 |
  
          |
     |
Recent Emails & Forum DiscussionsRecent Emails & Forum Discussions • Books, Magazines & Newsletters • Investors
31 October 2008 My amazing deal on Maples Thank you for your fast delivery. I have purchased several coins via ebay and I am disappointed that 2 of them are fake. I fell much more confident when purchasing coins. Do you have any dealer recommendations either on line or through ebay? Also, do you sell detectors for other European coins such as French gold 20 Francs (Angels) and German Marks? Thank you.. 16 June 2008 I would not normally make much noise about this except the owner is closing down the business. At some point in the future, these will not be available any longer. For less money than a cheap shotgun, your readers could add to their arsenal of tools for not getting cheated is some future the normal economy has become discombobulated. http://www.survivalblog.com/2006/10/wo_letters_re_advice_on_ammuni.html 16 May 2008 Hi Ken, First off, I would like to thank you for promptly shipping out my Wallet #2; I received it 3 days after order placement! Secondly, I would like to thank you for making such a genius product. I tested my 1oz and 1/10oz Kruggerands, and they are both authentic. I also found the wallet itself to be very well-made and classy in appearance. I will definitely make good use of this Fisch with future acquisitions, and will recommend it to all my friends, family, and co-workers that invest in gold coins/bars. Even if I never come across a counterfeit, I think the peace of mind alone that the Fisch provides is worth the price! Thank you again, P.S. I am sorry to hear that you are no longer producing the Fisch; there are no competing products that I know of, and I hope you will change your mind in the near future and resume production, so that everyone will be able to once again purchase your 1st-rate product! 16 May 2008 Question: How can you tell the fakes from the real deal? I am interested in buying gold sovereigns and/or Kruggerands, so any top tips would be great. Any recommendations for safe's to keep them in? Answer: I used to own a Fisch fake coin detector. Works well and I sold it after I had bought the bulk of my coins. Google for Fisch to find their website. http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t7171.html 6 April 2008 Dear Ken, Thank you so much for the Buyers Guide. I can't stop reading it! I will indeed tell people who might be interested about your instruments. One enormous part of their appeal is their simplicity: so many effective operations in such a small, light and robust piece of equipment. Regards, 1 March 2008 29 January 2008 These little injection molded scales are nicely finished and elegantly simple. In fact I came across them on the internet a few years ago, right before I started acquiring coins, and thought them to be an unconventional alternative to digital scales and calipers. I regret not having bought them, especially the silver Fisch, right then. I've noticed that they are no longer available. You should keep a few sets around - never know if someday they'd end up in some museum's collection of esoteric instruments. Regards, 16 January 2008Re: Fisch coin testers I bought the full set direct from the website about a year ago. Received it with no problems.
Has already saved me from 2 fake sovereigns and one fake Mexican 50 peso. My set has paid for itself many times over! 14 November 2007 Hello Ken
I checked a 100 Corona coin today and it was fake, too large around, too thick, and not heavy enough.
Your product saved me a fortune. Thanks again
16 August 2007
Dear Mr Ken
Please note we received your shipment by mail in good condition. I was most impressed with the many new ideas and insight to protect the unaware consumer with the most excellent tools on the free market. Thank you for all of your hard work and successful ideas.
23 July 2007
Ken,
Thank you very much for the follow up. I received my Fisch Instruments in a very timely manner. They are very easy to use and the peace of mind was worth every cent. Thanks again.
17 May 2007
Dear Ken,
Have received my fisch wallet 2. Very easy to use and brings great peace of mind. Many Thanks
17 May 2007
I received my order this morning. I used the fisch instrument on certain coins and i was relieved to find out that the coins were genuine. Thanks for everything. (From Greece)
April 2007
“Incidentally, a must for every investor who buys gold bullion coins is the Fisch counterfeit coin detector.”Richard Maybury, US & World Early Warning Report, April 2007. www.chaostan.com
3 May 2007
Hello,
I recently received the wallets #2 and #4 I purchased from your website. Nice product.
2 March 2007
Dear Ken,
Thank you for sending the second wallet no. 2 which arrived today. I shall tell those whom I meet, who are interested in this subject, about your website and the courteous way you conduct your business.
Yours sincerely
15 February 2007
Hi Ken,
Wallets arrived promptly, and well packed too (please thank Will). I'm impressed how compact the actual set is, I had imagined it to be twice as big. The whole thing has a real nice quality feel to it, and the plastic is nice and tough on the actual Fisch unit. The good news is it works, the bad news is.... well you can probably work that one out! Definitely worth the money, wish I'd known about it sooner it would have paid for itself nearly three times over with just one mistake I made.
