Attention China Silver Panda Buyers:
This is an important Message regarding Fake or Counterfeit China
Silver pandas. It is just incredible how many The Fake silver pandas
that show up everyday on Ebay. These Fakes have become nearly identical
to the real ones, but they do not have a drop of actual Silver in them.
The counterfeitors, have come close to matching the size, the diameter,
weight as well as many of the intricate design features that make
silver pandas so unique.Some of the Fake Silver pandas have become so
good, that even experienced coin dealers can be fooled
The
Problem is, that the Fake/ counterfeit silver pandas have hurt the
values of the Real silver pandas. A lot new Silver panda buyers
are hesitant to start collecting Silver pandas, for fear of buying some
worthless imitation product. But, there are some things that you can do
to protect yourself. Here are some things to look for.
Packaging :
Real Chinese Silver pandas did not come Double sealed after 2006. Most
people think that 2005 was the last year, but in fact..there were some
from 2006 that came double sealed ,but they are not very common. So if
you see Chinese Silver pandas in some sort of Double sealed package,
with a date of 2007 or newer, the chances are very high that it will be
counterfeit. Most of the ones from 2000 to 2005 were minted at Shenzhen
Guobao Mint (in China) and this should be clearly Stamped on the outer
portion of the seal. Not all Silver pandas have this stamp, so it would
be wise, to learn exactly what Double sealed packages were in use by
the various mints. One Packaging style that the counterfeitors use,
has ROUNDED corners to it. These packages are much more rigid than the
real ones, and they have ROUNDED corners, usually on one end or the
other. Item # 281016370013 is an example of what I mean by rounded
corners. Anytime you see these packages, you should avoid them. They
contain 100% fake silver pandas.
What some
sellers are doing to get around the packaging, is to now remove them and
just sell them in capsule form. There are some right now on Ebay being
sold out of Hong Kong that are completey fake. In fact, it is my belief
that this seller is using different screen names, showing a picture of
an actual silver panda, but after you purchase it, you receive a simlar
looking,but fake,( none the less), China Silver Panda. Here is an item
number for you to check out (261124702314 & 281016370013) This
seller has sold hundreds of these fake pandas, and continues to get
away with it. Buying capsuled silver pandas, can be very risky. Number
one,make sure that there is a denomination on it( such as a 10 or a 5)
any and ALL silver pandas without a denomination are 100% fake. Silver
is a difficult metal to duplicate,so be sure to make sure that it has
smoothness, and creamy texture as real silver does. Weight is another
key to check. A real Silver panda should weigh ( without the
capsule) right at 31.1 grams, where as the fake silver pandas are
generally less than this ususally 30.5-30.8 grams. Also, check the
Detail of your panda. Real silver Pandas are known for their intricate
designs. The fake ones tend to lack this detail. The fine lines on the
Temple side, are more blurry on the Fake pandas.
There are
many more clues to look for when comparing Silver Pandas. My
suggestion, is to do a little research before buying. There are more and
more articles coming out on the internet, everyday regarding
counterfeit pandas. One of the better articles was written by Peter
Anthony. and can be found by searching for "How to Spot counterfeit
Pandas"
In My opinion, there is not a bettter Silver coin than
the Chinese Silver Pandas. But there are a ton of Fakes. Unless, you
don't mind spending 60.00 and upward, on a fake cheap alloy counterfeit.
You may want to take a very close look at you silver pandas when you
buy them
I hope this Information helps!