From established, credible dealers, you shouldn't ever need to test your coins. Originally, people counterfeited coins with the intention of deceiving merchants and citizens with the fake currently circulating coins. But maybe I’m mistaken. American Buffalo Gold coin prices are based on the world’s fluctuating gold spot price. The 1 oz Gold Buffalo coin features a composite of three chiefs from different tribes: Big Tree, Iron Tail and Two Moons. Investors prefer the 1 oz Gold Buffalo because of its high quality .9999 fine Gold. Spotting a fake: the pagoda. Investors prefer the 1 oz Gold Buffalo because of its high quality .9999 fine Gold. Struck at the Mint’s West Point, NY facility, these American gold buffalo coins are usually comprised of gold mined within the USA. Identifying real vs. fake or replica California gold is important because of value. I honestly don’t know what procedure the company has in place, and if I missed it being spoken about somewhere, please guide me in the right direction. The fake slab is a bigger problem here. Font: Small variations in font design can give a counterfeit American Eagle away. It is crazy that these fakes are out there so often! approved refiners. Checking with a jeweller, metallurgist, bullion expert, or another professional is always the best way to definitively determine if gold is real, but there are a few simple things you can look for at home that might help inform you one way or the other. The first gold coins were made from electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver found in the region’s rivers. I've handled a lot of PCGS gold bufflaos and I would not hesitate to buy this one if I was looking to buy and I believed the price to be good. The 1 oz Gold Buffalo coin features a composite of three chiefs from different tribes: Big Tree, Iron Tail and Two Moons. Coinflation, "I tell them there's no problems.....only solutions" - John Lennon. I've had a few … I did report this counterfeit item to Ebay. FIVE WAYS TO SPOT A FAKE COIN. So far, so good. it may be a bit too blurry but i've gotten several other slabs from the slab gen thread from lakesamman. i don't recall a counterfeit i've seen where the barcode scans unless it is a good insert in a bad holder but i've not scanned a lot of inserts either. The coins typically showed a picture of a lion or bull on the face and a punch mark or seal on the other side. Look at the edge of the coin to see if the plating is visible where the rim meets the side; also look between the reeding. for more information. I believe this is why the label looks over inked. @derryb said: Following this guideline will prevent you from becoming a victim 90% of the time since 90% of all fake coins on eBay come from Chinese sellers. The hair detailing on the bison's shoulder, among other things, look suspicious. This 1 oz. I have never seen or heard PCGS’ policy for safeguarding collectors with fake slabs. This isn’t a good sign of what’s out there in the marketplace. You may need a magnifying glass to see this, but you should be looking for a mark that displays either the fineness of the product (such as “.999”) or the amount of karats that it contains (such as “24k”). Only time I've ever seen a bidder/buyer's partial ID is on an auction. Also the fake is not frosted the way real Buffaloes are. A gold Buffalo coin might get a different response. I found this forum because I was looking for information on the internet about counterfeit graded coin slabs! Often they are simply pressed metal discs with a painted outer ring. if i had the money and patience to risk it, i'd do it in a heart-beat simply for our education. The coin follows the design of the Indian Head nickel and has gained its nickname from the American Bison on the reverse side of the design. When purchasing gold coins, it is important to verify that the gold composition has not been compromised and that the gold is real. Coin dealers and skilled hobbyists regularly confront easy, clever and difficult to detect fake 3-legged Buffalo Nickels. the image is re-uploaded. Nor do I. is the most common of these. So what gave it away? Just like when it left the U.S. Mint, it's in GEM Proof condition. Sometimes just looking at the fields under 10x is enough to condemn the silver coin as a fake, because the fields may appear rough, or have small spots of copper or other non-silver impurities that show up when magnified. The American Buffalo, also known as a gold buffalo, is a 24-karat bullion coin first offered for sale by the United States Mint on June 22, 2006, and available for shipment beginning on July 13. He told us that “people he knows brought it for him from the States”. They don’t weigh the same as a genuine £2 pound coin (12g), and they aren’t made of two different alloys. Now either this is a variety coin the seller has, or is a fake. Next to a real one this item screams fake! Make sure that the denomination … Thought it was a counterfeit basically right away! Moral of the story, maintain your own due diligence. Good catch, OP. They are the dull matte finish to match the surroundings. There just has been to many fake coins out there, it's risky buying un-graded coins. I have seen pictures of gold coin vending machines operating in this part of the world. With gold being such a highly sought-after metal for much of human history, it is no surprise that unscrupulous people have long tried to find a way to produce a convincing fake. With BullionByPost you can rest assured that anything you buy is real gold. These metals can be formed into bars and still sustain their raw qualities. We were so confident in our product’s ability to spot the fakes we offered this guarantee. Here's what to look for in order to avoid buying fake coins. An alloy of copper and zinc, brass does look a little like gold thanks to its yellow hue, but it is much duller and should be easily distinguishable. In 2006, the introductory price of the American Buffalo gold proof coins was US$800. Next to a real one this item screams fake! not that i doubt your comparison, i'm doing this to brush up myself. No thank you. This isn’t a good sign of what’s out there in the marketplace. Probably looking for a quick sale not knowing gold will continue up in the short term. Gold (.999 fine) is not magnetic. Then it sold again! make it quite difficult to create imitations. Is the purity of precious metals important? Fast shipping. FishyOne Member. We do not offer investment or tax advice and recommend that you conduct your own independent research before making any investment decisions. I wouldn't touch that coin with a 10' pole although I am sure it will pass the Sigma. fwiw. I personally would only buy a proof buffalo gold coin that has been graded. If the piece is real gold, the stamp should bear a manufacturer’s mark and a karat marking, such as 14K or 24K. Sale ends 13/01/21. The letters and numbers on fake 2012 $50 Gold Eagles, for example, look … Although fake gold coins made from gold covered tungsten are able to pass the weight, diameter and thickness tests, they fail to pass the ping ringing sound test. Collectors Corner | Can't find this label without the bold font. https://www.ebay.com/itm/2011-W-50American-Buffalo-One-Ounce-Gold-Proof-Coin-PCGS-PR70DCAM-1oz-999/164296303383?hash=item2640d2a317:g:REQAAOSw7RZfDObD. tia. Too squishy and odd looking for me. I believe PCGS has a bat phone directly to ebay when they are made aware and agree a slab is counterfeit. A good rule is to stay away from Internet offerings when the seller posts bad photos or photos taken at odd angles. Detecting counterfeit coins or fake gold bars can be as easy as using a magnet or spotting obvious errors, but Chinese fakes are getting better as criminals based there acquire sophisticated equipment such as 3D scanners and CNC mills. SILVER E C-C, Nov 2, 2010 #2 + Quote Reply. Such is the nature of discerning counterfeits that a few people on this thread suggested it was worth purchasing. If you have gold items you’re unsure about, there are a number of It sold so fast who knows if they tried to do anything. Quality is much higher than this Ebay fake. You may not even spot the deception at first glance and without the aid of a magnifying glass. Mint marks are often altered, engraved or added to the fake 1937-D 3 Leg Buffalo Nickels. PSA | 157 Posts. Precious metal prices can be volatile and the value of your metal may go down as well as up. edited to add 3 other comps. 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