List of useful equipment to test gold bullion/coins

[SilverApe]

Hi,

As the title can you share any good bits of equipment to use to test gold bullion or coins. For instance, I know of the following but are there other bits of kit that would be useful to buyers?

- Fisch testing kit (https://www.thefisch.com/).

- small digital scale 100g weight with 0.001 accuracy (I haven't been able to find a reliable supplier).

- digital vernier calipers to meansure the object's dimensions.

Another piece of kit would perhaps be an ultrasound or digital magnetic tester to see if the internals of the coin or bullion would be the same as the outside, does anyone know of a machine that can do this?

edit: I also forgot, maybe an electical conductivity test? I don't know if there is a machine for this either.

Edited May 9, 2020 by SilverApe

[daca]

Sigma Precious metal verifier

 

Edited May 9, 2020 by daca

[SilverApe]

The Sigma Precious metal verifier is currently listed at $625.00 with the pro version costing more. That's quite an investment for the home buyer. 

[daca]

33 minutes ago, SilverApe said:

That's quite an investment for the home buyer. 

Just discovering one fake 1/2oz gold/ PGM  item  will make worth buying a Sigma.

Edited May 9, 2020 by daca

[Prophecy]

I have a Sigma on the way. If you are buying regular physical gold/silver for a long time to come, no matter the quantity, it is a wise investment. Remember, you can sell the Sigma just as quickly as you bought it should you need to release the funds (for almost the same amount).

Edited May 10, 2020 by Prophecy

[Robb]

Nice thing about the Sigma as that it can also help you when selling.  Buyers seem a bit more at ease and I think appreciate it when I put a coin or bar on it.  It isn't inexpensive but if you are going to be investing substantial money into PMs it is another tool you can use to check what you are buying.  I also like that it can read through plastic mint sealed coins and bars without damage to the packaging.

[LiquidMetalsUK]

I have recently bought a sigma. Should be with me soon and worth every penny for piece of mind. It would only have to find a half oz fake coin at current current prices and its paid for its self. To be able to test my gold and silver in seconds is goingn to be so cool. Also as an investor for the next whoever many years it's really not that expensive 

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Jamesd

[daca]

here is a very interesting video on basics of testing

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by daca

[Prophecy]

TBH i'd be more reassured if something was tested on a Sigma than an XRF machine. Or am I missing something?

[Tape]

I have a Sigma and at the time I bought it, it cost about the same as a half ounce gold coin, it's more peace of mind than anything for me, luckily all my gold came out as genuine and if I didn't have my Sigma I would always wonder in the back of my head if they were all real.

[silenceissilver]

I have also got a Sigma, a pro, I'm very pleased with it. I ordered it form the US. There is a place, I think in Slovenia, that sells it, too.

They also have competitors with similar products and a wider range of testing kits.

Some are a bit cheaper. https://www.gold-analytix.de/

Just use deeple.com (it translates better than google translate) to get the descrpitions translated, if you consider buying one of them.

Edit: Actually ,they have a UK option anyway:

https://www.gold-analytix.de/en-uk

Edited May 13, 2020 by silenceissilver

[SilverStorm]

I apologize for resurrecting an old thread, but it seems to be the only one I could find that discussed testing equipment.

I'm looking to get an ultrasound testing device, but I prefer not to pay an exorbitant amount for one.   I contacted Olympus for a quote, and the prices are insane (note:  I had to sign off on a US EPCI form before I could even be contacted with price quote and info lol).  Can anyone recommend a decently priced UTM?

[BiteSizeTrader]

On 10/05/2020 at 06:14, Jamesd said:

I have recently bought a sigma. Should be with me soon and worth every penny for piece of mind. It would only have to find a half oz fake coin at current current prices and its paid for its self. To be able to test my gold and silver in seconds is goingn to be so cool. Also as an investor for the next whoever many years it's really not that expensive 

 

Hi James

Where did you buy yours from? 

[LiquidMetalsUK]

2 hours ago, BiteSizeTrader said:

Hi James

Where did you buy yours from? 

