Started collecting silver.

[bigtattoo79]

Started collecting a little silver and can't help the fact I'm stressing over getting fake silver. So far I've only bought from  apmex, Provident and  JM can I assume these bigger companies wouldn't deal in fake silver?

[Stu]

Stick with the big dealers and you will be fine, avoid eBay like the plague and welcome to the forum. 

[blindguy]

As far as ebay all the dealers you mentioned sell on ebay. Even some forum members sell on ebay. I do not think to condemn ebay is fair but get to know who you are buying from. On ebay I like pinehurstcoins. They are very fair. SD bullion is good also. I do not buy silver eagles unless they are ngc or pcgs or anacs graded as I have seen more fakes of silver eagles than other coins. If you want more places to buy from just ask and we here at the forum will help you.  Jim

[KDave]

If concerned find out the mint specifications of the coins you are buying (size in both dimensions and weight) and use some calipers and a scale to test within tolerance. Also a good quick one is a magnet slide to put the bullion silver down it to see if it slows down (not sure exactly the physical process is, but silver slows its fall yet doesn't stick to the magnet). 

[blindguy]

I carry a magnet to every show and live auction I go to.

[bigtattoo79]

Thanks for the info and advice! I’m not gonna buy too much at once but a couple bars/rounds every now and then will be fun to collect. 

[Bimetallic]

Yeah you'll be fine re: fakes if you buy from major dealers. But you're losing money buying from those particular dealers, especially APMEX. It's important to pay the lowest price. Silver.com and SD Bullion almost always have the lowest prices. It's also worth looking at Gainesville Coins and BOLD Precious Metals.

[Draconicus]

7 hours ago, blindguy said:

I carry a magnet to every show and live auction I go to.

Yup, it' helps a lot, but please don't forget it not work on ALL kind of fakes... Use it as ONE of several personal tests you do, but never as the ONLY one.

A Magnet test never must be the decisive one!

[Michal]

pinnnnnnng... Unfakeable 

[TonyS]

8 hours ago, bigtattoo79 said:

 

I’m not gonna buy too much at once but a couple bars/rounds every now and then will be fun to collect. 

 

I remember saying that last October. It’s an incurable disease!

[DarkChameleon]

17 hours ago, Stu said:

Stick with the big dealers and you will be fine, avoid eBay like the plague and welcome to the forum. 

Don't worry too much about ebay, its experience that screams fake when you've bought enough hundreds of ounces of silver.

[bigtattoo79]

When weighing 1oz bars/rounds in grams what do y’all consider an acceptable tolerance + and - for the weight to be off?

[silenceissilver]

I'm surprised no one has suggested a specific gravity test. This, together with a magnet is the best cheap way to find fakes.

[DarkChameleon]

9 minutes ago, silenceissilver said:

I'm surprised no one has suggested a specific gravity test. This, together with a magnet is the best cheap way to find fakes.

weight, micrometer measuring and neodymium magnet, you can do the magnetic slide but unless your paying silly money for the scales or micrometer then it's the cheapest way to stave off the junk junk.

[DarkChameleon]

1 hour ago, bigtattoo79 said:

When weighing 1oz bars/rounds in grams what do y’all consider an acceptable tolerance + and - for the weight to be off?

very slight and under weight, if it's a 10th of a gram over and not listed as over then it's fake...the harder part is if you bought junk silver coins as they can wear over time and some coins were slightly thicker then others, making it that bit more difficult to check, then it's down to feel, noise, weight again similarly worn coins etc.