How to Spot Fake Gold, Silver & Coins
Counterfeit coins, bars, and jewelry have become more sophisticated in recent years. Gold-plated tungsten bars, die-struck fake American Eagles, and stamped brass rings sold as 14k are more common than most people realize. This guide shows you what to look for and when to bring it to a professional. Gordon Jewelers in Boonville tests gold, silver, platinum, and coins for free for customers across Mid-Missouri.
We See This More Than You Think
Why This Matters
This page isn't a scare tactic. It's a reality check. Counterfeits enter circulation through online marketplaces, estate purchases, and private sales. The person selling may not even know the item is fake. This is especially common with coins and bullion purchased online, and inherited jewelry that was never professionally tested.
We've tested pieces that were purchased in good faith and carried for years before someone discovered they weren't what they thought. The earlier you know, the better your options are.
The goal of this page is simple: help you understand what to watch for, show you how we identify fakes, and let you know that professional testing is always available at no charge.
The First Test That Matters
Weight Tells the First Story
Every legitimate coin and bullion piece has a published weight. If the weight is off by more than a fraction of a gram, something is wrong. This is why weight is always the first thing we check.
A real American Silver Eagle weighs exactly 31.1 grams. A real 1 oz American Gold Eagle weighs 33.93 grams (it contains 1 troy ounce of pure gold plus copper and silver alloy, which adds to the total weight). If your scale reads 32 grams or 28 grams instead of 31.1, the piece is suspect.
Getting both the size and weight correct using a different metal is extremely difficult because different metals have different densities. A counterfeit coin made from copper alloy will weigh wrong. A counterfeit bar made from lead will weigh wrong. Even tungsten, the most difficult material to detect, is off by 0.07 g/cm³ from gold.
Our state-certified scale is accurate to 0.01 grams. Most fakes don't survive this first test.
| Item | Expected Weight |
|---|---|
| American Silver Eagle (1 oz) | 31.10 g |
| American Gold Eagle (1 oz) | 33.93 g |
| American Gold Eagle (1/2 oz) | 16.97 g |
| American Gold Eagle (1/4 oz) | 8.48 g |
| American Gold Eagle (1/10 oz) | 3.39 g |
| Canadian Maple Leaf Gold (1 oz) | 31.10 g |
| South African Krugerrand (1 oz) | 33.93 g |
| 1 oz Gold Bar (.999) | 31.10 g |
| 1 oz Silver Bar / Round (.999) | 31.10 g |
| Morgan Silver Dollar | 26.73 g |
| Peace Silver Dollar | 26.73 g |
| Pre-1965 Silver Quarter | 6.25 g |
| Pre-1965 Silver Dime | 2.50 g |
You can do this test at home with any digital kitchen scale accurate to 0.1 grams. If the weight doesn't match the chart above, don't sell it, don't trade it, and bring it in for professional testing.
The Stamp Doesn't Always Tell the Truth
Fake Gold Jewelry
A 14K stamp on a ring means nothing if the ring is brass. Stamping a piece of jewelry with a karat mark is as simple as pressing a tool into soft metal, and counterfeiters know this. Common fakes include stamped brass and copper alloy jewelry sold as karat gold, gold-plated pieces misrepresented as solid gold, and items with fraudulent or misleading stamps.
Red flags to watch for: an unusually low price for the stated karat weight, green or dark discoloration on your skin after wearing, a lightweight feel compared to what you'd expect, and any magnetic attraction. Real gold is not magnetic. If a magnet sticks to your ring, the base metal underneath is not gold.
The only reliable way to verify karat purity is an acid test, which reacts differently to different metals and purities. We perform acid testing in front of you, on a small scratch in an inconspicuous area, so you can see the result yourself.
The Most Counterfeited Coins in America
Fake Coins
American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Morgan dollars, and generic bullion rounds are the most commonly counterfeited. Modern fakes are die-struck from base metals and can fool casual inspection. Some are good enough to pass a visual check at arm's length.
Key indicators beyond weight: wrong dimensions (too thick, too thin, slightly off diameter), wrong sound (real gold and silver coins produce a distinct ring when tapped, base metals sound flat), incorrect edge lettering or reeding, and magnetic response. A magnet should not attract a gold or silver coin.
The weight test catches most fakes immediately. A counterfeit Silver Eagle made from a copper-nickel alloy won't hit 31.1 grams. A fake Morgan dollar from base metal won't hit 26.73 grams. If the weight is right but something still feels off, acid testing confirms the metal composition.
Cut One Open and See for Yourself
Fake Bars and Bullion
The most common fake bars we see are silver-plated copper and lead-filled bars. Copper is less dense than silver (8.96 g/cm³ vs 10.49 g/cm³), so a copper-filled bar either weighs too little or has to be physically larger than a real one to hit the correct weight. Lead is slightly denser than silver (11.35 g/cm³), so a lead-filled bar weighs too much for its size. Either way, the scale tells the first story.
We have a .999 silver bar in our showroom that is copper filled. From the outside, it looks convincing. Cut it open and the bright pink copper core is impossible to miss. The acid test confirms it in seconds: no silver present. These bars fail the weight test, fail the acid test, and fail the ring test. The only thing they pass is a casual visual inspection, which is exactly what counterfeiters are counting on.
