On ebay I purchased what was supposed to be a 1 ounce .999 fine silver round coin/medallion. I got suspicious and began sawing it in half and sure enough I found it was only silver-plated, inside it was a brass colour metal.

Take a look at the picture - that is the type I bought, with a buffalo and an Indian head. Notice it doesn't say the word 'silver' anywhere on it, just ''one troy ounce" and ".999 fine" and "Liberty". They are dated 2002 where I have circled.

There are similar legitimate buffalo/indian head 1 oz silver rounds available but they actually say the word silver on them and are quite different if you study the differences.

These particular fakes are quite easy to spot when you see that ".999 FINE" on its own, as the other legitimate rounds have much more wriitng in the same space.

The fake that I bought was very high quality with a flawless 'proof-like' finish.

Please see my other ebay guide about how to tell if you have a fake without using a saw!