Two men charged with selling counterfeit gold coins

Albany Times-Union ^ | June 10, 2014 | Tim O'Brien

[Kenny500c]

Two Queens men are charged with selling fake gold coins after they allegedly scammed a victim out of $14,000.

Colonie officers arrested Sungwook Hong, 33, and Yohann Pyon, 26, after they allegedly tried to sell coins to an undercover investigator. The department learned of the coin scam on May 28 when a victim reported answering a Craigslist offering of 1-ounce American Gold Eagle coins for sale.

[Kenny500c]

Thought this might be of interest to coin collectors.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

Anyone who buys Eagles without a “Fisch device”, particularly from a private party, is a loon.

http://www.thefisch.com/

[Telepathic Intruder]

You can get gold electroplated Silver American Eagles, but I’d think the weight difference between the pure gold ones would be noticeable. The price difference is certainly noticeable.

[cuban leaf]

You can get gold electroplated Silver American Eagles, but I’d think the weight difference between the pure gold ones would be noticeable.

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Not if they’re tungsten. It weighs almost exactly the same amount as gold.

Go to google images and google the following words without quotes: Gold, tungsten, china

[Trod Upon]

I believe there are ultrasound devices one can use to detect plating over tungsten.

[dragnet2]

Sungwook Hong, 33, and Yohann Pyon, 26

More wonderful immigrants who’ve been welcomed in by government...

I guess were fortunate they didn’t blow up a sporting event.

[muir_redwoods]

Silver eagles are considerably bigger than gold eagles. Silver being much lighter, it takes a bigger round to net out to a Troy oz.

[Telepathic Intruder]

Not almost exactly, but only about 23% heavier. I wouldn’t buy gold from an unknown source, anyway. Real gold coins also have a distinctive ring when you flip them in the air. Never compared it to tungsten, however.

[Hardastarboard]

Advertised heavily on talk radio (”BUY GOLD!!!”)

[Georgia Girl 2]

Don’t buy gold eagles on Craigslist. Don’t be that guy.

[kearnyirish2]

“Sungwook Hong, 33, and Yohann Pyon, 26. More wonderful immigrants who’ve been welcomed in by government...I guess were fortunate they didn’t blow up a sporting event.”

Up here in the northeast these people are the future; it is like the scenes of LA in bladerunner... I saw a sting/raid at the Meadowlands Flea Market (next to Giants Stadium) where State Police were locking up vendors near the entrance; at the other end Chinese vendors were furiously re-loading their vans to get away (at 9:30 in the morning). Where else could you get a Giants cap for $5?