How to test if gold coins are real or fake?

[theylivewesleep27]

I've been buying gold Britannia coins recently. I have 6 of them now but 1 of them is a slightly darker colour to the rest. I thought it may be because it was older than the others but i bought an even older one yesterday and its the same colour as the new ones. But 24k gold shouldn't tone over time should it? It's made me think the darker one could be fake? How can I test it?

[Petra]

Measure it, weigh it, magnet, would be a start 🤔 

[James32]

38 minutes ago, theylivewesleep27 said:

I've been buying gold Britannia coins recently. I have 6 of them now but 1 of them is a slightly darker colour to the rest. I thought it may be because it was older than the others but i bought an even older one yesterday and its the same colour as the new ones. But 24k gold shouldn't tone over time should it? It's made me think the darker one could be fake? How can I test it?

What year?

Have you a picture?

Put all your coins gently together,out of capsules,they should all match extremely closely in diameter and thickness. 

Weigh them all and see how they match up also.

 

[theylivewesleep27]

1 minute ago, James32 said:

What year?

Have you a picture?

Put all your coins gently together,out of capsules,they should all match extremely closely in diameter and thickness. 

Weigh them all and see how they match up also.

 

It's not the one you sold me don't worry aha

[James32]

Just now, theylivewesleep27 said:

It's not the one you sold me don't worry aha

Ohh I know 😆🤣 I've tested that within an inch of its life, then on the sigma. 

The maget isn't really going to tell you much with gold, any fake gold I've seen is usually copper/brass ,therefore not magnetic either. 

[Fenlander1]

Would specific gravity be a good test on gold?

[James32]

Just now, Fenlander1 said:

Would specific gravity be a good test on gold?

It's the perfect test, although semi awkward on a 1oz coin..but very doable. 

[Anteater]

13 minutes ago, James32 said:

What year?

This is quite important, given that up to 2012 were 22ct whereas 2013 onwards are 24ct, so it wouldn't be surprising if there was a colour difference...

[theylivewesleep27]

7 minutes ago, James32 said:

Ohh I know 😆🤣 I've tested that within an inch of its life, then on the sigma. 

The maget isn't really going to tell you much with gold, any fake gold I've seen is usually copper/brass ,therefore not magnetic either. 

I took it out the capsule and put it next to the others and it's the same size, it has a ding in it where it looks like its been dropped and looks like solid gold all the way through. Everything on it looks legit but the colour is just ever so slightly darker than the rest. Magnet did nothing. I tapped them with the magnet and to taps all sounded the same too. 

Just now, Anteater said:

This is quite important, given that up to 2012 were 22ct whereas 2013 onwards are 24ct, so it wouldn't be surprising if there was a colour difference...

its 2020

[James32]

1 minute ago, theylivewesleep27 said:

I took it out the capsule and put it next to the others and it's the same size, it has a ding in it where it looks like its been dropped and looks like solid gold all the way through. Everything on it looks legit but the colour is just ever so slightly darker than the rest. Magnet did nothing. I tapped them with the magnet and to taps all sounded the same too. 

its 2020

It's real 

Same size and diameter is good 

Ping test is good

The ding is the best proof, 24ct is so soft when dropped, it just mushrooms. ( yep I've drop one before)

The darkness, could simply be the coin suffering oxidation due to how it was previously stored. 

[Fenlander1]

Upto and including the 2013 the 1oz brit was also known as the wafer brit it it larger in diameter and thinner and as correct above 22ct

[theylivewesleep27]

3 minutes ago, James32 said:

It's real 

Same size and diameter is good 

Ping test is good

The ding is the best proof, 24ct is so soft when dropped, it just mushrooms. ( yep I've drop one before)

The darkness, could simply be the coin suffering oxidation due to how it was previously stored. 

There is one bit of the coin that looks slightly thicker than the rest of the coin, but i assume thats just because its bullion grade

 

Edited January 19, 2023 by theylivewesleep27

[James32]

4 minutes ago, theylivewesleep27 said:

There is one bit of the coin that looks slightly thicker than the rest of the coin, but i assume thats just because its bullion grade

 

Yeah it's how they are stamped. Have seen it on many coins tbh.

