kimchi

If you can get this coin close to the price of cheap gold bullion then it's a very good buy in my humble opinion. It may give you some extra profit in future (we don't know now). If it doesn't then you have not lost much money if you intended to buy 1oz of bullion gold anyway. Hope that helps

Isn't it a 100% failure rate Lawrence? 10/10 terrible ones?

Great point - I bought an extra one just to play with (and not worry about condition, it wasn't a high price over a bullion Brit) - Shadowstack made a great video about handling and enjoying your gold

Think it's the Pox Britannica?

Get topical (treatment?) folks!

Are we worried about spade confiscation now?

I would write to the head of the Mint myself if I was returning one of these sets and wanted a replacement rather than refund...it's worked in the past... In fact I'd urge everyone who is unhappy with this release to do so. This is exactly what I heard from an insider, but that was two or three years ago.

A very good and interesting question No time right now but I look forward to returning to this topic, contributing, and to see what others think!

They sure did!

Ah you got the good ones, I always knew they favoured the dealers...

They will still have the dies, if they don't do restrikes the mintage will be tiny - they will look very stupid and inept, and have a LOT of very angry customers and bad press imvho.

Not a bad price imo

Imagine the milk spots on that!

I suspect the ten days is more their standard response to give them time because of how slow and useless they always are, but I think hopefully you are right, they will get loads back and have to have a major rethink!

Thanks for that, what's her name? I am going to make sure I am blissfully unaware of her work

An absolute belter of a coin and a fantastic choice, well done!! This or a Britannia...at a small extra cost...no contest whatsoever! Stunning coin!!!

Yes and no, and 'maybe, we just don't know what they use for different releases'. As I said the Oriental Brits don't spot like the straight Brits in my experience, never seen one milked, though I'm sure it happens. These may well milk in future, that would certainly be my fear. But to arrive milked or showing signs of probable milking starting is a completely valid reason for returns for Proofs - the Mint accept this.

Milk spots or the beginnings of them upon delivery or within a few days are not acceptable on a proof and the Royal Mint fully accept that in my experience, so those should always be returned. Bullion - well it's bullion. Thinking about it I do wonder if they used the same blanks for these proofs as the bullion which are notorious spotters too. One would hope proof blanks would be more higher quality, but...it's the Royal Mint... Funny though that e.g. the Oriental Borders Brits are much less prone to milking (none of mine have). My only 2oz silver Beast is a slabbed MS69 with a lovely large milk spot, I wonder how much it's worth seeing as almost all the others will go the same way one day...

I am worried enough about buying one proof coin (especially silver) from the Mint, let alone a set of ten, that takes a brave man or woman indeed imo. This 100% absolutely should not be the case but alas many of us know the Mint too well by now The ridiculous thing is they sometimes get it SO right. For example I've never had a problem with proof Sovs. I believe it's different departments or 'teams' at fault (perhaps QC only) but that may be another topic. The really worrying thing on these is the milk spots. That points to a bad batch of blanks (not necessarily for all 300, but there's a fair chance). I'd be nervous about holding a set of these, much less exposing them to greater risk by getting them graded. Milk spots happen, but on quality coins should be very few and far between. I've only ever had one bullion Kook milk on me out of hundreds, for example, and I was shocked to see it, such is Perth's quality. Worse was a proof Libertad in a set, but that was years after production. These should not be turning up milked, or milking after days.

To add to the other replies, I'm sure the Mint would much prefer to shift thousands of coins at a time to dealers than deal with thousands of small orders. It's also in their interest to have their products reach as wide and far as possible - and then these dealers also often offer their premium products. Imagine the labour costs they save, alone - must be very much more than the quid or two other dealers then undercut them by. It's a mutually beneficial relationship.

Well if it's not all on my 2 kilo gold proof I will not be a happy Insignificant Squire to a Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle!

I'm disappointed they didn't use his full title, I imagine the Order of Logohu among others will be pretty miffed and possibly boycott this release: His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, Baron Greenwich, Royal Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Extra Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Member of the Order of Merit, Grand Master and First and Principal Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Knight of the Order of Australia, Additional Member of the Order of New Zealand, Extra Companion of the Queen’s Service Order, Royal Chief of the Order of Logohu, Extraordinary Companion of the Order of Canada, Extraordinary Commander of the Order of Military Merit, Lord of Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council, Privy Councillor of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, Personal Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty, Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom.

Sorry I haven't read the thread so just jumping in here on this point. They are perhaps extremely 'unusual' for a major bullion series (and may never be repeated, even), but look at the returns now on the earlier Queen's Beasts in bullion (both 1/4 oz gold and 2oz silver). Canny investors spotted these - I know because I have the early ones graded (well), so certain folks had spotted that opportunity very quickly, even if the Mint and dealers hadn't quite realised yet. I'm not particularly interested in coins atm beyond their intrinsic (proven and recognisable) PM content, and they may not do huge things compared to the earlier releases, but at the slight extra premium the Completers were going for a week or two ago over the Britannia it is absolutely no question for me that that is the most sensible buy if that premium is still small. £10 or 20 quid difference is nothing on an ounce of (same CGT-free) gold imvho.

Any idea how much a 2018 piedfort goes for? I haven' really noticed since I got mine.

£675 for two? And they have a bullion side and a proof (like - ?) side like the 2014s and 15s @GoldDiggerDave mentioned? That sounds like a steal Anyone know how these get graded? Is it a mule?