The only definitive answer to the question of authenticity is the written conclusion of a recognized coin expert with an attached metallurgical report—an expense that in most cases makes little economic sense. This is a fun test: Take two ice cubes and place them on (1) a silver coin you know to be real, and (2) a coin you suspect may be a fake. Take a coin to a coin shop or a certified dealer to determine if it is a silver coin. The ‘ping’ test, as this is commonly known, allows us to tell if a coin is made from real or fake gold by listening to the sound it makes when struck. Most fake silvers use a thin silver plating to achieve the same shine and, to a much lesser extent, the same conductivity. Then, observe whether its texture has been executed properly. Simply weigh and measure your piece. If the magnet sticks, you can make sure that the item isn't copper." A more subdued silver stripe with faint traces of copper could mean that the coin is 40% silver. Like silver and gold, real copper does not have much magnetism. Precious metals will make a long, high-pitched ringing sound when struck as opposed to base metals, whose respective sounds will be duller and much shorter. The ones with the large mintmark over the dome on the reverse have silver. "Just like real silver, copper is only very slightly magnetic," Martin says. Study the sheen of the coin. Because silver is such an effective thermal conductor, an ice cube will melt much more rapidly on silver than it will on another metal. This tool is for U.S. Silver Coins only. This is the base price of your coin. The second step is to purchase a scale and see if the coin matches the same minted weight. The only U.S. silver coins that contain 40% silver are Kennedy half dollars minted from 1965 – 1970. Sterling silver is a popular metal used to make jewelry and other decorative items. Watch the video below to see each test that will help you check if gold is real: ... as long as it is a pure silver bar, coin or round. The nickels with silver are from 1942-1945, all of the 1943-1945 have silver, some of the 1942 have silver and some do not. Warnings Never buy coins from a television commercial or a newspaper advertisement insert as these rarely offer authentic silver coins for sale. THE "TAKE A BITE" TEST Holding a coin or round between fingers or in the palm of your hand makes the results even more noticeable as the silver rapidly cools to your touch. The current value of commodities such as silver can be found in the business section of most major business media websites such as CNN's Money Index Use an online melt-value calculator to determine how much your coin is worth for just its weight in silver. For this reason, it takes a trained eye to determine the authenticity. In the case of being dropped down a slide, a fine, minted gold or silver coin would move slower down the magnetic slide than a counterfeit that contains some other metallic material, primarily due to that repellant magnetic force that counteracts the gravitational force. Upon inspection of the gold or silver coin you are about to purchase, if certain marks do not add up, ask if the seller has the paperwork to back up their claim of said coin being real. Silver Coin Calculator-This calculator will quickly give you the silver value of your coins. The downside to this is, of course, that you’ll lose any numismatic value in that coin if it is real and you tarnish the surface with bleach. After 2007 the design changed … that’s why I suggested having the same minted year of an authentic silver eagle coin when doing a visual test. A fake is more often a silver alloy or covering rather than real silver and thus ends up heavier. So how do you tell if a coin is genuine silver or a fake silver coin?There are several tests to which you can subject your coins. This test is not recommended for large bars because while it will determine whether or not the surface is real silver, it will not tell you whether or not the core is real silver. As the name implies, these coins contain silver content, but that’s not always the case. The Ice Test. So before you let anyone sell you a silver coin collection or a silver spoon at an antique shop or yard sale, one easy test you can do is the ice cube test. This makes it easy to spot a fake as any wear at all would be an obvious tell that it is a fake coin. The 2 coins I reference are 2013, which the fake lists, so i made sure to have the same year real coin. This is because real silver has a very weak magnetic effect. Unless you are very wealthy or you purchased one of the known specimens from a reliable source, your 1804 dated dollar coin … Is It Real Silver: Tips to Know If Your Silver Jewelry Is Real Make no mistake, almost everything these days can be faked. U.S. Money Reserve is here to equip you with the information you need to help make sure that doesn’t happen to you, no matter where you choose to buy gold . Today’s tip of the week touches on Eisenhower silver dollars and how to know if they contain silver content. Once you've heard the sound a silver coin makes, you can recognize it easily. *This coin tool is free and was programmed by CoinTrackers.com Bookmark this page (Ctrl+D) and be sure to tell your friends. Put simply, a piece of ice placed on a silver bar or coin will melt considerably faster than a … How can you tell if silver items — like silverware or a tea set — are real or plated? "You can conduct the same magnet test by placing a magnet on the surface of the item. 3 Tests to Tell if your Silver is Real or Fake. On the molding, the coin will have two sides, a crack beginning with metal in the middle, as shown in the photo. In the United States, coin silver has 90% silver and 10% copper, and is used for making coins. The Ice Test. A golden color may mean the coin is made of brass, while a silver color may mean the coin is made of a copper-nickel alloy. With regards to the 1804 silver dollar, it was never a circulated coin. So real silver moving down a magnetic slide will move slower than fake silver.A fake.Check out how fast silver will melt ice compared to a regular pan: . This ping, or chime, is distinct to real silver. Striking or dropping a real silver coin on a hard surface will produce a characteristic ping. A modern clad coin, or a fake silver coin, will have make a dull sound. There are several tests to which you can subject your coins. 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