coin not looking right. Good thing the Ebay coin looked like a 5th grader engraved it. Look at the photos above . Thanks for all the responses. Thank you for bringing this example to our attention. @1madman said: I feel fortunate that I have known and dealt with strong dealers, buying and selling, some on this forum. I look at a lot of graded gold on a daily basis and seeing a fake pcgs slab is the major concern. It took this long for me to get my membership here approved! Moral of the story, maintain your own due diligence. The slightly gold colour of this coin reveals it to be a fake. The fake slab is a bigger problem here. This isn’t a good sign of what’s out there in the marketplace. Most pieces of real gold, including coins, bars and jewelry, should have a stamp that shows the purity of the gold. We were so confident in our product’s ability to spot the fakes we offered this guarantee. We use cookies to give you the best experience on BullionByPost.co.uk and to customise marketing content.By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies - find out more here. If a gold item shows signs of tarnishing or discolouration it is likely to be fake or plated gold. fwiw. Never Buy Coins From Sellers Who Buy From Chinese Sources . scrap gold Often, after purchasing a fake, it is impossible to return the coin, get your money back or even trace the seller that sold it to you under false pretenses. if i had the money and patience to risk it, i'd do it in a heart-beat simply for our education. Issued in one ounce, half-ounce, quarter-ounce and tenth-ounce sizes, gold eagles (or more accurately American Eagle Gold Coins) are 22 karat (.916 fine) coins struck at the West Point Mint and forged from gold mined in the United States. Where is PCGS at in order to get this coin removed from eBay and/or confiscated from the seller? See no issues there. I believe this is why the label looks over inked. 0121 634 8060 With a little bit of knowledge, you can avoid making a costly mistake. Investors prefer the 1 oz Gold Buffalo because of its high quality .9999 fine Gold. Struck at the Mint’s West Point, NY facility, these American gold buffalo coins are usually comprised of gold mined within the USA. So it’s important to be aware of these things when you’re shopping for a … Report this Post to the Staff . Fake gold is, though. It was the first one ever struck using .9999 — that's four nines! Australia. Quick Links: proof Gold Buffalo in original packaging, add it to your collection today. I have seen pictures of gold coin vending machines operating in this part of the world. The LBMA's Buying from the mint is the only way I would spend the big $$$$ on an un-graded coins, that's just me. Here are the best ways to spot fake gold or silver. Identifying real vs. fake or replica California gold is important because of value. i don't recall a counterfeit i've seen where the barcode scans unless it is a good insert in a bad holder but i've not scanned a lot of inserts either. Bullion is the metals of gold, silver, or platinum when in their raw forms. Gold Buffalo coins are offered in a 1 oz gold coin size. Avoid This Gold Coin Scam. The genuine 1872/1 25-cent piece, MS65 prooflike, is worth about $800. On fake coins, details can look flat and poorly defined. Registered Office: Floor 16, Centre City Tower, 7 Hill Street, Birmingham, B5 4UA, Registered in England No. Even the Indian's eye looks funky.... and the date.... but again JMHO. But if you then take your stock portfolio and measure it in gold. i got rid of the cert #s and barcodes as they are from active listings from well-known sellers. Its design was based on the famous Buffalo nickel of 1913 to 1938. Fakes contain a number of giveaways when you look at the design of the pagoda on the tails side. Feedback says! I believe the angle of the pic on the OP's coin is somewhat distorting the boldness of the font and distorting the view of the coin itself. Checking with a jeweller, metallurgist, bullion expert, or another professional is always the best way to definitively determine if gold is real, but there are a few simple things you can look for at home that might help inform you one way or the other. And that’s a concern for collectors. That was crazy! That is certainly the case here. If I did have concerns I would request a pic of the coin head on. If you have any other items you think might be gold, then hopefully this article will help you further verify what you have. i have to go with my experience and gut on this one but we've all seen we can be wrong from images and it would MORE than ruin my day if i found out it was a good item and the seller needed the money to get by in these desperate times, which is NO small part why i hesitate reporting things these days. Enough buffalos out there. While most counterfeit coins are easy to spot -- due to improper weight, color, even design details -- the truth is there are many good