Direct from sigma 

[SilverStorm]

Does anyone have any information regarding magnetic scale tester?   Specifically, any info, pros, cons of the two linked items would be great.  Thanks in advance.

 

GVS Bullion | Test Devices (gvs-bullion.com)

Magnetic Balance - testing device for gold and silver | Goldanalytix.com - Gold Analyzer (gold-analytix.com)

 

[LawrenceChard]

On 18/05/2021 at 21:20, SilverStorm said:

I apologize for resurrecting an old thread, but it seems to be the only one I could find that discussed testing equipment.

I'm looking to get an ultrasound testing device, but I prefer not to pay an exorbitant amount for one.   I contacted Olympus for a quote, and the prices are insane (note:  I had to sign off on a US EPCI form before I could even be contacted with price quote and info lol).  Can anyone recommend a decently priced UTM?

So, what was the price?

On 10/05/2020 at 16:52, Prophecy said:

TBH i'd be more reassured if something was tested on a Sigma than an XRF machine. Or am I missing something?

Probably!

😎

[boughtthetop]

Anyone use that GoldScreenBox posted above, seen a kiwi use it on youtube, looks like a nifty bit of kit

Edited March 16, 2022 by boughtthetop

[SilverStorm]

On 03/03/2022 at 05:07, LawrenceChard said:

So, what was the price?

😎

OMG, you're asking me now lol.  Olympus wanted Cdn $12,471.20 (VAT included) for the Olympus EPOCH 650.  Shipping and insurance extra.   That price quote was good until Aug. 15, 2021, so undoubtedly it has gone higher now.  Unfortunately for me, that is something I can't afford.   

On 16/03/2022 at 10:38, boughtthetop said:

Anyone use that GoldScreenBox posted above, seen a kiwi use it on youtube, looks like a nifty bit of kit

The GoldScreenBox is cheaper than the GVS (I forget by how much).  I ended up buying the GVS because it can test heavier weight bars and it has a premium look and feel to it.   I believe the GoldScreenBox has a weight limit (you need to reconfirm), and that's why I didn't go with it.  

(Edit: see revised comment below)

Edited April 2, 2022 by SilverStorm
See revised comment below

[goldsilverdash]

The only testing equipment that I have ever used is the Pingcoin app (https://pingcoin.com). Anyone else here tried that?

It is a free app that verifies the authenticity of gold and silver coins by listening for the right frequencies when you “ping” the particular coin in question.

The app doesn’t support all coins, but out of those of mine that are supported I’ve tested at least one coin of each type, and they’ve all checked out as authentic. This is completely unsurprising to me as I’ve bought everything I have from reputable dealers. I do not feel any need whatsoever to buy a Sigma or any other expensive testing equipment.

However, at some future point in time, I might perhaps buy a digital scales and a calliper.

[goldsilverdash]

As for the argument that it is worth buying an expensive testing machine at around the price of ½ of gold just because it can detect a fake ½ gold coin, I’m not convinced. This argument fails to take into consideration the likelihood that what you are testing is a fake. This likelihood is very low if the object has passed other less expensive tests.

[Pete]

1 hour ago, goldsilverdash said:

As for the argument that it is worth buying an expensive testing machine at around the price of ½ of gold just because it can detect a fake ½ gold coin, I’m not convinced. This argument fails to take into consideration the likelihood that what you are testing is a fake. This likelihood is very low if the object has passed other less expensive tests.

Absolutely agree.

If you are a business buying and selling every day then there is a good case to invest in a Sigma or XRF machine for simplicity and speed and also you can offset your equipment costs against your profits when it comes to tax returns etc.

For possibly 99.9% of home stackers then the cost is probably not worth it.
Perhaps if you buy PMs frequently, especially from eBay, then getting a secondhand unit might be reassuring.
If you buy your coins from reputable sources the risk is pretty much nil and if you ever detected a fake it should be readily exchanged or refunded.
Buying gold and silver from car boot sales requires more courage and I would definitely avoid the risk.

