Chorlton

I agree. I started out as a collector buying BU coins in the £10 packs 5 years ago before I stepped up to silver proofs. Although I moved up to a few modern gold commemoratives, my interest is in 19th century gold now.
If the RM brought out a modern commemorative that I really liked I would steer clear of a silver proof and buy the BU version instead. All my old BU coins are fine but the same can’t be said for some of my silver proofs. My last purchase from the Mint was the silver proof Una in 2019, another coin that’s let me down.  

Many of the £2 proof coins have very good designs on them. The problem is, especially with the silver proofs is the production quality of the newer ones is poor leading to marks and instant toning like staining. The older ones seems fine and age gradually as you would expect.

Im out of the silver stacking business and only stacking gold. Its the future...!!
Not sure platinum has a real role for stacking either.

Many of the £2 proof coins have very good designs on them. The problem is, especially with the silver proofs is the production quality of the newer ones is poor leading to marks and instant toning like staining. The older ones seems fine and age gradually as you would expect.

For a UK citizen, which ever CGT free coin has the lowest premium is the winner. Cost on entry(premium) and tax on sale are all a stacker should be looking at IMO. 

I would go for more sovereigns as its much easier to sell fractional gold coins than full 1oz . A 1oz Britannia will sell for a few % over spot.
Having four sovereigns in the hand gives you the option to sell slowly one at a time or liquidate fast all in one go.

I would be tempted to go for a CGT exempt coin - 1oz Britannia 

Hello there,
I heard about this through Youtube, interested in buying/selling and looking forward to learning lots!🦉
Luke

Yipee!!!! 😁 My Order arrived today 😎 Even after what happened, I would still purchase from Coin Invest dot com again, as their prices for certain gold bars is £200+ cheaper than the UK sites I previously purchased from!
In today's prices a Valcambi 10 x 1/10 oz Gold CombiBar is £1569.67 from Atkinsons Bullion. It's £1471.77 (includes £33.45 Customs Declaration + 2% credit card fee £28.57 + £14.95 p&p) from Coin Invest so, £97.90 cheaper after all fees!
I purchased Heraeus 100 x 1g gold bar from Bullion By Post for £4657. Had I purchased it from Atkinsons Bullion dot com, it would have been £4425 (£232 cheaper). From Coin Invest it would have been £4552 (so £105 cheaper inc. 2% credit card fees & postage/customs). So, Atkinson wins out with that one!
It pays to shop around but, I'm not buying gold from Bullion By Post ever again. I only started stacking (gold & silver) since March this year 2021, and I have certainly had a rapid, indepth education in the last 4 months (seems longer)! During this time (since March 2021) I've bought silver from the Royal Mint UK, silver from APMEX USA on eBay!!!!!! Plus silver CombiBars from other Sellers on eBay - here in the UK, also Germany & USA! I wouldn't do that now! Atkinsons gives me the best deals on silver 100g combibars.
I've been on a steep learning curve since March but now I've run out of fiat currency and can’t buy anything anymore‼️😂
I hope that someone else will learn from my experience and know that they're not alone in this stacking adventure. FloJo x

Sod the complete 10 coin sets, they suck in comparison to this beauty!
 

Unfortunately no photos but have seen consistent issues with silver proofs from RM in recent years including the QB proofs. The much older RM silver proofs are fine if looked after properly. I just sold them all on unless they were if an age where any issues would have become apparent. 

Sorry, I'm not talking about it being scrubbed - it may well have no hairlines in the field - but it's of an age and been out of circulation for long enough that it should have clear signs of toning. The colour is too uniform for it not have had a clean - albeit not necessarily recently.
It's a nice looking coin but not good enough to be a uniform EF which would give it a book price (dealers price) of £75. The previous estimate i gave was for a sixpence because i was too lazy to read your post properly. My bad.
There's a lot of 'discretion' used in grading coins so maybe i'm just too fussy...

I'd have said it was almost eF as well.  Maybe the obverse is EF with reverse being a bit below.  I'd think it's been cleaned as well although close to the letters isn't that much more dirty.  You can usually see where they couldn't clean in between letters as well.
The tone doesn't look natural either but that could be the picture and there doesn't appear to look like there is any lustre (although that's more a guess as it doesn't show well in pictures often).
I also tend to grade on the conservative side.

I am starting to look more at older coins but just wanted a rough guide of grade and any other comments on the 1816 silver shilling with photos below. I can then use this as a guide for future purchases, all comments appreciated. 
 

I would grade it as AEF/GVF. It's a common coin and It's been cleaned. Guide price around £20-£30.

Scraping the bottom of the barrel as far as I am concerned. Limited to 100 sets….
One would be better buying these privately, getting a box made by Alun and saving about £450

https://www.royalmint.com/duke-of-edinburgh/HRH-The-Prince-Philip-Duke-of-Edinburgh-Sovereign-Set-1921-2021/

I am starting to look more at older coins but just wanted a rough guide of grade and any other comments on the 1816 silver shilling with photos below. I can then use this as a guide for future purchases, all comments appreciated. 
 

Check out what's for sale here for comparison. Many are graded using the LCGS if the numbers are unfamiliar:
https://www.londoncoins.co.uk/?page=Pastresults&searchterm=Shilling+1816&category=9&searchtype=1

Thanks that's a very useful site.

I am starting to look more at older coins but just wanted a rough guide of grade and any other comments on the 1816 silver shilling with photos below. I can then use this as a guide for future purchases, all comments appreciated. 
 

That's a looker of a coin. From the photos looks to be uncirculated/choice uncirculated? Compares favourably to the ones on London Coins. Worth a few bob 😁

With respect i would personally place this coin in my pre 1920 box. That is a mixed bag, nothing outstanding but nothing awful. I am no expert on silver but the difference between prices circulated and uncirculated is huge. Way out of what i can afford or would be willing to pay sadly . 

A little advice for next time.  Ideally never mix gold and silver in an order from outside the UK.  It's just easier for customs declarations and sorting out any issues later.  If a parcel of gold is shipped by UPS, as soon as you have the tracking and the parcel has been picked up and is in transit, phone UPS.  Get through to the customs department and tell them you have a shipment containing only investment gold and want to put in the declaration.  They'll email you a form for you to sign and return and that should be it. 

I am starting to look more at older coins but just wanted a rough guide of grade and any other comments on the 1816 silver shilling with photos below. I can then use this as a guide for future purchases, all comments appreciated.