If you check thickness with digital calipers, you will get 10 different measurements, depending where you measure. 

[dicker]

Lots of good historic posts here to look at around testing gold.  

Best Dicker

[GoldDiggerDave]

Are you selling gold coins?   😳

[theylivewesleep27]

1 hour ago, GoldDiggerDave said:

Are you selling gold coins?   😳

no?

 

[LawrenceChard]

2 hours ago, theylivewesleep27 said:

How to test if gold coins are real or fake?

I've been buying gold Britannia coins recently. I have 6 of them now but 1 of them is a slightly darker colour to the rest. I thought it may be because it was older than the others but i bought an even older one yesterday and its the same colour as the new ones. But 24k gold shouldn't tone over time should it? It's made me think the darker one could be fake? How can I test it?

"How to test if gold coins are real or fake?"

If you can see them, touch them, hear them, taste them, or smell them, then they are real.

If not they are imaginary.

Once you know they are real, your problem is to tell whether they are genuine or fake!

Not all gold Britannias are 24k gold, even the post 2012 ones are only 23.9976cts.

😎

[James32]

3 minutes ago, LawrenceChard said:

"How to test if gold coins are real or fake?"

If you can see them, touch them, hear them, taste them, or smell them, then they are real.

If not they are imaginary.

Once you know they are real, your problem is to tell whether they are genuine or fake!

Not all gold Britannias are 24k gold, even the post 2012 ones are only 23.9976cts.

😎

Waited hours on your wisdom, and you didn't disappoint ✨️ 

[LawrenceChard]

1 hour ago, James32 said:

Waited hours on your wisdom, and you didn't disappoint ✨️ 

Sorry I kept you waiting!

😎

[Abyss]

12 hours ago, theylivewesleep27 said:

I've been buying gold Britannia coins recently. I have 6 of them now but 1 of them is a slightly darker colour to the rest. I thought it may be because it was older than the others but i bought an even older one yesterday and its the same colour as the new ones. But 24k gold shouldn't tone over time should it? It's made me think the darker one could be fake? How can I test it?

https://www.youtube.com/@BackyardBullion/search?query=test

About half dozen videos created by Backyard Bullion on his YouTube channel go through with a detailed explanation how to test. I use a precise scale, calipher, gravity test and ping test (all of these covered in the videos).

[Spyder]

If all else fails, take it to your local pawn shop, if they offer you £1000, then you got a real Gold Britannia

[Darr3nG]

There's only one true test... Yarrr!

[Maxx546]

I have this fake sovereign that I keep just to compare with genuine sovereigns..Give you a good idea of what to look for its slightly thicker than a genuine sovereign passes on the magnet test ..but the ping test is completely different to a genuine sovereign..and finally how much it weighs gives it away 

Sadly some of these are put into rings and can be much harder to distinguish 

[James32]

27 minutes ago, Maxx546 said:

I have this fake sovereign that I keep just to compare with genuine sovereigns..Give you a good idea of what to look for its slightly thicker than a genuine sovereign passes on the magnet test ..but the ping test is completely different to a genuine sovereign..and finally how much it weighs gives it away 

Sadly some of these are put into rings and can be much harder to distinguish 

That's blatantly obvious and I imagine more so im hand.

Edited January 21, 2023 by James32

[Maxx546]

1 minute ago, James32 said:

That's blatantly obvious and I imagine more so I'm hand 

True.. But if your new to collecting it's a good way to compare..The look ,feel and then the tests and just to compare it with a real sovereign.. 

Sadly some of these are being used in sovereign rings now and can be much harder to distinguish for people who dont know what they are looking for most would probably just go on the weight of the ring say 6 gram for the ring mount and 7.9 gram for the sovereign.. this is only 0.7 gram off a real sovereign it being 7.3 grams so can be hard to judge on the weight of the full ring