Beach Gold Assay produced this video and others based on some things we see come through our shop. This video outlines all of the reasons these bars are fake, and what to look out for if you are new collector of silver. As your gold buyer we can also do all of these tests in house if you have any doubt about your silver.

The tests we use in this video include the Acid test, where we make a small mark on a piece of glass that provides us enough metal to drop the silver test acid on. We also check the weight, dimensions, and the ring test. The packaging of these bars is also a major red flag as well. This video is not to put down Modern Coin Mart, as they did not produce the bars. They do produce valid products, and they are aware that these fake bars do exist.

Specifically, these bars do not pass the weight test (they are too heavy), the acid test (no silver present, the bars are copper). They also of course fail the ring test and do not give off the distinctive sound that a pure piece of silver will give off. The magnet test was not used in this video – but the bars are not magnetic as they are made of copper.

These bars weight approximately 1.09 troy ounces, .085 – .09 too much. Physically they are too large as well, as the copper they are composed of takes more area than silver would. And if you do the scratch test, the bright pinkish red of the copper is revealed under the plating. Then there is the packaging which may lead to some not wanting to open the package to check the contents. Never buy silver packaged this way.

So whether you are buying or selling, its important to know what to look for in good silver bullion bars.