Using the Fisch & Ringer - Tips and background information


Fake Silver Dollars among 40,000 counterfeit silver & gold coins seized in Los Angeles
June 4, 2021

Representatives of the Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation and its Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force report that they recently assisted federal law enforcement agents with on-site numismatic expertise regarding more than 40,000 fake Morgan and Peace dollars, American Eagle silver bullion coins and Indian Head gold $2.50 coins that were seized in the Los Angeles area. The assistance was prov...



The Ringer - 916 & 999 coin rings explained


The Ringer works the best with 917 fine coins like the American Eagle, Krugerrand, Mexican 50 and 20 Pesos, 100 Coronas and other gold coins that are not 999 fine gold. The silver & copper in the Eagle, and the copper only in the others, give the coins a long ring like a bell.  Listen to the recording in the Fisch Family pages - The Ringer Sounds of Coins & Fakes.  The Ringer ...



The Ringer & Silver Coins


The Ringer can also be used to check 1oz silver coins and Silver Dollars as a different composition of metal/s used to make a fake will give a different ring tone to that of a genuine coin. Having said that, the fake 1oz silver coins we have checked and those that have been reported are too thick and will be detected by the Fisch. This emphasizes the necessity of using the Ringer as well as the...



Using the Fisch and the Ringer requires your judgment QUICK READ
January 19, 2121

The Fisch Using the Fisch for gold requires some judgment on the part of the user. What are you looking for? You are looking for a common metal fake.  Re-read the Fisch Principle. From the Fisch Principle: “A fake made from lead to exactly the same thickness and diameter as a genuine Krugerrand (or American Eagle) would be 35% lighter than the genuine coin. If made the correct wei...



The Ringer and coins smaller than 1oz
July 18, 2017

The Ringer is designed primarily to be used to detect tungsten counterfeits of 1oz or bigger gold coins.  The Ringer can also be used to check 1oz silver coins as a different composition of metal/s used to make a fake will give a different ring tone to that of a genuine coin. Having said that, the fake 1oz silver coins I have tested and have been reported are too thick and will be detected by...



Maple Leaf 1oz Gold & Ringer- User's video recording of ringing
May 9, 2020

This recording demonstrates very clearly the ring that  follows the striking of a genuine Maple Leaf 1oz Gold Coin. Make sure that you also read "Maple Leaf 1oz Gold and the Ringer - User's Report" in this section. Right click on the link below to open the video in a new tab or window.  Then click on the image to play the video. The sound will play at full voulume. Tu...



Maple Leaf 1oz Gold and The Ringer - User's Report
June 16, 2018

916 fine or 22 karat coins such as the American Eagle, Krugerrand, Mexican 50 Pesos, US $10 & $20, 100 Corona, Britannia (1987-2012) give a very distinctive ring. 999 fine or 24 karat coins like the Maple Leaf & Philharmonic, give a less  distinct, but still discernible ring. After the thud of the hammer on the coin, you can hear a soft ring. A tungsten fake gives no ring whatsoever....



How the Ringer & holder fits in your Wallet holder
December 25, 2015

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Using the Ringer - 1/10oz gold coins
May 4, 2015

I had am email from a user concerned about tungsten fakes smaller than 1oz. He asked how he could use the Ringer to ring a smaller coin.  I wrote back: "Thanks for writing. I haven't had any reports of tungsten counterfeit 1/10 ounce gold coins. I recently added feedback on the Fisch family pages of another way of using the Ringer. This user used a magic marker (plastic shaft) to ...



Using the Fisch - Avoid very humid conditions
April 13, 2015

Atmospheric conditions, especially humidity, can affect the delicate, and therefore accurate, operation of the Fisch. Here is a Fisch users' feedback:  I have found that atmospheric conditions can greatly affect the use of the Fisch. When I use the Fisch in our basement, where it has been more humid since it was closed up with the windows closed for the winter, the Fisch is inc...



Using the Ringer - He uses a Magic Marker to ring coin
April 13, 2015

Here is a useful tip from a Ringer user: "I have found the best ring test to be to your Ringer, but not the Ringer hammer. I use the Ringer to hold the coin (especially for numismatic coins since I hold the edges and never touch either face) and then use a large Magic Marker (a felt tipped pen with a plastic shaft) to strike the coin's edge. The Magic Marker makes very little...



