Hi all! THERE IS A CONTEST BELOW! I want to show you how metal detector VDI numbers can detect FAKE SILVER in your stack.
You don't need to buy a machine that costs thousands of dollars to test your silver. Our goal isn't to analyze the exact silver content of your silver round. Today's fakes are heavy silver plated copper in most cases, but easy to overlook.
STEP #1
Grab your Garret AT-Pro and position on table vertically. Mine's a little dirty from a previous treasure hunt in the mud!
STEP #2
Number your silver rounds. Today will we use:
#1 a .999 Bust Dollar round from Dollar Town
#2 a .999 Trade Dollar round (this one best be good since its my silver pocket piece)
#3 a .999 Scottsdale bar
#4 a .999 Silver Eagle
STEP #3
Remove all Mene 24k Platinum 😊 (or other rings) before air testing. This will really skew your results! Then turn on the machine, medium sensitivity, set for coin detecting.
STEP #4
Air test each coin, left to right horizontally and quickly, holding about 8 inches under the coil. Try to hold the coin parallel to the coil, like it was lying flat on the ground. If you angle the coin, results will be a couple of digits lower.
Silver Ounce #1
The Bust Dollar Round : VDI number of 99. That's good silver. Bouncing to 96 or 98 if I turn slightly.
Silver Ounce #2
The Trade Dollar pocket piece: VDI number of 99, good stuff. Bouncing to 97 or 98 with some turns. (🙄 whew!)
Silver Ounce #3
The Scottsdale Silver Bar: VDI numbers of 86, 87, and 88. NOT GOOD! These are copper VDI numbers, just slightly higher. The AT-Pro is reading clean copper plus that 5% of silver content boosting it a little bit.
There is no mistaking the difference between this ounce and the first two. Much lower numbers.
Now don't get me wrong. Under normal circumstances Jbcoin would be coming unglued and yelling "Bingo!!" if he stumbled across that 86-88 signal in the middle of a farm field or an early 1800s homesite! That means chances are good that I have a solid US Large Cent signal 😁.
Let's face it, the majority of folks in the early 1800s didn't even have a silver dollar, let alone lose it in a field.
Sorry folks, off on a metal detecting tangent. Back to the story...
Silver Ounce #4
The 2010 Silver Eagle from @underground (check him out) that inspired my post.
Kind of anti-climactic I know: VDI numbers of 99, bouncing a little less on the turn 98's. GOOD Stuff!
Possibly a little higher silver content, but more than likely, the more stable numbers are due to no oxidation (tarnish). Silver and Copper will be slightly less conductive and lower VDI returns, with a little tarnish or corrosion.
Also, the silver eagles are slightly larger (1.0 to 1.5mm) diameter than the other 2 rounds. In metal detecting, just like real life, bigger IS better!
I hope that my little demonstration will prove useful to those who have a metal detector, or those on the fence about buying one. Most lower level machines will literally pay for themselves in the first year (some cases the first couple trips out)!
But they can serve a dual purpose to weed out the obvious fake silver rounds and bars being shipped into the U.S. by the cargo container (literally).
The bar in question was intentionally purchased as a fake, so I could demonstrate a couple of ring (pinging) tests to a friend and show him how VDI numbers work.
Be wary of all Scottsdale bars like this one that come in a thick capsule, if not purchased from a trusted source.
Same for the divisible Stagecoach bars in a thick capsule. 1982 "E" Prospectors are suspect if they look proof and have razor sharp edges. These are supposed to be 36 year old bullion coins folks, not minted yesterday, frosty proof specimens!
I turn away alot of silver buys these days, because sadly, many people who realize that they have been duped pass them along. If you get one in your stack, use it to help educate others, or toss it into the trash and write it off as a learning lesson 😉
BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!!
What about that Mene 24k Platinum ring?
How will my machine like 24k Pure Platinum @goldmatters, if I find one In The Wild?
What kind of VDI numbers will my detector throw on Mene 24k Platinum?
Let me know your guesses in my comments section below, and upvote this post. Closest Guess Wins!! Someone will win a STEEM bonus!
I have already taken the picture, and will add it to the posting on Friday night or Saturday morning. Contest guesses are CLOSED on Friday night at 8pm EST.
No cheating or googling please. Just upvote the post and add a 2 digit VDI number guess im the comments section!
Thanks for reading this far! I had fun with this one!
Please upvote, Resteem to your pals, and give your car a little more time to warm up when it's cold outside.
One last look at the Contest Target:
One last look at the Villian in our story...Boooo!!
STAY TUNED FOR PART II
TO SEE HOW THE STORY ENDS FOR THE VILLIAN!!
You can sign up to view Mene Jewelry's amazing line of pure 24k Gold and 24k Platinum Investment Jewelry, through my personal invitation link below:
http://mene.com/invite/JrT26p
Take Care!
JB
