This Precious Metals Coin Pinger, designed to test 1 Oz silver and gold coins, is a must-have tool for any serious collector or numismatist. It is an acoustic ping tester that comes with a built-in coin striker, allowing you to easily test the sound quality of your gold and silver coins to determine the coin's authenticity. Made to order, this high-quality tool is perfect for testing the authenticity and purity of your precious coins. Whether you collect coins as a hobby or as an investment, this Gold and Silver Coin Pinger is an essential tool that will help you ensure the quality of your collection. Its compact and lightweight design makes it easy to carry around and use whenever you need it!

To use the pinger, simply:

1. Place the coin between the prongs, by spreading the pinger open with your fingers on the side of the prongs.

2. Once the coin is secured between the prongs, position the coin until the edge of the coin is hovering above the striker head. Notice that the striker head is sloped. Depending on the thickness of the coin, it may sit higher or lower on the head. Typically, thinner coins will reside closer to the peak of the striker head, while thinner coins will sit lower on the head. The coin should be adjusted to the striker head, rather than being centered on the prongs.

3. With another finger, press and release the striker hammer to ring the coin. You should hear a ringing pitch, if the coin is genuine. If the coin is fake, then it will not ring at the expected frequency, often being shorter, or ringing without reverberation.

It is highly recommended to use this coin tester with an app like Bullion Test, Coin Tester, or PingCoin to automate the analysis of the coin's pitch much more accurately than the human ear can!

Critical Notes:

- This item is 3D Printed using PLA plastic

- The pinger is designed specifically to be used with 1 Oz coins and rounds

What To Do If You Suspect That You Found A Fake Coin:

Step 1: Test the piece again with the pinger! Maybe you had a lot of background noise and didn't pick up on the ring, or perhaps the coin wasn't positioned properly. It's always a good idea to rerun the test to make sure!

Step 2: Mark the coin as potentially fake, set the coin aside, and run a control test -- this means test a coin that you know for a fact is real, preferably a coin that is equivalent to the one that you suspect to be fake. This step makes sure that the Pinger is not, somehow, producing incorrect results.

Step 3: Attempt to test using another at home test method. Other test methods include:

• Magnet Test: Genuine silver is not magnetic. Use a strong neodymium magnet; if the coin sticks, it is fake (usually iron or nickel).

• Ice Cube Test (Thermal Conductivity): Silver is an excellent heat conductor. Place an ice cube on the coin; if it melts almost instantly, it is likely real silver.

• Weight/Density Test: Weigh the coin on a digital scale and check its diameter with calipers. Compare these with the official specifications for that coin (e.g., a standard US silver dollar should weigh 26.73 grams).

• Visual Inspection: Use a magnifying glass to check for wear. Real silver should tarnish over time; unnatural, green, or bright discoloration suggests plated copper or brass.

• Acid Test (Most Accurate, but Damaging): A silver acid testing kit can be used to determine purity by scratching the coin on a stone and applying acid. Note: This can damage numismatic or rare coins. 

Step 4: Get the coin professionally tested. Some Local Coin dealers, pawn shops, and jewlery stores have machines that can determine the make up of the metal that it scans. It is best to call the stores beforehand to ask if they have a scanner, if there is a price to use their machines, and how many coins they would be willing to test for you.

Step 5: If the coin is in fact fake, reach out to the seller and request your money back, if they do not provide you with a refund, consider reaching out to the platform that the merchant sells on and explaining the situation, or even consider disputing the charges with your payment service. This step can be challenging, especially if a fake coin is not identified immediately after purchase.

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This silver coin pinger was designed by Wild03 on thingiverse under the Creative Commons - Attribution license. This coin tester is being sold without modification to provide access to this game changing resource at a fair value to those without access to a 3D printer. The original design can be downloaded on Thingiverse for free.