A cautionary tale: What not to do if you suspect a fake AE Silver
March 11, 2015

A cautionary tale: What not to do if you suspect a fake Here is an e-mail from a Fisch user checking a silver American Eagle, followed by my reply: Hi Received the silver and gold testers along with the ringer lighting fast. Now I really love the ringer, (and found 3 tungsten gold coins) which is great it works but horrible, that a reputable dealer sold me these. I was getting ready...



The Fisch for Silver American Eagles - A user's report
March 11, 2015

This e-mail from a Fisch user is an example of a user interpreting the results of the Fisch checks: Some feedback on the Fisch.  Thursday evening I was using the Fisch silver kit that I bought validating the authenticity of my coins. Seeing how I bought the vast majority of my silver eagles and Morgan dollars off Ebay, I was somewhat worried on what I might find.  The Fisch was am...



The Ringer - A User's Review with descriptions of sounds
January 21, 2015

Here is the review. I am posting it as I think the descriptions of the sounds various coins make when rung by the Ringer is useful to users: Preliminary test results of "The Ringer" by Fisch Instruments on the below PM bullion coins (all 1 oz coins): Pd (Palladium) Canadian Maple: very high ring tone, lasts reasonably long Pt (Platinum) Canadian Maple: dull short-lived ring...



The Silver Dollar Fisch and worn coins
January 21, 2015

The Silver Dollar Fisch will not balance with a worn coin The coin end of the Fisch will be “up” due to the coins being underweight. The Fisch will, however, balance at the minimum weight as specified by the US Mint, namely 26.34g. This is the weight we use to check each Fisch for minimum weight accuracy.  Less than that weight and the Fisch will not balance. Using the Fisc...



Using the Ringer - IMPORTANT Background Information
November 5, 2014

The Ringer is designed primarily to be used to detect tungsten counterfeits of 1oz gold coins.   The Ringer can also be used to check 1oz silver coins as a different composition of metal/s used to make a fake will give a different ring tone to that of a genuine coin. Having said that, the fake 1oz silver coins I have tested and have been reported are too thick and will be detected by the F...



How to use the Fisch for Silver - Watch this video
October 2, 2014

This video shoes the Fisch being used to check a Silver Dollar.   ...



How to use the Fisch for Gold - Watch this video
October 2, 2014

This video shows the Fisch being used to check a Krugerrand..  ...



How to use the Ringer - Watch this video
September 22, 2014

This video is a demontration of the Ringer in action detecting a tungsten fake Krugerrand, It also shows a genuine Krugerrand being tested. Both the Nail and Pen methods of ringing a coin are shown.   This is the same video that is on the Home Page.   ...



MUST READ! Using the Fisch - Use Common Sense MUST READ!
March 21, 2018 - Updated

Using the Fisch for gold requires some judgment on the part of the user. What are you looking for? You are looking for a common metal fake.  Re-read the Fisch Principle. From the Fisch Principle: “A fake made from lead to exactly the same thickness and diameter as a genuine Krugerrand (or American Eagle) would be 35% lighter than the genuine coin. If made the correct weight and ...



How a coin is made - The Minting Process
15 October 2012

In the minting process a planchet (or blank) is held in a collar and struck by the die. The impact of the die forces the metal to flow towards the rim which then forms the raised edge of the coin. The coin has a raised edge to protect the devices (the images/writing on the coin) from excessive wear (as would occur if it were higher than the rim of the coin.)    As you can imagine i...



Using the Fisch - Coin tight through the Slot?
15 October 2012

Tight through the Slot?  The checking of coins with the Fisch requires judgement. Like how does the coin look compared to a known genuine coin, how tight is it in the recess, how tight through the slot. A coin at max diameter or thickness will be tight at the slot or in the recess. In fact, it is not necessary to force a coin through the slot when by looking you can see that it is very clo...



Using the Fisch - Coin sticks in the round recess or hard to get in the recess?
24 December 2012

Coin sticks in the Round Recess or hard to get into the Recess? The main function of the round recess is to locate the coin for the weight check. The diameter of the recess is at the maximum allowed - according to the issuing mint - for a coin. A coin that is at that maximum will be a tight fit. The recess of each Fisch is checked with a disc at the maximum diameter. The diameter of the ...