LawrenceChard

This might be helpful: https://www.chards.co.uk/blog/advice-guide-for-uk-bullion-investors/1041 😎

There is also a gold one: https://www.chards.co.uk/2023-king-arthur-one-ounce-gold-coin-bullion/17552 Which is what I thought your were referring to because your title only said "2023 Royal Mint 1oz King Arthur Coin", without specifying the metal. I only knew after I looked at the category: "Home Precious Metals Silver" The silver ones are also OK: https://www.chards.co.uk/2023-king-arthur-one-ounce-silver-coin-bullion/17553 😎

Your photos make it look like a fake. It would help if they were in focus. Cropping them would also help. Perhaps you need: https://www.chards.co.uk/blog/coin-photography-kit-taking-photos-the-chards-way/1046 😎

Not really. She never seemed to show any great interest, as if she was on auto-pilot. Doug is very creative, and excellent at demonstrating and explaining, so it was disappointing. Blackpool and Fylde College (or Blackpool and Flyde College as it sometimes calls itself) is reckoned to have one of the best Photography degree courses in the UK. I can't imagine what the others are like. 😎

Hunting for Nazi Gold in a Dutch Village - BBC News It's an interesting story: By Anna Holligan BBC News, Ommeren Exasperated residents have appealed to treasure-hunters to stay away after they descended on the Dutch village of Ommeren searching for riches potentially worth millions, allegedly hidden by Nazi soldiers during World War Two. The hunt was triggered by an old map, believed to reveal where German soldiers may have buried ammunition boxes crammed full of looted diamonds, rubies, gold and silver. The hand-drawn diagram complete with a red X to mark the spot is part of a case file made public by the Dutch National Archive only last week. When the documents were released at the end of a 75-year confidentiality period, the declassified map made clear that Ommeren, in the eastern province of Gelderland, was where the treasure appeared to lie. The village, and its red X, were near the Allied front line during Operation Market Garden in 1944, an audacious airborne attempt to create a land route into northern Germany. Now, throughout Ommeren there is evidence of unauthorised excavations. Discarded farming equipment which presumably activated metal detectors is strewn around freshly dug craters, gouged out of farmland and forests. "I moved here for the peace and tranquillity," said Sander, who was out walking his dog, Bouf. "Now the whole world knows about us." The map includes a cross-sectional drawing to help show the alleged burial site People have been knocking on his door, asking for directions to the hidden treasure. He even saw a group of young people digging. "This area is already rich in history," said Sander. "The white villa over there was occupied by Nazi officers. When new secrets come out, it makes people curious again." The declassified documents in the archive include the testimony of a German soldier, who said that a bank in the city of Arnhem, 40km from Ommeren, was hit by a bomb in August 1944, scattering the contents of the vault - jewellery, coins, precious gems and gold watches. Three or four occupying German soldiers pocketed what they could, he said and stashed their haul in ammunition boxes and bread packages - the most secure containers they had to hand. Later, in the last weeks of the war, the German invaders were retreating, and, the soldiers apparently decided to bury the treasure. After the war a Dutch institute which was set up to track down belongings expropriated by the Nazis came across the story of the young German paratrooper, identified as Helmut Sonder. He provided an eyewitness account and sketched the now well-perused map. The potential hoard is thought to be so valuable that before the map was released the Dutch state made several attempts to dig the treasure up. Ommeren resident Petra van Dee, 42, is furious with the Dutch National Archive for releasing the information, which has left her family feeling vulnerable and exposed. "I cannot sleep. One of the holes they dug in my garden came up to here," she gestured to her chest. Reporters have popped up outside her window too, wielding microphones and metal detectors on her land. Her neighbours have been woken by strangers, with flashlights strapped to their foreheads, she claims, furiously plunging spades into their lawn after dark. Petra wants the gold-diggers to keep their distance. "Stay away from other people's property, you have nothing to look for here," she says. For decades the Nazi treasure map and the other documents have been buried deep in the bowels of the National Archive, where men in blue overalls push trolleys laden with folders down narrow aisles of history. When I visited, it was humming with activity. "We never expected this," Annet Waalkens, freedom of information adviser concedes as she prises open the dossier of evidence dating back to the 1940s. If they'd had any inkling a treasure map would capture the public imagination and catapult Ommeren into the global spotlight, staff would have warned the municipality in advance, she assures me. Metal detectors were recently banned in Ommeren, as there is a real risk of amateur excavators hitting unexploded World War Two grenades, bombs or landmines. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported, but a number of fines have been issued and even if anyone were to find gold, they would be obliged to declare it and hand it over to the local authority which owns the land. While the plot might seem to rival a riveting adventure novel, it is also a reminder of the realities of a conflict that claimed 50 million lives, among them six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust. "With every wartime story, there comes tragedy," Annet Waalkens at the National Archive points out. "And in this case, it reminds us of the story of the people of cities like Arnhem, losing everything they had, including their valuables." The documents in the archives contain no mention of who the rightful owners might be. Most likely it was local people who had placed the items in the Arnhem bank, wanting to protect their wealth from the Nazis. Much of the property pillaged from Jewish families in the Netherlands was stored in a bank in Amsterdam. Dutch archivists say they have found no evidence that the German paratrooper who sketched the map has died. Therefore, their assumption is that Helmut Sonder - who would now be 98, according to the documents - may hold the key to unearthing this treasure trove. The riches have never been found, at least not to public knowledge, and according to the Dutch Archives the four most likely explanations are: Helmet Sonder was lying. However, his testimony was extensively fact-checked, and found to be credible Someone living nearby, or possibly one of the German soldiers, came back and recovered the loot before authorities caught wind of it An employee from the Dutch institute made use of inside knowledge and secretly returned in between the failed official attempts to find it Two American officers, spotted near disturbed earth, could also have made off with the booty. In the aftermath of the war, investigators concluded the loot was worth pursuing because it was estimated to be worth millions. Dutch authorities believe, that even if the elusive treasure trove did ever exist, it's probably long gone. Some villagers contend the case of the missing Nazi treasure is pure fairy tale. Bouncing his rosy-cheeked toddler, Alexander chuckles at the international spotlight on Ommeren. "I guess we are famous now." But he has no interest in joining the treasure hunt. "I have my treasure over there," he nods to his wife and daughter, "I have no need for millions." How about a TSF meetup in the Netherlands? 😎

