LawrenceChard

The bite test, on a Gold bar:

Sure is!

Hot tubs are over-rated, need cleaning and maintenance, and can cause hot tub lung, and other nasties.

Big dog... ... and a load of bull (OK, Ox)

Have you seen any prices for any of the one kilo silver proof Queen's Beasts?

I agree with you the the proofs are expensive at their high premiums. As I say here, https://www.chards.co.uk/blog/precious-metals-information-and-advice-for-newbies/1008, and have been saying for about 50 years, for bullion investment "My General Advice Buy at the lowest premium within reason. If you have read most of the above, you will understand what I mean, and why." If you like the designs, and will enjoy ownng them, then consider buying proofs, but even the recent lower mintage ones may fall in price later, after the current hysteria has faded. Earlier proof Britannias can be found at not much above bullion premiums, for example: https://www.chards.co.uk/1987-gold-britannia-one-ounce-proof-coin-no-box-or-cert/1886, also, the Britannia proof sets, for example: https://www.chards.co.uk/1987-gold-britannia-one-ounce-proof-coin-no-box-or-cert/1886

I couldn't tell without my reading glasses... ...Must have put them down somewhere... 🙂

I couldn't make out the shamrocks.

The clasp looks like it is the pair of hands, hence clasped hands, a friendship symbol, possibly an Irish claddagh or cloddagh symbol. Wikipedia: The Claddagh ring (Irish: fáinne Chladaigh) is a traditional Irish ring which represents love, loyalty, and friendship (the hands represent friendship, the heart represents love, and the crown represents loyalty).

New One Ounce Gold Coin - Team GB Olympic Fifty Pence! Struck in one ounce of 916 red gold. Could be worth more than the Key Gardens coin! ☺️ Kew Gardens even!

That sounds like a good lifestyle balance to me! ... although I could never manage two bottles at one go. 🙂

@goldhunter If you are referring to me or @ChardsCoinandBullionDealer, you are incorrect. Please desist from publishing defamatory misinformation, and also retract your false statement without delay. If you believe you are correct, then please state the source.

I agree with the translation, except more likely 100%. But one of the worst aspects, as ever, is ebay don't seem to care as long as they get their fees.

Hmmm! As I expected once I started reading it, there was no total weight quoted, not any mention of the premium. Not very customer friendly. Why obscure this important information? The usual reason is the seller does not want the buyer to know. I put the figures into my scratchpad spreadsheet: Qty Each Sub-Total 10 0.125 1.25 10 0.25 2.5 5 0.5 2.5 5 1 5 30 Total 11.25 $p per gram 56.724 Intrinsic 638.145 Price 975 Ratio 1.52786592 Premium 52.7865923 So, total weight 11.25 grams (0.36169562 troy ounces). ...and a whopping great 52.79% premium! Now wonder Noble Mint kept quiet about it. Thats a rip-off premium and price for suckers, IMO. Sure it might make money, but it's not for us! 🙂 @ChardsCoinandBullionDealer

Yes, I did see that a few days ago, before the first of my recent posts in this topic, and I could see a few comments which were questionable. I am sometimes contrarian, and I do understand that lateral or contrary thinking has value, but am not surprised that Wonger was experiencing some ridicule. Apart from a very extreme forecast, I did not see any solid evidence or reasoning in his posts, and indeed in some there was evidence of very woolly and illogical thinking. I was therefore highly sceptical of his posts and views, but hope that anything I posted remained polite and respectful, while still reflecting my views. I do remember some similar posts about silver from a year or so previous, and at first could not remember whose posts they were, but I gather they were also by Wonger, and were also wrong. I am also anti-hype, anti-doom, anti-conspiracy theory, and anti-anti-vax. @ChardsCoinandBullionDealer would probably sell much more gold and silver if I / we did peddle doomsday stuff, but that would be wrong, and dishonest bearing in mind that we do not believe it. I would rather be the sound voice of reason, although even moderate are allowed to express their opinions (and sometimes get mocked for it).

Yes, it's funny why he has gone so quiet.

Yes, I might read more, but I was around when it sold for $7.5M the "first" time, and had a brief conversation with Steve Fenton, who said that adter legal costs, fighting the U.S. government, he more or less broke even. Some years ago, a European dealer told me he knew where there were more. It certainly would have been interesting to see and photograph them, but I would have stayed clear of trying to (a) buy any, (b) sell any. too much aggro with the U.S. bully boy government. I do not know if these were the same ones that surfaced a few years ago, or different ones, I will try to remember to ask the next time I speak to the other dealer.

Sorry! (I blame Doug)

Sounds like you had some suspicions about this. Sounds like you had some suspicions about this.

The photos are striking (pun?). Now for many hours of trial and error adjusting all the other parameters. 🙂

Go on, show us your 180mm! 🙂

Looking at the spot price of gold in early 1980 it was around £300 per ounce and remained flat for the next 25 years. This is not correct. It went down if anything, but that was after an unprecedented rise from $35 to $847 per ounce, so a major correction could only be expected. (sorry to swap currencies, but I am sure you can do your own conversions) It hit bottom near of the end of Gordon (Golden) Brown's infamous and fatuous gold sales. The hype for gold is nowhere near as bad as the hype for silver. IMO, gold is better for protecting your wealth than creating (growing) it. Investment depends on timing. "Had you bought a property, then over the same period, you would most likely have doubled your wealth." Yes, but don't forget the maintenance, property taxes (rates), and insurance. "Same story in late 2011 with no upside for the next 8 years.", Once again, you have selected a date shortly after another big gold price rise due mainly to the global banking / credit / sub-prime crisis.

I can see you have already had lots of advice and a range of opinions. I recently re-wrote a newbie advice page, and published it here: https://www.chards.co.uk/blog/precious-metals-information-and-advice-for-newbies/1008 You will note it starts with some questions to ask yourself, as it helps to try to be clear in your own mind about your objectives. From your post, a few things are not clear. You mention buying one coin "a 1oz gold coin", but later change to plural " bullion-proofs", before finally back to singular. Also "bullion-proofs" is a slight oxymoron, as a coin is usually either a bullion coin or a proof coin, although it could be a proof version of a bullion coin, which may, or may not, be what you meant. "what would be the best coin to buy" is really a matter of personal preference, which partly explains why you got so many different answers. My General Advice: Buy at the lowest premium within reason. (Especially if buying bullion for investment). I do welcome feedback about my new page.

Yes, but they are not quite an ounce, and also it is the one coin the US government does confiscate.

Did you post that from your phone?