What is the Best Kind of Magnet to Test Coins?

Looking to buy a magnet to test coins but can't find much information.

Does anybody manufacture a magnet specifically for testing coins?


Thanks

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Pretty much any kind of strong magnet will do.

 

I have a telescopic pocket magnet I bought from Snap-On that is about the size of a pen and is extremely strong. I would recommend wrapping some kind of thin soft material over the magnet though in case you are wrong about the coin being a fake.

 

As Hobo stated, any strong magnet will work. Ceramic block magnets work well, you can pick them up at most hardware stores, or if you want to pay a few bucks shipping you can try eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Master-Magn...909?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19ca44673d

 

As Hobo and jloring said, any magnet is just fine. I've always used typical refrigerator magnets and they work just fine. All you need is to feel a slight pull. Using a high end magnet may actually be worse, as it can give a false pull due to a small amount of other metals that may be alloyed in the coin.

 

I use the one on the clipper on the refrigerator when it's not keeping the salad bags closed.

 

I have a couple of welder's magnets from Harbor freight. Leave them in the plastic packaging and wave them over a try of coins. The steel pops right out of there.


But a refridgerator magnet wrapped in clear plastic wrap will serve the purpose.


gary

 

Thanks for all the advice from everyone, I also was concerned about having to strong of a magnet.

I been doing some research and getting conflicting information about the magnetivity of silver coins.
Some say silver sometimes shows signs of being magnetic. I guess I will get a magnet tomorrow and do my own tests. Mostly looking for something to check the older Peace and Morgan silver dollars.
I was unaware there are so many counterfeits out there.
Counterfeiting doesn't seem to be a problem yet with the 1935-1967 Canadian silver dollars yet.

 

Not to ruin your day, but its only the poorer fakes that are magnetic. Higher quality, modern fakes many times use correct metal alloys, so no magnet tests will work.

A magnet is handy to have around to use as a first test along with weighing a coin, and sizing it, but passing those tests today is not guaranteeing anything. If they pass those tests, and are not a very valuable coin, you are much safer though.

CHris

 

I always test any later Canadian Cent to look for the magnetic varieties.

gary

 

You need the special counterfeit coin detection magnet with the enhanced felt tip, available at Amazon for $119.95. It's guaranteed to be attracted to iron.

JK. Any old refrigerator magnet is just fine.
Lance.

 

Gary, I didn't know about those. Thanks!

Chris

 

Very true, modern forgeries can sometimes only be identified by strictly visual characteristics. This makes them more deceptive because identifying them comes down to knowing what to look for rather than simple reference materials.

 

There is person in Youtube who has demonstrated using magnetic slide to test coins worth checking out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gUjuS5TzwI

 

Awesome link, thanks jjack.

 

Very clever!
Lance.

 

This probably goes without saying, but if you do carry a magnet with you, be sure to keep it away from any credit cards, membership cards, or anything else with a magnetic strip...

 

Great point, but more than that actually. A magnet can affect many electronic gadgets as well. Basically in our modern life a magnet is almost like our Kryptonite, so make sure you just keep it away from wallets, cell phones, most things actually.

 

...and computer monitors, hard drives, tvs.....etc..

 

Well, magnets do pose a bit of a hazard, but it's less than you might think, and decreasing as technology advances.

Color CRT monitors would be badly trashed by magnets. There's a steel mask just behind the face, and a magnet would set up magnetized zones in that mask. Those magnetized zones would bend the tube's electron beam as it approached, making it hit the wrong phosphor target on the screen. The result: areas of distorted color. Modern LCD displays are completely immune to this effect.

Hard drives are relatively well-shielded, and they're usually not right up against the outside of their enclosure. Hard drives actually contain some of the most powerful magnets you'll encounter, to drive the arm carrying the read/write heads.

The big saving grace of magnetic fields is that they get weaker very quickly as you move away from their source. But if the magnetic stripe on your credit card rubs against a magnet, the distance is pretty close to zero, and the field strength is high enough to trash it.