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Today at a gun show a vendor had a 1/2 oz gold American Eagle for sale for $10 over melt (half of the ounce going price). I took my handy dandy cheap digital scale with me and had already weighed a silver one ounce eagle and came up exactly 1.00 troy ounce.
When we put his 1/2 oz gold eagle on it, it repeatedly weighed 0.55 ozt. I was concerned enough that I didn't pull the string on a deal. I don't have one at home to test so am wondering if there is a discrepancy in these coins.
Any help appreciated.

Gold eagles aren't pure, they are 22 kt, so to contain a fixed amount of gold they have to weigh more than that. A 1/2 toz of gold AGE weighs 0.5454 toz - the rest of the weight is alloy.

Many thanks, 68.

franklin wrote:Many thanks, 68.

Gold buffalos however, are pure. As well as Canadian gold maples.