2022 Silver Britannia does not ping. Should I be worried?

[N00b2020]

I started buying silver since 2020 and ive been really enjoying it.

 

Pinging silver coins and hearing that ring from a thick 1oz silver coin gave me a nice feeling 🙃

 

Anyway the other day I bought 8 x new 2022 silver britannia's from a reputable dealer.

 

All the security features are bang on BUT

 

1)  They look less shiny and silvery than much older silver coins I have.

2)  They dont really ping to speak of.....at best the ping is a lot shorter in duration.....practically non existant.

 

Im trying to react in a neutral way here.  On one hand I do find it worrying/suspicious but I find it hard to believe a dealer ive dealt with buying and selling would pull a fast one over a few silver coins.

 

Could they be defective in any way?

 

Id be grateful for any advice as I struggle to get ideas out of my head once I feel I may have been wronged.

[HerefordBullyun]

There are members on here who have sigma testers - Im sure they could test it for you for small fee if you are willing to cover postage.

[TheShinyStuff]

Have you tried a magnet test?

[James32]

Sincerely doubt ( without knowing which dealer) you have been sent fake coins.

Step 1) magnet test... magnet won't stick to a silver coin,but tilt coin at approx 45 degrees a slide magnet down it ( should be slight resistance)

Step 2) pull manufacturers (RM) dimensions and thickness from RM or even bullionbypost and check with calipers. 

Step 3 weigh coin on accurate scales , preferably ones that go down to 0.1gram ( suggested weight can also be found from same place as above)

If you have passed all these tests so far the you are doing very well and likely OK.

Step 4) can if still in doubt then do a specific gravity test at home ( backyardbullion has a foolproof video on YouTube) 

Step 5) if for any reason you still feel unsettled, buy 1 x 2022 britannia from another reputable dealer to compare with.

Ps, although not ever going to be cost effective with postage both ways, I'm happy to test for free if you cover postage. 

[Happypanda88]

7 hours ago, N00b2020 said:

1)  They look less shiny and silvery than much older silver coins I have.

2)  They dont really ping to speak of.....at best the ping is a lot shorter in duration.....practically non existant.

1. Silver coins can tone quickly and become less shiny if not stored in air tight capsules.

2. You cannot test silver based on ping tests alone. As James32 stated above, there are other ways to test your newly acquired silver Britannias. Visually, they look ok. I do not see a problem with the coins judging from the photo.

[Arganto]

There are many who put a lot of stock in ping testing, personally I don't think it's a reliable way to test metal. It is nice to listen to though.

Weight, dimensions, magnetism. That's usually enough for most stuff. Specific gravity after that. Fake modern silver bullion is usually easy to spot by eye, it's fake numismatics and gold coins that cause issue for the most part. You may get the odd knock off sovereign from a dealer by mistake but this is unlikely to happen with brand new silver rounds and coins.

[N00b2020]

Thankyou for all your responses so far I really appreciate it.

 

Firstly yes ive done the magnet test and they pass.  So with that and the fact the security features are highly detailed and its from a well known dealer I am satisfied up to a point.

 

My only qualms are they look dull which I could overlook normally but combined with a lack of ping I was very worried.

On google and youtube etc 99% of the time I interpreted it that people were saying the ping test was fundsmental.

I greatly appreciate the offer of testing them thanks....ill think it over.

I think what compounded it was when I rang the dealer they were very dismissive of the ping test and when I said it was all over their site they denied it.....that really didnt help calm me down.

[Arganto]

4 minutes ago, N00b2020 said:

look dull

It's possible there's a batch of Royal Mint coins that haven't been finished 100% as expected, who knows with their quality control...can you take a face on picture a bit closer up? 

[N00b2020]

Sadly im just heading out the door but here is another photo.

[N00b2020]

Here is another

[HerefordBullyun]

Look at the edge.

If its got made in Taiwan on the side, its fake!  

[modofantasma]

34 minutes ago, HerefordBullyun said:

Look at the edge.

If its got made in Taiwan on the side, its fake!  

Guangzhou mint mark anything to worry about? 

[modofantasma]

Have you a local dealer or jewellery store that could XRF test for you?

[jackflash123]

Hi @N00b2020

My thoughts would be turning towards asking for a full refund if you're unhappy with your purchase, and it was made from a reputable dealer as you say.

We have statutory rights, that in most cases, allow us 7 days (or more in some cases) to return purchases for any reason as long as the items are in the same condition as to when they were purchased.

Online or telephone sales are protected under the "Distance Selling" regulations which allows you to return items you bought without seeing them "in the flesh" if they don't meet your requirements or aren't fit for purpose.

A reputable dealer should have no reason to refuse your return and refund.

The only way I forsee this potentially being problematic is if the purchase was made online, because it may be a pain in the backside to send them back and get a refund. The seller may claim those weren't the coins they sent you, or try to get out of giving you a full refund, but if they take this stance then they're potentially risking their own reputation.

Another idea could be that if your purchase was made with a credit card then you have some protection there from your card provider. You have the power to ask them to do a charge back if you don't receive the items you have purchased. In this case you may be able to claim the items you received are not of the quality and condition that they should be.

All of these options are available to you, and the previous advice from other members regarding testing your coins is an excellent idea. But if you're going to return them you need to do it ASAP.

Best Wishes and good luck 👍 

[N00b2020]

I have contacted them and have said i'm unhappy but ive had no reply by email.

 

Personally I feel that if they dont ping or look dull theyre inferior anyway regardless of if theyre ''fake'' or not.