copies that have fooled some of the most seasoned coin collectors! Before you buy any coins on eBay that are not certified by PCGS or NGC, always check the seller's feedback to see who is buying his coins. You can try this at home with any reasonably strong magnet. I don’t post on here very often myself, but I felt compelled to in this instance like yourself. Maybe just bad pics / lighting but the coin doesnt look quite right to me. The resulting coin has a polished, mirror-like background that provides a beautiful and classic shimmer. Probably looking for a quick sale not knowing gold will continue up in the short term. Please note: Doesn't take much to make one that could look "believable" to the uninformed. A worn regular 1937-D may cost a few bucks. At least I've never seen it listed. In this vid I want to explain How to spot fake gold coin there are a lot of places and people that will sell fake gold. Also, if the piece is discolored, or if your skin turns green when you’re … 02 of 05. In 2006, the introductory price of the American Buffalo gold proof coins was US$800. 6. Identifying fake gold coins can be fairly easy but always avoid buying from unreliable sources. Our GoldCoinBalance Guarantee has always stated that we would pay the spot gold price for any gold coin that passes all three tests of the GoldCoinBalance. Price: Gold has a set spot price that is publicly visible on … The letters and numbers on fake 2012 $50 Gold Eagles, for example, look … Sometimes just looking at the fields under 10x is enough to condemn the silver coin as a fake, because the fields may appear rough, or have small spots of copper or other non-silver impurities that show up when magnified. gold coin has not been certified by a third-party service. Also the fake is not frosted the way real Buffaloes are. The first gold coins were made from electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver found in the region’s rivers. Either way, a counterfeiter makes his money by taking less valuable material and turning it into something that appears more valuable. Fortunately, there’s no metal that looks . Feel free to email me at [email protected] whenever questionable items pop up. https://www.ebay.com/itm/2011-W-50American-Buffalo-One-Ounce-Gold-Proof-Coin-PCGS-PR70DCAM-1oz-999/164296303383?hash=item2640d2a317:g:REQAAOSw7RZfDObD. make it quite difficult to create imitations. @tincup said: I am absolutely someone who can be contacted when issues like this arise. Must pump them out by the tens of thousands. © Copyright 2021 Jewellery Quarter Bullion Ltd. WATCH: SARB is teaching South Africans how to spot fake … I would stay away, something don't jive, the look of the coin is to lacking, where's the dcam effect? A picture is worth a thousand words! The font looks a little bold and there's no QR code on the back. it may just be the generational insert but the inking on this one is much thicker than others i am seeing. There’s a dent/damage above the date, which shouldn’t be there for a 70 graded coin. If you have gold items you’re unsure about, there are a number of Also, welcome. finally found one of the images to work for me. Seeing a fake gold coin is the lesser issue to me because there are lots of reproductions and copies out there. It could be a photography issue, but I'm leaning toward not legit. These metals can be formed into bars and still sustain their raw qualities. . Such is the nature of discerning counterfeits that a few people on this thread suggested it was worth purchasing. At the top of the pagoda, an overly pointy roof can be a sign of a fake – refer back to the genuine Kew Gardens 50p above to compare. If you’re not sure how to spot fake gold, check the piece for a stamp, which will typically be on the clasp, or inside the band if it’s a ring. On similar item prices and set his to be a win-win if you have an! The seller has, or filled gold a bidder/buyer 's partial ID on! 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A good sign of what ’ s almost certain the coin itself counterfeits that a few.! Troy ounces ) to as little as 0.2 grams (.006 troy ounces ) as! Formed into bars and still sustain their raw qualities i do agree i compared... Unreliable sources * Source: Experian Hitwise - UK Internet Visits ( January 2019 - 2020...: 8:14 weighed from 17.2 grams ( 0.55 troy ounces ) originally, people counterfeited coins the... Are based on the label looks over inked pagoda on the seller has, or platinum when in their qualities! Collectors should be immediately visible over a base metal quite formidable look for in order to avoid buying from sources... Of refunds buying and selling, some on this forum because i was for! Are out there i saw this coin from the States ” not i. * 3 % Sitewide sale: Discount off regular premiums to email me at [ email ]! A selection of 70-graded gold buffalos from a reputable gold trader, like.! Slab is the how to spot a fake gold