by natsb88 » Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:09 pm
I got a demo unit from Sigma with the small and medium wands. They didn't send a bullion wand with this one but I will be buying a complete set myself.
I made a basic video testing various genuine and fake gold and silver items. This video is really just for BullionStacker and Realcent. It will eventually be replaced by a more detailed "how-to" and demo video once I work with Sigma a little more and get a bullion wand.
(video is still uploading to YouTube, I will post it as soon as it is done).
I ran into one thing that concerns me, which are counterfeit Monarch 1/4 and 1/10 oz gold rounds that consistently test as genuine. I'm going to work with Sigma to figure out why that is and hopefully correct the issue. The pieces weigh correctly but are oversized so can be detected as fakes by other methods, which emphasizes the important of using multiple methods of verification and educating yourself on what to look for. Other than those pieces the device performs admirably.
Here are some of the common questions I have been getting.
Q: Does it really read through bags, capsules, slabs, etc.?
A: Bags and capsules, generally yes. Slabs, sometimes. Larger coins in slabs usually work, fractionals are hit and miss. I was able to read a slabbed 1/4 oz gold eagle with the large wand, but not a 1/10 oz. The smaller and thinner coins in a standard thickness slab leave a larger gap between the metal and the sensor. The bullion wand might work better for small coins in slabs, that is yet to be seen.
Q: Does it work with bars or only rounds?
It works with both.
Q: How large of an item will it measure?
The largest item I had available was a 10 oz silver bar, and that worked fine on the main sensor. Since you can use a wand, you can really measure an item as large as you like. But keep in mind that even with the bullion wand it will only penetrate about 2mm into the metal. That is more than sufficient for 1 oz pieces, but it's probably not going to detect a 100 oz silver bar that has been carefully drilled and filled.
Q: What about poured bars?
The Verifier measures the electrical properties of the metal sample and compares it to a database of known values. Internal cracks and porosity, as well as a very irregular surface, can affect the resistivity and throw off the results. From my little bit of experimentation, the verifier will accurately measure a bar if you place a flat and relatively smooth side of the bar against the sensor or wand. If you try to measure over the stamping, where there are pockets and bubbles, or if the surface is just very irregular, it won't measure accurately. Again, keep in mind that with the normal sensors it's reading about 0.5mm into the surface, and with the bullion wand up to 2mm, so any stamping, relief, void, etc. that deep or deeper will affect the measurement.
Q: What about bi-metallic coins like casino tokens?
Good question. I would guess that by using the wand to isolate either the center or the outer ring you could test both metals, but I don't have any on hand so I will have to try that later.
Q: Group buy?
Yes! I have some bulk pricing information from Sigma and I am willing to run a group buy. Keep an eye on the Buy it Now forum.