Ever walked through airport security with a gold/silver coin or bar ?

Interesting stuff.

How about moving from one country to another by car with a major stash of metals. I would suppose gold would be better in this case as you wouldn't have to carry as much. Has anyone done this, how safe is it, and is there anywhere that would be a sure and safe hiding place in the car from probing hands, metal detecting wands, and dogs etc.?
 
fishball said:
I thought Silver and Gold had no magnetic properties so in theory if you walked through the metal detector with bullion in your pockets you'd be fine with no BEEPS?

Never tried carrying bullion on a trip though, might try that at the end of the year when I go OS.
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I also get through the metal detector everytime wearing a wrist watch with a heavy Titanium band.
 
Silver Natural 9 said:
Clawhammer said:
...but pinched out a candle with my fingers before leaving for the airport and the residue got picked up on an explosives swab and I barely made it on the plane despite being 1 hour early to check-in :rolleyes:
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I noticed for the first time when I was flying back to to BNE from SYD late in March, the swab guy asked for my consent for that explosives test.
First time I had heard or noticed it. I seriously thought of saying no just to see what would happen.
Personally i'm getting ticked off with em. I have been swabbed every single time for the last 6 or so flights.
I think the security guys single out most any shaved headed white male, at least thats what I think now.
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funny you mention the shaved head white male thing i get swabbed everytime i go through to lol
 
RicHARD said:
After I showed her what was coming up on the x-ray she said that wasn't what they were after, 2 more passes of the x-rays, had another dig later she confiscated an inch long precision screwdriver I had.
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I had two screwdrivers confiscated last time I went through airport security. Completely forgot they were still at the bottom of my bag.

I wasn't so upset about losing them because they were pretty shitty screwdrivers but I was less than impressed with the security guard's mumbling and the filthy look he gave me when I didn't respond to his "Mmm gunnn 'pen ymmm bg". I was about to say "SPEAK UP SUNSHINE, I CAN'T HEAR YOU" but I managed to stop myself before I made things worse.
 
Did you know there must be at least 2 x security guards present when searching a bag because it comes down to his word verses yours, and also they are paid extremely low wages for what they do so in general those guys really couldn't give a stuff. They are just like any worker being paid low wages and basically doesn't want to be there for the long shifts they put in. I had one guy come clean with me once upon a time when asking me about searching my bag. I knew the ruling I asked for another security guard to be present when he said "yup, your right and I couldn't be bothered getting one, you don't look like you pose a threat so I'll let you be on your way" :P
 
Big A.D. said:
RicHARD said:
After I showed her what was coming up on the x-ray she said that wasn't what they were after, 2 more passes of the x-rays, had another dig later she confiscated an inch long precision screwdriver I had.
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I had two screwdrivers confiscated last time I went through airport security. Completely forgot they were still at the bottom of my bag.

I wasn't so upset about losing them because they were pretty shitty screwdrivers but I was less than impressed with the security guard's mumbling and the filthy look he gave me when I didn't respond to his "Mmm gunnn 'pen ymmm bg". I was about to say "SPEAK UP SUNSHINE, I CAN'T HEAR YOU" but I managed to stop myself before I made things worse.
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haha I didn't give a shit about losing my screwdriver. I just thought its so dangerous they need to confiscate it yet it took 7 runs through the x-ray to find it. If it's so dangerous they need to be competent enough with their x-ray machine to find this highly dangerous item 1st pop. Guess I should count myself lucky I'm not in the US going through a body scanner 7 times.
 
goldpelican said:
Travelled on a number of US flights and within Australia - every time I've had silver in carryon it's been detected and screened. Even had tubes of coins opened up and individually swapped for explosives etc.
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They gave you explosives in exchange for your silver?!?!? :o

Sorry, couldn't resist... :D
 
RicHARD said:
haha I didn't give a shit about losing my screwdriver. I just thought its so dangerous they need to confiscate it yet it took 7 runs through the x-ray to find it. If it's so dangerous they need to be competent enough with their x-ray machine to find this highly dangerous item 1st pop. Guess I should count myself lucky I'm not in the US going through a body scanner 7 times.
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Yeah, I wasn't fussed either but they didn't even tell me what they were looking for, just "you've got something in your bag". I was thinking, "Well, durr, of course I've got something in my bag. I've got lots of stuff in my bag but it'll be quicker for everyone if you just tell me WTF you're looking for and whether you want me to open it or you want to open it. If you want me to open it then I don't know what I'm looking for and it may take a while".

I've been through a number of international airports and all the security guys there have been polite and communicate clearly, even where their English wasn't perfect.

Sydney airport fail.
 
Here's a tip------10 oz PM Bars were designed to be the perfect size for Suppositories.A smugglers dream.

A little birdy,actually a big Birdy told me this :D

REDBACK
 
Everytime I have gone through security with silver in my bag, it gets pulled up and checked.

Now I remove it like my laptop and just place it on the tray. It still gets checked but takes less time.

At Sydney airport I recently went through with a few stackers (10oz) and the nice lady at security pulled me aside and enquired what I did with them (out of curiousity -not a security check) and asked where she could get some ------> showed her Goldstackers.com.au on my phone.
Nil hassles just be upfront.
 
Redback said:
Here's a tip------10 oz PM Bars were designed to be the perfect size for Suppositories.A smugglers dream.

A little birdy,actually a big Birdy told me this :D

REDBACK
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That is a large suppository.
 
Always carry a few small gold coins when i go oversea in my wallet ,just in case.Put the wallet in the tray with my belt,watch and phone.
 
Walked through with 3x 1oz Koala platinum coins in my pocket- nothing happend:). Had another 2 0.5oz Koala's in my wallet which was scanned and they let it through:). Probably thought they were 20c piece ? Another win for platinum.:D
 
hiho said:
not sure about the technical nature of the scanners but my wifes 9ct bangle sets off the siren but none of the higher carat stuff bothers it. I took through equiv 24oz silver and some platinum at sydney recently and noone batted an eyelid
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Can anybody validate if gold is picked up by airport metal detectors. I read that they only pick up base metals but wasn't sure if that was true.
 
If they are using X Ray scanners - than all metals would be picked up - and not only that but the denser the metal the shinier it would appear on their monitors.

1 oz Pt coin will not look the same as a 20 Cent coin - as the Pt coin is almost 300% denser than the copper/nickel alloy.
 
had a mate just had Titanium implants in both hips, from NZ, he got a card to flash saying he had implants, ive got a heap stainlesss steel in me and had no problem
 
AKL pulled me up after the X- ray table 5x 1 Oz silvers in my laptop case. they wanted to touch those. but the 10 Oz of gold on my neck didn't set off any sensors.
 
LTEK4NZ said:
AKL pulled me up after the X- ray table 5x 1 Oz silvers in my laptop case. they wanted to touch those. but the 10 Oz of gold on my neck didn't set off any sensors.
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I'm pretty sure the metal detectors can be tuned to detect the density of gold and ignore it. Unless you're trying to smuggle a gun made of 22k solid gold onto the plane the detectors are only ever going to be set off by jewelery and watches and other non-threats that people really don't want handled by some rent-a-cop on minimum wage.
 
I have never taken an international flight with either a coin or bar of anything (except a Mars bar!)

But I look forward to doing so and intend to do so, as soon as I can.

I will report on the outcome.

Perhaps, in the interests of science, I should carry 10 oz of gold, 10 of silver, 10 of palladium and 10 of platinum.

Anyone wiling to donate the platinum and palladium???? =D
 
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