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How to Spot a Fake Sovereign
Counterfeit Gold Sovereign coins are increasingly common. Learning to identify fake coins is crucial to protecting your investment.
Warning: Sophisticated counterfeits can fool visual inspection alone. Always use multiple authentication methods including the interactive verifier above, precise measurements, and weight verification.
Common Counterfeit Types
- ⚠️Gold-plated base metal copies
- ⚠️Lower karat gold coins
- ⚠️Brass or bronze coins with gold plating
- ⚠️Tungsten-filled gold plated coins
Red Flags: Signs of a Fake Coin
- 🚨Incorrect weight (should be 7.98g)
- 🚨Wrong diameter (should be 22.05mm)
- 🚨Dull or flat ping sound
- 🚨Magnetic attraction
- 🚨Poor detail on St George and dragon design
- 🚨Incorrect edge milling
- 🚨Wrong color tone
Authentication Tips
- ✓Ping test - authentic Sovereigns have a clear, high-pitched ring
- ✓Precise weight measurement (7.98g)
- ✓Verify diameter with calipers (22.05mm)
- ✓Visual inspection of fine detail quality
- ✓Check edge milling pattern
- ✓Magnet test
- ✓Compare to known authentic coin
About the Sovereign
The modern Gold Sovereign was first minted in 1817 and has been struck intermittently since. It's one of the UK's most historic coins and is CGT exempt for UK residents.
Authenticate Your Sovereign on the Go
Download the Pingcoin app for Android to instantly verify your Sovereignand other precious metal coins using acoustic authentication.
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