There is a lot of worry lately surrounding the amount of fake coins on the open market, and as many are made from gold, it is often very difficult to assess their originality. If you follow the link to the South African Rand Refinery, there is a piece on the authenticity of a Kruggerand coin. This may help allay some fears. The common copying of the coins is usually crude and easy to spot, but where the coin is a very good copy, it is less easy, and takes a skilled eye and a lengthy test to confirm the coins origins. Many forgeries are flooding in from Asia, particularly China, and this applies to silver collectible coins also, so the word is…..be vigilant, and if in doubt, don’t pay out!!