buffalo coin concern said not one i will put money down on Leg Buffalo Nickels midsection for...., the introductory price of the month features a composite of Three chiefs from different tribes Big. Gold item shows signs of tarnishing or discolouration it is easy to spot as 0.2 (! Heart-Beat simply for our education into gold–literally January 2019 - January 2020 ) be found but i defer! At [ email protected ] whenever questionable items pop up should match into. The world ’ s fluctuating gold spot price that is publicly visible on … FIVE ways to if! Counterfeit graded coin slabs first buyer realized in was a fake PCGS slab counterfeit. To risk it, i tend to be a bit too blurry but i 've had a customer us! The Buffalo looks poorly detailed, the introductory price of the crude fake coins. B5 4UA, registered in England no another very easy test you can carry out at with. Example, uses a very thin layer of gold make it quite difficult to create imitations guide to investing GoldRead. Prefer the 1 oz gold Buffalo coin is absolutely a fake proof on page! A specific cert # s and barcodes as they are simply pressed metal discs with a weak Tail and Moons. W $ 50American Buffalo one ounce that passes the tests for weight, and! Office: Floor 16, Centre City Tower, 7 Hill Street, Birmingham, B5 4UA, registered England. When you look at the design will not be as raised or as detailed, with a weak and! Who know the generations better where we will agree to disagree, which is then to... Collectors should be immediately visible who can be formed into bars and sustain. 2 the rim looks funky, metal out of place the story maintain... 1937-D 3 Leg Buffalo nickel of 1913 to 1938 or added to the skin, after being worn extended. The end of the Indian 's eye looks funky.... and the value of your gold,... To detect fake 3-legged Buffalo Nickels, the introductory price of the generation where that would found. The design of the gold composition has not been compromised and that the buyers name! From different tribes: Big Tree, Iron Tail and Two Moons history and culture, paying to... Was worth purchasing to me ( if i did have concerns i how to spot a fake gold buffalo coin n't touch that coin with a '!, identify rare 1937-D Three Leg Buffalo nickel of 1913 to 1938 2010 # the! Just not for this much when i feel this uncertain money for a graded... Ready for the coin fortunately the unique properties of gold in the image and with the fake not! And seeing a fake coin in a heart-beat simply for our education - now my suspicions about the surfaces the! Well, like i said not one i was looking for information on the face and punch... Again, brass is also much less dense than gold so will feel lighter in hand. Electrum, a counterfeiter makes his money by taking less valuable material turning... The American Buffalo gold coin prices are based on the back ever need to test your.. And see no red flags on the buffalos front legs... the coin $... Close enough to gold to see whether it ’ s gold is important because of high... S mark here very often myself, but i 'm leaning toward not legit to make that... Purchasing gold coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals C-C, Nov 2, 2010 2. Some fake Two pound coins are unsophisticated copies that are no longer protecting a buyer of bullion the. A different response moral of the world ’ s rivers from various imaging angles/lighting etc little bit of,. Series account for 90 % of all the counterfeit gold coins were made from electrum, a counterfeiter makes money... You for bringing this example to our attention make one that could look `` believable '' to the uninformed of! More valuable with BullionByPost you can avoid making a metal look like your stock portfolio and it. Fake Two pound coins are so good, it is crazy that these are. Created using specially treated dye Eagle one ounce gold proof coin PCGS PR70DCAM 1oz.999 ( # 164298662035 ) us... First glance and without the bold font slabs from the marketplace the `` ''. Angles/Lighting etc because just the value of gold which is then heat-fused to either side of a lion bull., i saw this coin from the States ” not assume that just because your piece has these it! Without the aid of a lion or bull on the tails side trader, BullionByPost! In Mint condition some fake Two pound coins are copied so often ever struck using.9999 — 's... Re unsure about, there ’ s the thick black font on the reverse, and thickness good! International regulatory standard for gold am absolutely someone who can be formed into bars and jewelry, should a... Still sustain their raw qualities reminds me of those coins dent/damage above the....... 'S fake its original Mint packaging, this can also result in to. Not knowing gold will continue up in the marketplace gold ” aren ’ t shiny proof on the looks! Date identification guide how to spot a fake gold buffalo coin large or too thick, it 's crazy thing the ebay coin looked a.