How to be sure it's real?

My first and only purchase so far was from a reputable, established dealer. I plan to stack plenty more though, and of course it can be cheaper to buy privately. However, I am concerned about being swindled.

I've seen a guy on YouTube using a rare earth magnet on silver bars, and another using nitric acid (I think) on plated silverware.

What do the more experienced stackers do to confirm they're getting the real thing (gold and silver)?

 

I stay away from ebay and anything over 1k I only buy from a reputable dealer like GS where I can pick up in person coz I do not trust postage. I also feel comfortable trading with members here with lots of good trading history.

And I carry a small neo magnet in my wallet all the time in case I find something at a opportunity shop, garage sale or something but seems to always beats me to them.

 

The video I watched with the guy using a magnet showed that it isn't simply a case of silver being non-magnetic, because a lump of plated lead is also non-magnetic. In his test, the magnet slid off the bar slowly, while it fell straight off the fake. I can see how this is useful when dealing with large bars, but I'm not sure it would work with small bars and coins, which would be too small to demonstrate the 'slow slide' result. Or do they?

 

I thought I was the only one who did that.

 

I have a tiny fragment of rare earth magnet embedded in my finger (I used to build mass spectrometers). Maybe I can work out a way to use that

 

To test small items I use a row of larger magnets and slide the bar down the magnets.

 

You Sir, are officially an intelligent penis.

 

it could erase your credit cards magnet strip.

 

we're stackers we don't use credit cards

 

I tried to use those magnets and it does not work for me.

Got some fake pandas from a friend and they slide just the same as 999 silver does.
My personal opinion is that this is a non-reliable way to test silver and it's dangerous to carry those stupid magnets around since they could mess with my watch and other stuff.
Also if you buy expensive coin, would you really want to take it out of capsule, slide it down some Chinese magnet and expose it do dirt/scratches/fingerprints?

Until now I used Fisch testers for gold and silver coins or bought from respectable sellers.

In a few days I'm getting Sigma PM verifier, can't wait to try it out.

 

The magnet should be used in conjunction with other tests such as weight and density tests.

 

I use the smallest RE magnet and have no trouble. But I also only occasionally carry a credit card.

 

I shop on eBay for most of my coins and medals. There are many reputable sellers and dealers who use eBay.


As for testing, it depends on the item. If it's a numismatic or semi-numismatic coin then obviously, destructive testing is out of the question. Incidentally, silver is diamagnetic as are all materials. A silver coin placed on a hard flat surface on it's edge can be tipped off it's edge using a very strong magnet although it will definitely not stick to the magnet.


Here's an interesting video for all those who rely exclusively on the magnet test for silver: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1erTYcQliYQ[/youtube]





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I made my own magnet slide with 2 60mmx40mm x5mm and 1 40mmx30mmx10mm rare earth magnets from ebay,you can get them very cheap from China.

You put the 2 60mm end to end, (they attract and repel like normal magnets)this makes a strip 40mmx120mm,then i put the thicker 40mmx30mm one in the centre of the 2 60mm magnets,then I cut a strip 40mmx120mm from a magnetic fridge calendar and put it on top. this makes a perfect silver slide that comes apart so you can carry the smaller one around if you want.

To be honest though I now only buy silver from reputable dealers and on SS so never use the slide magnet.

 

Got any pics?

 

The guy in this video contradicts himself.

In the beginning he states that silver, gold and other precious metals aren't magnetic and therefore the neodymium magnets side right off the American silver Eagle coin.

And at the 2:30 point of the video he states that this coin has no silver so the magnet slides right off.

 

Maybe the camera made him nervous

 

i just picked up one of those sigma verifiers.. seems to work well with raw, but not as good with smaller 1/10 in slabs and questionable with platinum. Still learning how to use it. It's definitely a good tool in the aresenal. If PM's are savings, the Sigma would classify as an investment since buying second hand is always risky and this decreases risk.

 

Why always that ice? It's not like everybody carries a freezer in a backpack or so.
Heat conduction doesn't need a negative temperatures to reveil itself.
Why not just lick it? Or put it in an armpit. Or... any place that temp diff is highest.
It feels cold, and the colder, the more silver.

 

Thats why you put a strip magnet on the rare earth magnet,the strip magnet is soft.