Fake Australian Crocodiles

[silenceissilver]

I have bought them at a local shop the other day and tested them with my Sigma Metalytics Precious Metal Verifier Pro, plus I have made a specific gravity test (to test my PM Verifier) and they are silver on the outside and something else inside. Now I would be interested if someone here would have spotted them as fake straight away and maybe someone has real ones to compare them. The specific gravity is ca 8.39 instead of 10.49

Obviously I will bring them back and demand my money.

[Gildeon]

What was the indication in the Sigma Metalytics?

[silenceissilver]

1 hour ago, Gildeon said:

What was the indication in the Sigma Metalytics?

There are two bars, the top one measure the surface, the bottom one the whole coin. You set the metal and the purity and there are 3 colours, green - OK,  orange  - questionable  and red - fake.

 

Two examples, the first one real, the second one fake (not the crocodile but it looks very similar)

[Gildeon]

Very interesting,  thanks.

[AgCoyote]

I could have immediately told you they were fake based on the finish and that they are the wrong year for the coin. The 1 oz. Australian Saltwater Croc was a 2014, not a 2015 coin.

[Tritoon01]

7 hours ago, AgCoyote said:

I could have immediately told you they were fake based on the finish and that they are the wrong year for the coin. The 1 oz. Australian Saltwater Croc was a 2014, not a 2015 coin.

yes, correct....BU only in 2014.......but there was a 2015 croc, only in proof.

[silenceissilver]

9 hours ago, AgCoyote said:

I could have immediately told you they were fake based on the finish and that they are the wrong year for the coin. The 1 oz. Australian Saltwater Croc was a 2014, not a 2015 coin.

I didn't think someone would make a fake bullion with a wrong year - how stupid is that?! At least it will make it easier to get my money back. Thanks a lot.

[silenceissilver]

Got my money back but the lady there was really nasty. "It's not fake, best you don't come again". I have told her, it's silver-plated, I know your equipment - have you tested more than the surface - no". I have bought a fake half Sovereign there before, which didn't matter insofar as they gave me a half proof Sovereign instead, even after a long time, before I had my new metal tester.

It was her boss who gave me the proof half Sovereign, apparently. Anyway, this behaviour is just unacceptable. They don't want my money and they won't get it. They can go and foon themselves. Took my money back, also for the real silver I bought there on the same day, went to another local shop and bought a bullion Sovereign instead - a real one.

If the police was not useless in the UK, I should even involve them as this lady clearly has the intention to sell it to another customer.

 

[AgCoyote]

Here is a pic of a real Perth Mint 2014 Crocodile. Notice the finish of the coin is extremely matte.

 

[caloundracats]

You should report it to Action Fraud @silenceissilver  Helps everyone if you do.

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

It's an online reporting system.

If it were me, I would also mention to the lady, and her boss about Trading Standards and they are in breach of the law.

 

 

[FFkook]

On 25/06/2019 at 21:13, AgCoyote said:

Here is a pic of a real Perth Mint 2014 Crocodile. Notice the finish of the coin is extremely matte.

 

I thought the Perth Mint always made 9999 coins? Or did they do that somewhere after 2014?

[AgCoyote]

Just now, FFkook said:

I thought the Perth Mint always made 9999 coins? Or did they do that somewhere after 2014?

The first Perth Mint 9999 coins I believe were the Kangaroos in 2016. Kookaburras and Koalas were 999 all the way up to 2017. From 2018 they went 9999 on everything.

[silenceissilver]

4 hours ago, caloundracats said:

You should report it to Action Fraud @silenceissilver  Helps everyone if you do.

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

It's an online reporting system.

If it were me, I would also mention to the lady, and her boss about Trading Standards and they are in breach of the law.

My experience with reporting crimes it not the best, the police doesn't seem to be very interested in resolving crimes. But even if they were, it would be difficult to prove I ever had these coins as I got my money back and don't have them anymore. The receipt is not very specific but even if it was, it would still be hard to prove it was these very two coins. Also, I don't have a financial loss, so the police will be even less interested. I don't see this going anywhere, so I won't report it. But I agree, theoretically it should be reported. In praxis, it would just be a waste of time, unfortunately.

[Excalibur1966]

You can report all you want but the police will do nothing, absolutely nothing. The amount involved is just way too low. 

[AndrewSL76]

Are you able to name the shop? I do not know what the forum rules are on point, but surely if someone is knowingly selling fakes, they should be outed.

A.

[silenceissilver]

15 hours ago, AndrewSL76 said:

Are you able to name the shop? I do not know what the forum rules are on point, but surely if someone is knowingly selling fakes, they should be outed.

A.

Better not, it was clear from their attitude they wanted to sell it again but I couldn't proof they have actually done that, so I think they could sue me for defamation. They are not selling online and don't have particular good prices so it's easy to avoid them.

 

[SendYourCoin2Me]

Hey, what town/city are you in btw?  Just in case you are local to me?

[AeddanR]

I think the bottom of the queens neck is a give away as well, it is supposed to be more rounded and not to a point. I have just made the same mistake and purchased a fake from ebay. They have offerd a full refund but also stand by the genuineness of it. 

[RoughDog]

On 24/06/2019 at 18:32, silenceissilver said:

I have bought them at a local shop the other day and tested them with my Sigma Metalytics Precious Metal Verifier Pro, plus I have made a specific gravity test (to test my PM Verifier) and they are silver on the outside and something else inside. Now I would be interested if someone here would have spotted them as fake straight away and maybe someone has real ones to compare them. The specific gravity is ca 8.39 instead of 10.49

Obviously I will bring them back and demand my money.

What is the weight in grams?

What is the weight in water in grams?

 

[silenceissilver]

I can't remember that anymore and don't have the coins anymore but the specific gravity I measured is correct, it wasn't the first coin I've done this with. I think the weight was correct but I'm not sure anymore