Economic Expertise of Average Americans: Fail

Discussion in 'Politics' started by Shade, Jan 20, 2010.

  1. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk5aRIz17fk&feature=player_embedded#]YouTube - Man tries to sell $1100 one ounce gold coin for $50; no takers.[/ame]

    This is just sad...
     
  2. Eh, the youtube comments make sense for once, you don't know if it's legit. Anyways, previous tests like this show some pretty funny ones, like the ones with naming countries.
     
  3. It's not hard to tell if gold is legit, and according to the video the legitimacy was never even questioned. Aside from that the guy was willing to, and did, let others examine it.
     
  4. Well, I guess I'm one of the few that doesn't know how to test if gold is legit.
     
  5. 1. Hold it. Gold is dense, so a 1 ounce coin will have a distinctive weight/feel to it.
    2. Look at it. Gold has a distinctive luster, especially after having been minted as in a coin.
    3. Scratch it. By scratching the surface you can tell that someone isn't just covered in gold paint.

    No special tools required, you can use a key to scratch. If it passes all of the above tests, you are probably safe in assuming it is indeed gold.

    I'm guessing this is the coin he was trying to sell...

    [​IMG]
     
  6. Pure 24K gold is also considerably softer then most metals. I mean it's not going to be like play dough in your hands, but once heated a little, it would be very easy to work with. To my knowledge at least lol. Not going to do you any good out on the street though lol:p
     
  7. Would have thought it was a "piss take" myself if he approached me on the street..
     
  8. rofl, no one is gonna make a fake gold canadian dollar, i'd take that deal in a heart beat. the dude with his girlfriend thought he was so smooth, im not paying 50 its probably only worth 200. LOL
     
  9. #9 chiefton8, Jan 21, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 21, 2010
    While I definitely agree that there is an overwhelming amount of stupidity in this country, I think this is a very poor example to demonstrate it. I mean, you can't walk the streets of New York City without being offered a "genuine" Rolex watch for the amazing price of $50, yet I feel pretty confident that if that happened to you you wouldn't even bother to respond to the guy, let along look at the watch carefully. You'd assume it were fake, and you'd probably be right.

    Same situation in the video...would you be willing to wager $50 that the coin wasn't just a good looking fake? I wouldn't. In fact, I call bullshit on anyone who says they would have taken that offer.
     

  10. who would waste the time for a canadian, gold dollar, who doesn't have a printer copier nowadays? way easier and 100% more efficient going with paper instead of coin, how many people here have melted metals down into liquid and recreated the same exact canadian stamp as on coin?

    no one knew or even questioned the legitimacy, i'd of gone home, brought my scale back and say here's 50 after i weigh it, any more or any less would be pure indicator it's fake, unless you know how to mesaure liquid gold in weight.
     

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