Checking gold is very straightforward - dimensions and weight as these are well documented.
Gold is difficult to fake because only tungsten has a similar density so avoid buying larger bars from anyone except bona-fide dealers.
Any gold coin that is thicker and / or lighter requires investigation and a specific gravity test can quickly confirm whether or not your coin is 22 or 24ct gold. I found an 18ct sovereign once by this method bought from a top UK bullion dealer who confirmed and exchanged.

Most silver coins that are fake are cheap base metal so will be thicker and more likely than not to be magnetic.
A cheap strong Nd magnet is useful.
What is a good test for fakes is experience and if you have the genuine coin for comparison you can often tell by look, feel and ping / sound spinning on a hard surface. Weight is critical and anything not extensively worn should never be underweight.
 

 

 

 

[goldsilverdash]

25 minutes ago, Pete said:

Absolutely agree.

If you are a business buying and selling every day then there is a good case to invest in a Sigma or XRF machine for simplicity and speed and also you can offset your equipment costs against your profits when it comes to tax returns etc.

For possibly 99.9% of home stackers then the cost is probably not worth it.
Perhaps if you buy PMs frequently, especially from eBay, then getting a secondhand unit might be reassuring.
If you buy your coins from reputable sources the risk is pretty much nil and if you ever detected a fake it should be readily exchanged or refunded.
Buying gold and silver from car boot sales requires more courage and I would definitely avoid the risk.

Checking gold is very straightforward - dimensions and weight as these are well documented.
Gold is difficult to fake because only tungsten has a similar density so avoid buying larger bars from anyone except bona-fide dealers.
Any gold coin that is thicker and / or lighter requires investigation and a specific gravity test can quickly confirm whether or not your coin is 22 or 24ct gold. I found an 18ct sovereign once by this method bought from a top UK bullion dealer who confirmed and exchanged.

Most silver coins that are fake are cheap base metal so will be thicker and more likely than not to be magnetic.
A cheap strong Nd magnet is useful.
What is a good test for fakes is experience and if you have the genuine coin for comparison you can often tell by look, feel and ping / sound spinning on a hard surface. Weight is critical and anything not extensively worn should never be underweight.

Very good points! If you buy a coin from a reputable dealer or trusted seller, and it looks and feels "right", there is really no reason to suspect anything. And if you wish to increase your confidence further you can check the specifications – weight, diameter, and thickness – and combine this with a ping test. If all this checks out, as far as I understand, it is almost impossible that it could be a fake. A testing machine could increase your confidence even further, but only at the margin, and thus will be of marginal value only for a normal stacker.

A great thing about coins is that they are standardised. So, like you say, if you have several coins of the same type, it is easy to compare them. If one of them is a fake, it would probably stand out from the others. But maybe it is a different matter if one is dealing with jewellery, hand-poured silver art, and the like, as opposed to coins?

When it comes to testing silver with a magnet, this seems difficult to me. How do you know if a particular magnet is strong enough for the purpose?

[SilverStorm]

All above are good points for not buying testing equipment. For me, it is having that piece of mind knowing that my metals have been tested and verified by me; this is a great feeling, it allows me to sleep soundly at night knowing there are no fakes in my stack.  And you can’t place a price tag on that.  

[boughtthetop]

On 31/03/2022 at 03:00, SilverStorm said:

I believe the GoldScreenBox has a weight limit (you need to reconfirm), and that's why I didn't go with it.  

Officially i thinks its 100g,but in this he tests 200g & 1kg

 

[SilverStorm]

16 minutes ago, boughtthetop said:

Officially i thinks its 100g,but in this he tests 200g & 1kg

My apologies, I was thinking about the wrong product when I posted my answer above.   To clarify, I was looking to get either the GVS Bullion Tester or the Goldanalytix Magnetic Screen Scale.   Both of these are magnetic scales, and tests the PM for it's innate magnetic properties.   The Goldanalytix Magnetic Screen Scale (I believe) has a weight limit.   This is why I went with the GVS Bullion Tester.  

The GoldScreenBox works similar to the Sigma Metalytics PMV (as shown in the video).   With regards to the pricing and capability of this product, I didn't look into it, as I already have the Sigma PMV Pro Mini.

I hope this clarifies my above post.