Just different dies or something fishy?

[Ashman]

Hey guys, I've just recently obtained some various 1 oz bars privately.

I've got 2 Silvertowne bars that are raising some questions, so I'm after some opinions.

What attracted my attention initially was the difference in weights. The bar on the left (in all photos) weighs 31.52g (which aroused suspicions) and the other 31.00g .

I've done the magnet test on them and they both pass, I've done SG and the heavier bar comes in at 10.50 and the lighter at 10.30. I've done the icecube test and both melt at the same rate as other 1oz bars I have. I've also scraped the sides of them both with a knife and they both shave off silver with nothing weird appearing underneath.

I've also noticed many differences between the 2 bars. I'm thinking perhaps one is much older (it had more toning - has since been cleaned) and from an older die or something. Though the thickness difference and the high weight is making me a little uneasy.

Have a look at the pictures and tell me what you think.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6zgy0su65j8uk7w/AAB8ADzNyH25xHcY9_-MH9Iva?dl=0

 

[goldpelican]

31.52g is fine - 31.0g is not, they should be an absolute minimum of 31.1g if your scales are only accurate to 2 decimal places, and honestly I would expect to see weights of 31.2 or higher - it's silver, not gold, so usually they are about ~1% overweight.

Putting them on XRF (or cut them in half) would give a definitive answer. I have seen fake Silvertowne bars before.

Difference in thickness on the edge of bars can legitimately come from die extrusion. Many minted gold bars for example exhibit this quite prominently if removed from certicards.