Guide
Is my gold coin real?
Gold bullion coins are counterfeited, but most fakes fail simple checks. Every genuine coin is made to an exact weight and size, so a scale and a ruler catch most of them.
Updated October 28, 2026
Check the weight and size
Gold is heavier than nearly every metal used in fakes, so a counterfeit with the right weight is usually too thick or too wide. Compare yours with the official figures:
| Coin | Weight | Diameter | Thickness |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Gold Eagle, 1 ozt | 33.93 g | 32.70 mm | 2.87 mm |
| American Gold Buffalo, 1 ozt | 31.11 g | 32.70 mm | 2.95 mm |
| Krugerrand, 1 ozt | 33.93 g | 32.77 mm | 2.84 mm |
| Canadian Maple Leaf, 1 ozt | 31.11 g | 30.00 mm | 2.80 mm |
| Vienna Philharmonic, 1 ozt | 31.10 g | 37.00 mm | 2.00 mm |
| British sovereign | 7.99 g | 22.05 mm | 1.52 mm |
A kitchen scale that reads to 0.1 gram and an inexpensive caliper are enough. Worn older coins can be slightly light; new bullion coins should match closely.
Other quick checks
- Magnet: gold isn't magnetic. A coin a strong magnet grabs is fake; one it doesn't grab isn't proven real.
- Details: compare the lettering, edge reeding, and design with a photo of a coin you know is genuine. Fakes often have soft details or wrong fonts.
- Sound: tapped gently with another coin, a gold coin rings with a clear tone; many fakes sound dull.
Tests to leave to a professional
The best fakes use tungsten, which weighs almost the same as gold, under a gold shell. Catching those takes equipment such as an XRF analyzer or an ultrasonic thickness tester. We verify every coin on arrival and pay on what we find. Never drill, file, or acid-test a coin you mean to sell.
Coin guides: Gold Eagles · Krugerrands · Maple Leafs · Sovereigns · All gold coins
Identify your metal: Is my gold real? · Is it gold-plated? · Gold stamps · Is my silver real? · Sterling marks · Is my gold coin real? · Platinum or white gold?
We pay more than pawn shops, jewelers, and mail-in gold kits: in Consumer Reports' tests, jewelers and pawn shops paid 36% to 71% of melt value, and mail-in kits 11% to about 29%. We pay 94% for scrap gold. Who pays the most?
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