I have found that Sydney mint Sovereigns (as opposed to London, Perth or Melbourne) quite often are a fraction too large in diameter and get exactly half way through the slot test before getting stuck but they pass the weight and thickness test. Have you had any feedback about these coins from other users, I'm not sure if they are fake or just not as well made as the ones from London! They must be about 22ct if they are fake with them being so close to the original size. The definite fakes don’t tip the scales or even begin to go in the slot. I'd be interested to hear if you had any info on this .I must admit it is a very positive fit with the definite good coins.
One last thing Ken, (if it's not impertinent to ask) why did you call it the fisch? It is kind of a catchy name.
All the Best
5 September 2005
Your guy in Sacramento is doing a great Job! I used to live there and had the pleasure of meeting him. Well best wishes and thanks for writing back!
4 January 2007
Subject = Fisch Fake Coin Detectors
Message = Hello, I ordered all five wallets and the payment went through on my credit card on December 18, 2006. The shipment was to be sent to Madrid, Spain and I was wondering how long it would take to get here? Could you tell me if it was sent via airmail or on boat as I could estimate more or less from that information. I'm looking forward to receiving the product.
Thanks and Happy New Year!
A few days later
Hello Ken,
thank you for the speedy response. As (good) luck would have it, the package arrived today! Sorry for my impatience. I was just excited. The products are exactly how we thought they would be -- great! Thanks so much. Good luck to you in the coming New Year. Feliz año nuevo. Thanks a lot!
18 February 2006
Thank you for making such a quality, reputable product.
24 March 2006
Hello Will:
just received the order , small fee on customs , but came in with no problem , liked the wallets very much , very simple and easy to use , well presented and very ingenious just read in the brochure about your buyers guide , sorry to have missed with my order , can it be downloaded by internet Pdf or text ? All the best from Argentina
23 October 2006 From www.Survivalblog.com
Re: Letter on Precious Metals for Barter
Jim, I read your post of 10/15 about barter items and the problems with fake gold coins. You wrote: "The other major problem with using gold coins for survival barter, regardless of their weight, is that they will be immediately suspect as counterfeit by the individual on the other side of the table."
You are quite correct, but an easy and affordable solution is available. Please note that I am not a salesman for this product nor affiliated with the company in any way. I am simply someone who has been working on preparedness for 40 years and have found this product valuable.
There is a fake gold coin detection product made by Fisch Instruments. The detector, detectors really, consist of plastic fulcrums that measure the diameter, thickness, and weight of a coin. Because of gold's unique properties, no coin can pass these three tests and be a counterfeit. (Okay, okay, they could be made out of platinum alloy or palladium, but that doesn't seem too probable). I have had a set of these detectors for about 25 years. I am not a coin collector; I just have them in case I find myself being presented gold coins for payment for food or ammo.
I would not normally make much noise about this except the owner is closing down the business. At some point in the future, these will not be available any longer. For less money than a cheap shotgun, your readers could add to their arsenal of tools for not getting cheated is some future the normal economy has become discombobulated.
17 October 2006 From an internet forum:
Get a Fisch and you don't have to worry.
I like that fisch; genius in its simplicity.
8 January 2006
I've read that there are lots of counterfeit sovereigns, mostly from the Middle East. Better have a Fisch detector.
28 February 2006
P.S. Anybody who is going to collect bullion sovereigns needs to get a FISCH Instruments tester kit! There are a lot of sovs out there from the Beirut Mint!
2 November 2006
Just received my order. Thanks. That was very prompt. You wouldn't by chance have a Wallet #6 for U.S. Silver Dollars laying around there that you would be willing to sell?
15 November 2006
Hi Will,
I received my order, and I am thrilled! The detectors are a breeze to use, am I am pleased to report that all my coins checked out just fine (whew!) I will be much more confident about making purchases in local coin retailers now--the peace of mind these detectors provide is priceless! Please try to talk Ken into putting these detectors back into production--with the new bull market in precious metals still in its infancy, I'm sure you guys would do a brisk business!
If you ever put the silver wallet back into production please let me know--I'll be the first one to buy it!
Thanks again--I'm gonna tell all my goldbug friends about your detectors, so hopefully you will see a pop in sales!
Kind regards,
18 February 2006
Thank you for making such a quality, reputable product.
From Kitco Gold Forum www.kitco.com
22 December 2006
I started a Fisch thread a while back--I purchased the testers this fall (I got the Eagle and the Maple wallets)--they work perfectly...very handy when you are trolling the flea markets and such.
