I'm going to start this guide the same way I will end it by asking you to vote for it when you are finished studying it. Thanks. There are now reports circulating that the counterfeiters, especially in Asia, are actually using silver to strike these fakes so just weighing them is not total protection against fraud. There are fakes from China being reported in Pandas and modern Silver Eagles as well. Unfortunately, a significant amount of this material is already in the US and may be trading from anywhere. Additional discussion and information may be found in the Trade Dollar auction section in an auction entitled, 'Beware of silver coins from China.' Check the question and answer section at the bottom for more information, both in the current auction and completed auction under this heading for additional discussion and actual reports from victims. This auctions referenced above is off the system. You can still search seller waitininfl. They have an actual Chinese catalog of Pandas for sale.  Also, discussion under Items for Sale in the Q & A section. If you communicate with the seller, they can link you to a Yahoo group that helps avoid fraud and counterfeits, especially from Asia. Also, be sure and vote at the end of this guide.  It only takes about 10 seconds. Thanks.  PS