RDHC

I must admit I was thinking of the slopes that end with some kind of ramp!

Entirely agree about Meghan, but I suspect that Philip Nathan, being an artist with obvious taste, would not have considered her, especially for a profile as her nose looks like a ski slope, to my eyes anyway. Good point. I had vaguely wondered about that angle.

Yes, that is a plausible alternative.

Has anybody else noticed that the profile of the face on the 2003 proof gold Britannia seems to be rather/very like the profile (and likewise hair style) of the new Princess of Wales? Or am I completely deceiving myself? It is certainly unlike the faces/profiles that Philip Nathan used on his other designs - all excellent and highly original in my opinion, by the way If I happen to be right - an unusual state of affairs, I admit - does this enhance the attractions of this particular coin or add nothing to them? I can't believe that any similarity would actually detract from the coin, unless you were a particularly ardent anti-monarchical, gold coin collector (which might be considered something of a contradiction in terms, given the number of monarchs, princes etc., who feature on gold coins).

I'm afraid that Tavex are apparently now cleaned out of these Britannias. Their website currently offers only to buy them. Chards may well be a better bet, even if 'orderable'.

I would entirely agree about Chards keen prices and premiums. For this reason I have happily purchased several times from them. The trouble sometimes, however, is availability. The possibly indefinite wait on 'orderable' coins is a disincentive to purchase, likewise the possible second-hand nature of what may become available, though it is all clearly and honestly explained by Chards. And I am sure that they would prefer to supply new coins immediately if they had them in stock.

Informed and wise words. Unusual times at present, especially as HM's passing seems to have generated additional interest in sovereigns. I expect you are right about the eventual increase in price. High interest rates come and go. I can remember when they touched 15%, with gilt yields to match, in the mid 1970s. Nonetheless, I will keep my eye open for edible hats for you later next year just in case.

Very interesting that there was such demand for the 1 ounce versions, which are pretty pricey wherever you look.

What also ensured her longevity was the fact that she was a non-smoker, like her husband. Smoking killed George V, George VI, and the late Queen's sister, and probably Edward VII as well, though he was also overweight. Likewise, Queen Victoria detested tobacco and she lived to be 80 or so, despite apparently taking hardly any exercise.

Good point, and there could well be more suc rises to come before inflation drops back, making it a bumpy ride for the price of gold for months to come. And I bought a one ounce gold Britannia last week, only half-way through the recent slide in price. That will absolutely guarantee a further drop.

Well, the dealer price went down sufficiently at Tavex for me to buy a 2023 one ounce gold Britannia a few minutes ago. I expect I shall live to regret this rush of blood to the head, but you never know when the Mint will pull the plug on this somewhat hybrid coin. I was tempted by Chards slightly lower price, but Chards do not accept credit cards and offer only 'orderable' with an indefinite date, plus the statement - perfectly honest - that 'orderable' coins could be new or second-hand, which is a bit off-putting. In theory, you could wait for months and then get a scuffed coin.

Surely current prevalent high inflation is not positive for gold? It could of course come down, and probably will in the end.

Tavex are still the cheapest but now only £2 or so cheaper than Chards because they have been steadily pushing up the premium since their initial offer, which was worth having at the time. A reasonable move by any dealer, but nonetheless disappointing to say the least. I hope potential buyers will take notice.

PM resigns, sterling goes up, gold price in sterling goes down. Have I got this sequence right? Perhaps I should beware the post hoc, propter hoc fallacy.

I entirely agree, though I am not entirely happy - on aesthetic grounds - about the hologram, and I prefer the sun rays to the more recent waves.

Probably a good move, especially if US inflation stabilises and perhaps falls back next year, as some US experts predict. Meanwhile the ride may be a bit bumpy, but these 2023 coins with the Queen's head won't be in production all that long, or so we are told. I nearly bought at £1516 this morning but wavered. It is after all a large chunk of money for someone like me, and probably for most people, I suppose.

I'm still not clear whether Chards were/are talking about the standard bullion or the proof gold Britannias. I imagine that the dies wear out, which apply more to the bullion coins, but perhaps the new security features mean completely new dies? The latest bullion coins look o.k. to me. In general, I am somewhat confused about the whole matter. Can anyone provide any clarity?

Useful. Thank you. Anyone bought one at this price?

I have just looked at a photo of a 2013 gold proof Britannai and I think I can see what Lawrence means, if I am right in thinking that Britannia's face is badly done, quite apart from the fact that I consider it one of the least attractive faces in the whole series. The owl is cute, however.

Do you mean that they are worse or better?

I take my question from Chards website where it is stated (with reference to proof sets) that they prefer the early Britannias because they are better struck than the later ones. I don't possess any early examples but I can't see any difference just from comparing photographs. Can anyone confirm the assertion? Perhaps it refers to proofs only? And when did the deterioration, if any, set in? Maybe Lawrence could shed some light here, perhaps with help from the work of Semolina Pilchard?

I doubt this. I have bought large sums of foreign currency, much greater than £1600, and the dealer did require some degree of authentication, but not for sums less than £2000, and currency dealers will be much more sensitive to legal requirements than coin dealers.

Yes, hardly encouraging for buyers. As the price of gold falls, the dealers just push up the premiums to compensate.

Yes, dealers do seem to have whacked up the premium by several percent, presumably taking advantage of the popularity of sovereigns after the late Queen's funeral. Gold britannias have also suffered from a hike in premium. I suppose that the new purchasers of gold are not clued up about premiums and are buying sufficient to enable the dealers to make hay.

Thank you very much for your diligent research.