He did have one! 😎

I thought you would never ask! 😎

Yes, but if we moved into auctions, we could make £1 million per week, just working a few hours a day, that's a £ billion in less than 20 years! 😎

1) No! 2) What?😎, before it catches up with me?

That's a great line! I just looked through the whole auction catalogue, which was for: Qty Grams Line Total 1 1,000.00 1000 4 500.00 2000 37 250.00 9250 79 100.00 7900 34 31.10 1057.519 21207.519 Grams Total Spot Gold Per Gram 50.151 Total Value £1,063,578 The auction house buyers premium was the biggest steal at 24%, so any sensible buyer would have divided their maximum bid by 1.24 in which case if every lot sold at the current spot price, the proceeds would have been £857 724, making £205, 853 in buyers premium for the auction house, in addition to any fees they charged the vendors! We are in the wrong business! 😎

Yes, whenever he wants. He usually comes in to take the shots, then goes home to do the processing. 😎

I expected you to ask about "Free Postage"... ... and the answer is OK if your take the lot. ... to free postage that is, not the 3% discount. 1% premium is a good deal. 😎

It seems like it! 😎

It take real skill to get a good quality photo with a mobile phone! Don't worry, our two "flashers" have a sense of humour. I will tag @SemolinaPilchard in to this, and he can let you know, when he takes a tea break. 😎

Better photos: "Betts 1790" Fine Gold 9999 100g UK Cast / Poured Bar and: Special Delivery! I don't know if this page has gone live yet: https://www.chards.co.uk/betts-100g-gold-bar-bullion-cast/18234 😎

Well said! I'll let our two photographers know their jobs are safe... For a few more weeks at least! 😎

Should I tell Doug and Christian? 😎

Here is a quick, dirty photo from late yesterday: We will have some Chard Quality photos in a few hours! 😎

As some on TSF will know, I have a very low opinion of ebay, for a multiplicity of reasons. We did sell on ebay what seems like a long time ago now, possibly about 15 years ago, and this was quite successful in terms of sales, although ebay fees ate up a large proportion of our gross profits. They have jacked up most of their fees since then. We did have a further trial of selling some things on ebay, but at higher prices than we sell direct. This was also successful in terms of sales, although I still cannot understand why people think ebay is the only or best place to buy things. In the distant past, we have also bought a few coins in ebay auctions. Every single time, it took weeks rather than days for us to receive the items, and then mostly after we had to send reminders. Almost every experience of dealing with ebay as a company has been unsatisfactory and unpleasant. I am not surprised to see your post. 😎

Did you know that is the first British decimal coin issued for circulation? One of my favourite numismatic knowledge questions is "when was the first British decimal coin issued for circulation", and most people say 15th February 1971. A few smarter ones say 1969, or even 1968. Note there was also a pattern Godless issued in 1848, but not for circulation. Just cut me in for 10% of any bets you win! 😎

There was no mention of Britannias "to hold 1/10 platinum coins" 😎

It may be hightly relevant when exactly he bought them, what Hattons Terms and Conditions say, but I would encourage your friend to engage with them ASAP, possibly also speak to Trading Standards or Consumer Advice about the descriptions. Certainly try to get a refund if possible. I / we see stuff bought from Coin Marketing Companies, for which they would be lucky to get half or a third of what they paid, which I find very frustrating, as do our staff who try to help and advise people. Much of this material has not been misdescribed, but the buyers have often been very trusting or gullible, and I am also aware that some of our "competitors" are actively dishonest and fraudulent. 😎

Government Proceeds of Crime Auction of Betts Fine Gold Grade 9999 Bullion Bars I only saw this earlier today, while checking my recollections of "Betts", a name I remember from decades ago. I was aware that there had been numerous incarnations or reincarnations of Betts, refiners and bullion dealers, and was trying to ensure my memories were accurate and up to date. I do know a little more, but it's getting late, but I still have some more work to do. Although this auction was for gold bars, I have listed this Topic under General Precious Metals as Betts did also work with silver, and probably platinum and palladium. 😎

IMO, you would be better buying one sovereign rather than two halves. 😎

Thanks for the comments about the photos, we actually tried a few changes to the lighting after this first pair of images. The raised parts of the design are a typical modern matte finish, but the fields are, or should be highly polished with a mirror finish, however if we photograph them head on with "normal" or direct flash lighting, it produces a dark brown background. There is some information about our photographic kit and techniques here, which may explain better: https://www.chards.co.uk/blog/coin-photography-kit-taking-photos-the-chards-way/1046 I was working from home today, so I have yet to see these coins "in the flesh", but our photographers usually notice and comment on any defects, no matter how small, and they would generally have shown up on the photographs. 😎