[jackflash123]

Just now, N00b2020 said:

I have contacted them and have said i'm unhappy but ive had no reply by email.

 

Personally I feel that if they dont ping or look dull theyre inferior anyway regardless of if theyre ''fake'' or not.

If you have contacted them by email and they're not responding within a reasonable time frame (say 48-72 hours), then I would be stepping up my efforts by calling them directly (if you have a contact telephone number for them) as they cannot ignore you while you're on the phone.

Whatever your reasons for not liking the coins, you are entitled to return your purchase within the standard returns window of 7 days or 14 days for online/telephone orders. These return periods are your rights, unless you signed an agreement that says something like "all sales are final and no returns will be accepted".

Like I said if they're not replying to your emails then call them directly. Ask for the manager or owner and then tell them you would like to return your items for a refund.

Keep us posted on your progress and good luck 👍 

[N00b2020]

Its difficult because I did ring them and they just said they were fine and kept repeating that.

I figured if i did it all by email theres proof of whats been said so I think ill stick to that course.

[jackflash123]

13 minutes ago, N00b2020 said:

Its difficult because I did ring them and they just said they were fine and kept repeating that.

I figured if i did it all by email theres proof of whats been said so I think ill stick to that course.

Yes having written proof is definitely a great idea.

I don't like the sound of the way they dismissed you on the telephone, that's sounds somewhat underhanded to me. They are not acknowledging your right to return your order and they're probably hoping you will go away.

However if you feel strongly about the quality of the items you purchased then maybe the only way to get it resolved is to keep contacting them. They should eventually get sick of your requests for a refund and sort it out for you (in an ideal world).

Good luck 👍 

[darkstar]

You Could try the "Precious coin tester" app for a more accurate ping test, I have caught a couple of Perth mint fakes I bought off E-bay that way. Get digital scales & Calipers, Neodymium Rare Earth magnet for the slide test. From what I have seen, I've never come across a Fake Britannia before, the newer ones are loaded with security features.

Edited July 5, 2022 by darkstar

[LawrenceChard]

14 hours ago, N00b2020 said:

I started buying silver since 2020 and ive been really enjoying it.

Pinging silver coins and hearing that ring from a thick 1oz silver coin gave me a nice feeling 🙃

Anyway the other day I bought 8 x new 2022 silver britannia's from a reputable dealer.

All the security features are bang on BUT

1)  They look less shiny and silvery than much older silver coins I have.

2)  They dont really ping to speak of.....at best the ping is a lot shorter in duration.....practically non existant.

Im trying to react in a neutral way here.  On one hand I do find it worrying/suspicious but I find it hard to believe a dealer ive dealt with buying and selling would pull a fast one over a few silver coins.

Could they be defective in any way?

Id be grateful for any advice as I struggle to get ideas out of my head once I feel I may have been wronged.

 

I must have written this about a thousand times already on TSF, and elsewhere:

Who is the dealer?

By giving all the information you have, including who you bought them from, and a link if available, you achieve several things:

First, it makes it easier for other people to help you.

Secondly, it helps other members to be aware. It might help them to avoid dealers who give poor service such as failing to respond to e-mails.

It is not defamatory to name your supplier, especially if what you are saying or asking is in good faith.

If, for example, you had bought your coins from @ChardsCoinandBullionDealer, I hope a number of TSF members would step in to assure you that they / we are OK. If your supplier is a TSF member, then it would be simple courtesy to tag them in to your post, then they can be aware, and also have the opportunity to respond.

You state "from a reputable dealer.", and almost everybody with a concern similar to yours says the same thing. Does "reputable" mean they have been caught yet?

Some dealers named as "reputable" don't really deserve the epithet, partly because nobody ever says "I bought these suspicious coins from Fraudster Fred or Dodgy Dan", so they get to stay anonymous, and "reputable". That Fred West was a great guy until he got caught!

Have you ping tested and compared like for like? For example are the other earlier coins you tested all 999 silver Britannias? If not, then it's not surprising they sound or look different.

Lastly, did you check the batteries in your hearing aid? 

😎

[flyingveepixie]

Statutory rights notwithstanding, isn't it a condition of sale from dealers that bullion is not normally returnable due to the ever fluctuating spot price?  And isn't that normally stated on all dealers websites? 

Lawrence? @LawrenceChard

Edited July 5, 2022 by flyingveepixie

[chasetyre]

Hi,

That's one of the reason I spent a fortune on a sigma tester, some years of coins can look very different even from the same mint.

After testing most of my coins, thank fully I have yet to find a fake, but it is very re assuring to be able to test any off looking coins.

I would put in on my sigma tester for free as long as you cover the postage

[LawrenceChard]

22 minutes ago, darkstar said:

 I've never come across a Fake Britannia before, the newer ones are loaded with security features.

Just because you have not yet seen any, does not mean they don't exist:

I did not look for other dates, but I'm sure they exist. If not, I am sure they would make some 2022s for you!

😎

[chasetyre]

6 minutes ago, LawrenceChard said:

Just because you have not yet seen any, does not mean they don't exist:

I did not look for other dates, but I'm sure they exist. If not, I am sure they would make some 2022s for you!

😎

God that's an awful looking fake Britannia.

I think you would need new glasses rather than changing your hearing aid batteries if you bought that

Edited July 5, 2022 by chasetyre

[James32]

5 minutes ago, LawrenceChard said:

Just because you have not yet seen any, does not mean they don't exist:

I did not look for other dates, but I'm sure they exist. If not, I am sure they would make some 2022s for you!

😎

How many in a pallet?