I showed it to my local dealer and he pulled out a Krug he was stuck with that he knew was counterfeit (I cocked an eyebrow when he did that and he said he keeps it around for "comparison purposes"--besides, he sure as hell can't sell it!)
Anyhow...the detector worked like a charm--the coin couldn't pass all the tests.
25 November 2006: I've been searching around online for info about how to detect fake gold coins because I want to start shopping locally. I came across mentions of the Fisch detector on several sites, and I hemmed and hawed about ordering it (mainly because I was concerned about the security of the online ordering page). I finally took the plunge and ordered it--by fax, 'cause I don't think the webpage is secure, and they arrived yesterday. I'm thrilled with them--very easy to use, and I'm pleased to say all my gold passed the test (whew!)
If you are concerned about picking up a counterfeit coin, I really recommend these--I feel much more confident about making purchases now. I only wish they still made the one for silver coins....
9 June 2005
I used to own a Fisch fake coin detector. Works well and I sold it after I had bought the bulk of my coins. Google for Fisch to find their website.
17 April 2007
I use a Fisch gold detector - pretty much foolproof. I've got wallet #2, which contains detectors for my main purchases - Krugerrands and Sovereigns. I buy from a trusted coin dealer who's already checked the coins and doesn't mind in the slightest when I check my potential purchases...
13 October 2006
I test all my coins using a Fisch gold detector device to ensure they're real.
From www.goldismoney.info
19 August 2004
Thanks for such an excellent, informative, and well written review! The only info I can add is that I understand the Fisch gauge mentioned is no longer being produced and is being sold from existing inventory only.
For anyone starting out, I'd suggest getting the Fish gauge(s) first, partly because they're no longer being made and partly because they also incorporate a scale feature (a balance-type scale) that's probably accurate enough for general, everyday use.
19 February 2006
Actually, that reminds me, I've been using a Fisch fake detector for years on krugerrands ever since I saw a big dealer in London using one on sovereigns.
http://www.fisch.co.za/home.htm Works on other coins too, depending on what set you buy.
18 March 2006
Never, but NEVER sell short the idea that there ARE fake gold coins out there. In the years I have been buying, trading, collecting, and generally dealing in PMs and numismatics, I have encountered MANY different fakes. While the general notion that gold coins can't be faked and retain their size, shape, and
correct specific gravity may be true, the more common ploy is to make a fake using "slightly" less gold than is used in the genuine article. This is where the testers come in very handy, especially so to those of us who go through alot of coins. The Fisch instruments are excellent in this regard, and basically measure the shape, thickness, diameter, and specific gravity of the coin in a very quick and easy process of passing the coin through a slot, and then placing it in a small tray to check the "balance" of the coin to the correct specific gravity of the gold alloy mix for the specific coin. I have used these little instruments since the big rush circa 79-80, and have never seen them fooled by a fake, though they have identified many "off-weight" fakes over the years.
18 March 2006
I've used the Fisch for krugs and sovereigns when buying "off the beaten path." Great little device...buy them while you can because he's not making any more.
3 April 2006
Really nice (and brilliant) little tools...however...expensive, especially when you can't order them individually. For example, "Wallet #3" has exactly ONE tool that is useful for me (for Saints), and three that are of no use for me. See Can I buy one Fisch Fake Coin Identification Gauge?
4 April 2006
I really don't have any fool-proof suggestion for detecting "copies" of collectibles, other than observe due diligence and have a bit of luck. However, I would like to chime-in regarding the cost/price/value of the Fisch detectors. As I see it cost is a relative thing. I took a look at their website and all five wallets are going for $225. Well, lets see .... detect one base metal phony priced and all the detectors have paid for themselves.
I've used some of the same reasoning in the purchase of tools. Yes, I own a few "expensive" specialty tools and I thought long and hard before I bought them.
I also admit to improvising a tool rather than buying a tool, but there is also a cost involved as well. Your time in making that tool is worth something and God forbid you damage something valuable with your makeshift item.
Got to go now - I've got a truck engine to overhaul and the cocktail napkin and bar stool I'm using for a support may give way!!! Take care all
5 April 2006
Of late, I use a Fisch, but I have physically measured and weighed in the past. IMHO, the Fisch is convenient without being too complacent. I don't buy frequently, but when I do, I want what I'm paying for.
26 December 2006
I bought a couple sets of Fisch Fake Coin Identification Detectors for gold bullion coins. They had a set for silver coins but they were sold out and he's not making anymore. They work great and I keep them in the car so I have them when I need them.
Hi Ken,
Just thought you would like to know that I just finished closing a deal on some Sovereigns. I felt VERY confident as I tested each coin with my snazzy detector (you could almost hear the oohs and aahs). Really, the individual was just a wee bit put out because the middle man, a coin dealer, had checked them out first with his micrometer before I got there and found two fakes, and here I was checking them out again with some mysterious gadget.
