DukeSilver

I could certainly be tempted. But I would be sad to see them go 😢

I tried using egg whites in a air-tight container once before. Spectacular results (like a kaleidoscope), but it had a definite artificial feel to it. I was keen to see how long it would take to get a more natural-looking result - with a bit of coaxing, of course.

Hello all! For a while I have been trying to create a patina on a couple of silver QBs - partly because they were already tarnished, but mostly because I have always wanted to try it! I wanted to avoid cutting corners by using Liver of Sulphur, so thought I would try a semi-natural/semi-artificial method. I did this by wrapping them in highly sulphurous paper and packing material for about 18 months, and regularly changing it every 1-2 months. Full disclosure: I definitely cheated by 'sulphurizing' the packing material for several days prior to repacking the coins! I am by no means an expert, but I am rather pleased with the results and thought it would be fun to show them off. These pictures are taken under low light to show the greatest detail. First the Dragon: And here is the Griffin: Under a more natural light, they have a rather impressive bronze/amber look to them: In natural sunlight they are quite glorious to look at - almost like they are carved out of wood! Best wishes to all Duke

Thanks for the suggestion. Do you have a direct link to that particular product on Amazon? I'm guessing you're using the case with the 25mm capsules?

I actually have a 1930 sovereign from the Perth mint, and a 1931 from the SA mint. I never realised they might be collectable. Perhaps I should put those two aside from the rest of my stack. Thanks for the advice!

This has been an amazing discussion! I have learnt so much - thank you everyone for your thoughts and opinions. I love this forum 🙂

That's a great point. I can only imagine the story behind some of the coins I have in my stack, though I try to remain dispassionate when buying/selling. I guess the real question is how much would I be willing to sell a minty sovereign for when compared to a circulated one? My thanks to everyone for the insight. A pleasure as always!

I suppose that is really what I am trying to gauge here: how much does the rest of the market (i.e. would-be buyers) value unblemished coins vs slightly circulated? And would they necessarily pay premium for them? Speaking personally, for me it is all about metal content, so grade/quality doesn't really matter - as long as they are in reasonable condition and are recognisable for what they are. But then, my opinion doesn't really count as I won't be the one buying them. Based on the responses, it sounds as if the average TSF member probably would place some non-trivial value on the condition of a potential bullion purchase. Does anyone know if coin/bullion shops would likely do the same? Many thanks

Hello all! A rather sweeping question I know, but please bear with me... As some of the good folks on TSF may have noticed, I am a huge fan of sovereigns and I am always on the look out for a good trade. Since joining, I have been fortunate enough to accumulate a good number of 'minty' sovereigns (as Mr @LawrenceChard would call them), all of which are currently stored in plastic capsules. Unfortunately, I am beginning to find the volume taken up by the capsules themselves a little cumbersome compared to the space taken up by the bare coins. So, my question is: is it really worth storing sovereigns in individual plastic capsules, purely for the sake of keeping them 'minty', compared to storing them in (for example) a Royal Mint sovereign tube and risking a little bit of scuffing? Would there be that much of a difference in potential resale price? Given the choice, I would much prefer using a sovereign tube, even over individual plastic sleeves, simply for the sake of convenient storage. Please note: I am referring to ordinary bullion coins here, not BU or proof coins. Plus, I am in no way a collector, just a plain old stacker. As always, thank you for your time, and I wish you all a good day and good stacking! Duke

I will say this: the day my Sigma Metalytics machine arrived, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Even though it seems like a huge investment for such a small device (which it is), I take solace in the fact that I can always be confident in my gold and silver purchases. By the time it catches 2-3 fake sovereigns (so far, not yet) I will consider it to have paid for itself! Plus, if you look after them, these machines tend to retain their value on the second-hand market.