For gold bars specifically, tungsten is the bigger concern. Tungsten has nearly the same density as gold (19.25 g/cm³ vs 19.32 g/cm³), making weight-based detection much harder. That's a professional-testing situation. But the vast majority of counterfeit bars we encounter in the real world are copper or lead fills, and those don't survive a scale.
Our Testing Process
How We Catch Fakes
Every test happens in front of you. You see every reading, every result, and every reaction. No back rooms, no mystery.
- State-Certified ScaleAccurate to 0.01 grams. We compare the weight against published specifications for the item. Wrong weight is the fastest, most reliable indicator of a counterfeit. This is always the first test.
- Acid TestingA small scratch on an inconspicuous area is tested with acid solutions that react differently to different metals and purities. Gold of different karats produces different color reactions. Base metals react immediately and visibly. This is the gold standard for karat verification.
- Electronic TestingPen-style testers measure electrical conductivity, which differs between gold, silver, platinum, and base metals. A fast screening tool that flags suspect pieces for deeper testing.
- Visual InspectionStamps, weight, dimensions, color, and surface quality. A trained eye catches details that casual inspection misses: casting lines, incorrect lettering, wrong edge reeding, color inconsistencies, and wear patterns that don't match the stated age.
- MagnificationA jeweler's loupe reveals surface details invisible to the naked eye. Die-struck fakes often show micro-level inconsistencies in lettering, relief depth, and surface texture that real coins and bars don't have.
- Magnet TestReal gold, silver, and platinum are not magnetic. If a magnet attracts or sticks to a piece, the base metal underneath is ferrous (iron-based) and the item is not what it claims to be.
Know the Risks
Where Counterfeits Come From
Understanding where fakes enter circulation helps you protect yourself before a purchase, not after.
- Online MarketplaceseBay, Amazon, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist are the highest-risk channels for counterfeit coins and bullion. Third-party sellers and private listings offer little recourse if the item is fake.
- Estate and Garage SalesThe seller may not know what they have. Inherited items are frequently misidentified, and pieces that were purchased as genuine decades ago may have been counterfeit from the start.
- Private SalesNo authentication, no return policy, no recourse. Always test before paying when buying from individuals.
- Overseas PurchasesJewelry bought abroad may be mismarked or overstated in purity. Karat standards and enforcement vary by country.
- Secondary Market DealersNot all buyers test properly. Items that entered a dealer's inventory as counterfeit can be resold as genuine to the next customer. Buy from established, reputable dealers.
Already have something you're unsure about? Bring it in. We test gold, silver, platinum, coins, and bullion at no charge for customers across Boonville, Columbia, and Mid-Missouri. If it's real, you'll know. If it's not, you'll know that too, before it costs you anything more. Learn about our Gold & Silver Exchange.
Common Questions
Counterfeit Questions
Everything you need to know about identifying fakes and protecting yourself.
Start with the stamp. Look inside the band or on the clasp for markings like 10K, 14K, 18K, 417, 585, or 750. Then try a magnet: real gold is not magnetic. If a magnet sticks, the piece is not solid gold. Beyond that, an acid test is the most reliable method for confirming karat purity, and that's best done by a professional. Bring it in and we'll test it at no charge.
You can do basic screening at home. Start with weight: use a digital kitchen scale (accurate to 0.1g) and compare against published specifications for coins and bullion. Then try a magnet: real precious metals are not magnetic. These two tests catch most fakes. For definitive confirmation of purity and karat, professional acid testing is the standard, and we offer it at no charge.
More common than most people realize, especially in online sales. American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, and Morgan dollars are the most frequently counterfeited. Modern fakes are die-struck and convincing at first glance. The weight test is the fastest way to identify them, since counterfeit coins made from base metals almost never match the correct weight.
Check the weight against the stated specification (a 1 oz .999 silver bar should weigh exactly 31.1 grams). Check dimensions against the manufacturer's published specs. Try a magnet. Most counterfeit bars are copper or lead filled, and both fail the weight test. Copper fills weigh too little, lead fills weigh too much. For gold bars from unverified sources, professional testing is strongly recommended because tungsten-core fakes are harder to detect by weight alone. We test bars at no charge.
No. We test gold, silver, platinum, coins, and bullion at no charge. Walk into our Boonville showroom during business hours with whatever you'd like tested. No appointment needed, no obligation to sell, and no pressure.
Document everything: take photos, save the listing, and keep all communications with the seller. If you purchased through a platform like eBay, file a dispute immediately. Most platforms have buyer protection policies that cover counterfeit items. If you purchased through a private sale with no platform, your options are more limited. In either case, having a professional test result helps support your claim.
Gordon Jewelers in Boonville is about 25 minutes from Columbia and tests gold, silver, platinum, coins, and bullion at no charge. We weigh every piece on a state-certified scale and confirm metal content with acid and electronic testing, all in front of you. Many Columbia-area customers make the short drive to verify online purchases and inherited pieces before they sell or trade.
For formal documentation of authenticity and value, our appraisal service provides written appraisals prepared by our GIA Graduate Gemologist. For casual testing to confirm what a piece is, we'll tell you on the spot at no charge.