Of course I didn’t know this at the time, nor would it have made any difference, as it was my money being spent. (I was born AT night but not LAST night!).
Your product more than paid for itself on my first deal.
Again, thanks for the detectors.
My best,
This data was submitted on: Tuesday, June 14, 2005 at 03:07:15
Subject = Fisch Fake Coin Detectors
Message = I recently purchase Wallet #2 & #4.
I checked Krugerrands that I had purchased years ago and was relieved to find they all passed the Fisch test (as well as all weighed identical on an electronic scale).
Today, I picked up an order of Maple Leafs and Krugerrands. The employees of the dealer were surprised I was checking the coins and advised they had never seen a Fisch before. I'm so glad I had the Fisch, as one of the Krugerrands definitely did not fit. The color appeared the same as the others. By weight in hand I didn't notice anything significant. The width of the coin started to pass thru the slot, however, about 1/4 of the way thru it couldn't continue passing thru. The diameter was way too big. I immediately rejected the coin and requested a replacement.
The dealer was immediately interested in the Fisch instrument and wrote down the name of it. I sure wish you had more of the Fisch for the Silver Dollars..... Sure hope you consider making more of them.
They are worth their weight, well in gold and silver ! :-)
Your guy in Sacramento is doing a great Job! I used to live there and had the pleasure of meeting him. Well best wishes and thanks for writing back!
Hi Ken,
Thanks for getting back to me. I'm sorry to hear you've moved on - I really enjoy the simplicity the Fisch offers and I can't imagine not checking my PM's. I check every one. However, as a fellow entrepreneur I can understand your business decision if there is no demand or supply is an issue. I'm curious as to your current recommendations on PM's and advice on checking them if a Fisch isn't available. If things change or a business opportunity opens up - please let me know.
Emails back and forth with one happy buyer:
Hi Ken,
I'll go to Western Union first thing in the morning and send the money for Wallet #2 (Eagles, Sovereigns, etc.). PLEASE SEND ASAP. I will e-mail you again when the money is sent, giving you the Control Number. You can check on it on their web site, but it should be available long before W.C. wakes up in the morning.
Please use extra padding/wrapping as stuff really gets beat up coming this far. Please do NOT put an invoice in the package, or use your company return address! If you do, it will go to customs, they will open it up and play with it, then call us to come pick it up from across the country (we have no car),
and charge us an import fee/tax. Just HAND WRITE a personal return address like it's from a friend, which you are.
Thanks!
Again, please do NOT put the invoice, instructions, etc. in the package - you MAY put in a Snickers candy bar if extra padding is needed!!! Please mail them in a separate envelope if you like. Is it possible to ship today?
Hi Ken,
Thanks for sending my order out so soon. I really appreciate it. I'll let you know when it arrives.
All the best,
Hi Ken & Will,
You guys are a riot!!! The Detectors arrived today along with a Snickers for extra padding. Ha! If I would have known you were going to take me THAT serious, I would have asked you to send a cast iron wood stove instead of a Snickers! It REALLY made our day. Oh, and the detectors are nice too.
One problem...how do I know that the Snickers is for real and not a fake?
There was no "Snickers Detector" enclosed. Maybe that should be your next project. We took a chance on it being genuine and ate it promptly.
Thanks for getting the detectors shipped right away.
Hi Ken,
Just thought you would like to know that I just finished closing a deal on some Sovereigns. I felt VERY confident as I tested each coin with my snazzy detector (you could almost hear the oohs and aahs). Really, the individual was just a wee bit put out because the middle man, a coin dealer, had checked them out first with his micrometer before I got there and found two fakes, and here I was checking them out again with some mysterious gadget.
Of course I didn’t know this at the time, nor would it have made any difference, as it was my money being spent. (I was born AT night but not LAST night!).
Your product more than paid for itself on my first deal.
Again, thanks for the detectors.
My best,
Hi Ken,
I received the package today.
Thank you for the lightning-fast shipping and for inventing such great tools!
Best regards,
PS. BTW, very nice product. I'm very pleased
From a buyer in Spain - 22 July 2005
Hello Ken: The package arrived today: thank you very much for your attention. The mail is slower here during the summer months, and that probably accounted for the delay. Thank you very much again for your attention. I am delighted to have found such a well designed and simple device to check gold coins.
Wished I had known it before! |
The Fisch: Fake Gold and Platinum Coin, Medallion & Small Bar Detection © 2010 Fisch Instruments | Privacy | Sitemap | Contact |