Gold coin trouble
 

The 20-mark coin came in the mail a few days ago; my digital scale tells me it weighs 7,92 grams when the coin book says it is to weigh 7,965 grams. Is this normal in circulated coins, or does this indicate a counterfeit? Thanks

Re: Gold coin trouble
 

i think old circulated coins have a tolerance of that amount

Re: Gold coin trouble
 

45 milligrams can easily wear off of a gold coin.

Re: Gold coin trouble
 

Oh good; I do not have experience with older coins and thus didn't know if I was getting a fake or not. My tael bar, kruggers, and 100 coronae are all UNC or AU+, and the 20-mark has certainly seen better days.

Thanks for the responses :)

Re: Gold coin trouble
 

A worn out silver quarter weighs about 250mg less than a mint one.Where did you get the tael bar?

Re: Gold coin trouble
 

A fake gold coin is usually going to be off by a bunch, 50% or thereabouts unless the dimensions are large.

Re: Gold coin trouble
 

yep -

some of the sovereigns that are supposedly BU vary somewhat.

Sovereigns were minted in seven different countries at various times.

the Marks I've seen generally seem to have a little tighter tolerances, but I don't have much in the way of circulated.

I can believe that a circulated coin with some wear would readily be off that much.

Re: Gold coin trouble
 

Remember,the only 2 metals that have the same density as gold are tungsten and uranium.The latter you check with a Geiger counter,the former is so hard and has such a high melting point that making a fake tungsten coin and goldplating it at this time is more expensive than a real gold coin.Making a fake large gold bar with a tungsten core is feasible and would be profitable.

Re: Gold coin trouble
 

@Antonio: I got it off a dealer with high feedback on eBay; it's marked 37,5g but it's equivalent to 1 HK tael. I weighed it out and everything; it's legit. Looks like this:
http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/9296/c6e51wv8.jpg

Re: Gold coin trouble
 

You are okay. Worn coin is all per your remarks.

Best wishes,

HS

by the way - the old foreign coins are fun when they are near spot - plus you get HISTORY. :wink:

Re: Gold coin trouble
 

Oh yes, it was fun when I sniped it for $630/oz shipped on eBay :D

I may get a sovereign next, but I heard there are many fakes out there, any advice?

Re: Gold coin trouble
 

You're ok...that's only 0.6% below spec. I think the Fisch detector for any coin tips at 0.7% below spec to allow for circulation damage.

mark

Re: Gold coin trouble
 

Thanks I forgot I bought all those FISCH Scales. Got to get 'em out again and play! :wink:

Hey. I want all you "EBAY" SNIPERS to go away so I can have a LITTLE FUN TOO!

Re: Gold coin trouble
 

Buy from apmex. As of yesterday, they are selling sovereigns from $2.50 over spot.

The two sovereigns I got from them in my last order was a really beautiful 1925 George V and a somewhat worn 1895 Victoria with the mintmark "M" (Melbourne?). I pad $160 at apmex when gold was $671 (comparable to now). My dealer wants $250. Sovereigns on apmex , like I said, are close to spot and around $160.