Plated or filled pieces
Base metals, tungsten cores, or plated surfaces can be used to imitate gold or silver value while hiding the true material inside.
Counterfeit Risk
Protect your gold and silver before a fake becomes your loss.
Counterfeit coins and bars can look convincing, match common dimensions, and arrive in copied packaging. The safest approach is layered verification instead of relying on one quick test.
Why Counterfeits Matter
Fake bullion risk is not just about appearance.
Counterfeiters often target high-premium collectible coins, small bars, fractional pieces, and items sold through private marketplaces where the buyer has limited recourse. Even when a piece looks correct, metal composition, density, resistivity, packaging, or dimensions may reveal a problem.
Copied packaging
Assay cards, capsules, labels, and sealed holders can be counterfeited too, so packaging should support verification — not replace it.
Private-sale exposure
“Too good to be true” pricing, cash-only deals, and marketplace listings increase the chance of buying a piece with no reliable guarantee.
Identification Methods
Ways fake gold and silver can be identified.
These checks are most effective when used together. A single test may catch obvious fakes, but layered testing improves confidence and helps identify more sophisticated counterfeits.
Magnet
Magnet reaction
Gold and silver should not stick to a strong magnet. Attraction can indicate a ferrous core, but non-magnetic fakes can still pass this simple screen.
Calipers
Diameter and thickness
Sovereign bullion has precise published dimensions. Counterfeits that imitate weight often miss diameter or thickness because metals have different densities.
Scale
Precision weight
A jeweler’s scale can confirm the expected mass. Weight is important, but it should be paired with size and material testing.
Sound
Silver ping test
Real silver often produces a clear, sustained ring. A dull sound can be a warning sign, especially when compared against a known genuine coin.
Sigma
Electrical resistivity
Non-destructive electronic testing measures how the metal responds below the surface. This helps detect plated or filled items that may pass visual, magnet, or weight checks.
Density
Density / displacement
Density testing compares weight to volume. It can expose many base-metal fakes, though tungsten is challenging because its density is very close to gold.
Visual
Design and security details
Inspect lettering, edges, relief, micro-details, radial lines, mint marks, and year-specific security features under magnification.
XRF
Surface composition
XRF analyzers identify elemental composition at the surface. They are powerful tools, but surface-only testing should still be interpreted carefully.
PM Proof Approach
Use multiple signals before trusting the result.
PM Proof focuses on practical, non-destructive verification for owners, collectors, and investors who want confidence before buying, selling, storing, or gifting precious metals.
Rather than relying on appearance alone, the process looks for agreement across physical measurements, expected specifications, and advanced metal-verification readings.
1Inspect design, edges, and security details
2Compare dimensions and weight to expected specs
3Screen for density and material inconsistencies
4Verify metal signature with non-destructive equipment
Have Questions?
Get your metals checked before you rely on them.
Contact PM Proof for verification questions, availability, and pricing.