Fake Bullion Coins
The most commonly counterfeited investment coins — exact specs, specific tells, and the tests that actually catch fakes.
Fake American Silver Eagles
The most counterfeited silver coin in the world. Real ones weigh 31.103g with exactly 198 edge reeds. Fakes come in light at 30.2–30.8g and the torch hand detail is always mushy.
Fake Canadian Maple Leafs
Post-2014 Maples have radial lines and a micro-engraved privy mark that fakes cannot replicate. Tilt the coin under a light — no shimmer means no sale.
Fake Krugerrands
The 22kt copper alloy gives genuine Krugerrands a rose-gold colour that fakes never match. Check the Springbok horns — they should be banded and thick, not thin and plain.
Fake Gold Britannias
The 2021 redesign added four security features including surface animation using picosecond lasers. No counterfeiter has cracked it yet. Pre-2021 coins are more vulnerable.
Fake Chinese Pandas
Annual design changes make Pandas uniquely hard to authenticate from memory. Real ones show mirror-finish black fur and frosted white fur. Fakes lack this contrast entirely.
Fake Australian Kangaroos
Perth Mint coins dated 2016+ have a micro-engraved letter visible only under a loupe. Fakes are consistently thicker than genuine coins and come in underweight.
