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 Replies: 9 / Views: 1,468 |
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New Member
United States
4 Posts |
I am new to coin collecting and am considering a gold tester. Only thing is how can you test a coin that is sealed? Also does anyone use the Golden Touch electronic tester? If so does it work?
What about acid testing? doesn't it damage a coin?
Thanks
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Pillar of the Community
United States
834 Posts |
Are you only considering collecting gold and nothing else ?
Bruce.
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Honestly, the less-intrusive testing methods involving weight and detailed knowledge will serve you far better than a tester. Counterfeits are relatively easily identified by an expert. Better to acquire your gold from trustworthy sources, of which there are many. We live in a world where, especially with coins, if it sounds too good to be true it certainly is not true.
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Moderator
Australia
16826 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by mow
I am new to coin collecting and am considering a gold tester. Only thing is how can you test a coin that is sealed? Also does anyone use the Golden Touch electronic tester? If so does it work?
What about acid testing? doesn't it damage a coin?
Thanks
Welcome to the forum!  Um, no, you can't really do much testing with a sealed-up coin, whether it's a slab, airtite, 2x2 or whatever. The only "test" you might be able to do is weight - if you have an empty, but otherwise identical, container, or an identical container with a genuine coin in it, to compare it to. If you want to do more rigorous or accurate testing, you'll need to liberate it. Acid testing shouldn't do too much harm to a genuine gold coin, but I still wouldn't recommend it, just in case it damaged lustre or subtle toning. If you have to acid-test, try it on the rim, where any damage would be less noticeable. I'm not familiar with the theory behind the Golden Touch electronic tester - sounds like an electrochemical variation on the old touchstone test. If you have to rub the coin against the "specially treated" test strip, it sounds to me like you will likely cause some wear/damage to the coin. The best, completely non-destructive, tests you can make of a coin are weight and specific gravity. Coins, unlike jewellery, are made to a specific weight standard and shouldn't vary too much from this. For the most part, coin collectors are more worried about "is the coin genuine" rather than "is it real gold" - a fake coin made of real gold might look pretty, but is much less desirable from the collector's viewpoint (unless you're a counterfeit collector). Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
United States
834 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
3831 Posts |
Usually with the aid of capliers, accuracy of 0.01 gram scale and a catalogue book with the specifications should do the job. If you are into modern world gold coins ( >1900 ), most mint specifications should be extremely strict and rarely deviate over 3%, that is the mass, diameter and thickness.
Tell me, why should someone be crazy enough to mint gold coins out of real gold and in exact same alloy content, and in exact same specification unless it's an extremely valuable gold coin which can be worth over several thousands? No, counterfeiters haven't been that crazy yet for the lower end market fortunately.
Acid test is definately not recommended as if you don't know what kind of acid you are dealing with, you can kiss goodbye to your gold coins. Gold DOES dissolve in certain type of acids, probably aqua-regia would do it, that is mixing nitric and hydrochloric acid. Let's NOT do that ok? That's how you see gold foils on porcelain - it has been once acid treated.
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New Member
 United States
4 Posts |
Thanks. I am also collecting other coins besides gold but due to the stable value of gold, it is something that will not become less valuable. I am not concerned so much as someone making a counterfiet gold coin as someone making a counterfiet of a coin that is really gold such as a Krugerrand and making say a copy in gold plate or something like that.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5362 Posts |
gxseries There were times, like when I was a kid when full weight common date gold coins were manufactured in large numbers. I still find them today at shows. They do require someone with knowledge of the type to spot - but they can be spotted. They are NOT rare dates and they ARE gold. SG will be correct (or high) and weight will be EXACT.
Why a common coin made of full weight gold?
When they were made gold was not legal to own or import. There was an exception made - coins made before 1933 held as numismatic items. Very high quality gold coins were made overseas to supply "legal" gold to people who wanted it in the US. The Austrians and French made many of their "Restrikes" at the same time.
So don't assume that just because a gold coin is common and gold that it is real.
As for acid testing. DON'T DO IT. If you do have a fake and you disclose it with an acid test - the damage that could be done might lower the value as a forgery.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
3831 Posts |
Swamperbob, thanks for the comments. I left out the minor details as they get too complicated - restrikes, counterfeits etc are just too broad unless one gets more specific into a country's gold coinage system and has to learn more about it.
My partial coin collection http://www.omnicoin.com/collection/gxseriesMy numismatics articles and collection: http://www.gxseries.com/numis/numis_index.htmRegularly updated at least once a month. |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1152 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by Sap
Welcome to the forum!
Um, no, you can't really do much testing with a sealed-up coin, whether it's a slab, airtite, 2x2 or whatever. The only "test" you might be able to do is weight - if you have an empty, but otherwise identical, container, or an identical container with a genuine coin in it, to compare it to. If you want to do more rigorous or accurate testing, you'll need to liberate it.
Acid testing shouldn't do too much harm to a genuine gold coin, but I still wouldn't recommend it, just in case it damaged lustre or subtle toning. If you have to acid-test, try it on the rim, where any damage would be less noticeable.
I'm not familiar with the theory behind the Golden Touch electronic tester - sounds like an electrochemical variation on the old touchstone test. If you have to rub the coin against the "specially treated" test strip, it sounds to me like you will likely cause some wear/damage to the coin.
The best, completely non-destructive, tests you can make of a coin are weight and specific gravity. Coins, unlike jewellery, are made to a specific weight standard and shouldn't vary too much from this. For the most part, coin collectors are more worried about "is the coin genuine" rather than "is it real gold" - a fake coin made of real gold might look pretty, but is much less desirable from the collector's viewpoint (unless you're a counterfeit collector).
Listen to this guy! Trust me he's a MASTER chemist  see the forum on the token he cleaned: https://goccf.com/t/5864Andrew  Edited by pattiewhack
12/24/2006 10:10 pm
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Replies: 9 / Views: 1,468 |
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Posted 12/22/2006 8:54 pm
