Lr103

Hello everyone. @ChrisSIlver and I are very happy to announce the official reveal and general release of the 2022 100g Silver Forum Bars!
There are a lot of different aspects to tell you about so I have split this post up into various sections, hopefully this will cover most of your questions but if there is something I have not covered then please feel free to get in touch or comment on this thread. 


What are The Silver Forum Bars all about?
The Silver Forum Bars (in all their sizes) have been created as a way to draw the silver forum community together but also as a fundraising and brand awareness raising exercise. Some of the proceeds from the sales of these bars go directly to The Silver Forum and help keep the forum running in the way we have become accustomed to. Silver Premium, Gold Premium, Platinum and Platinum Plus memberships go a long way to helping the running of the forum and to help keep the membership prices as low as practical, The Silver Forum Bars we make help a lot with this too.
Any support you can give is greatly appreciated.
In addition, these bars are about raising brand awareness for The Silver Forum and to encourage new people to join and to make standard members think about supporting the forum by upgrading their membership or simply supporting the forum on a one off basis. 
Hand Poured Silver Partnership
Hand poured silver has evolved so much in the last 6 years and it is evident that Hallmarked Poured silver is becoming ever more popular.
These bars are all hand poured, stamped and finished by myself meaning each and every bar is unique in some way. The weights will vary bar to bar (although none less than 100g) and the cooling patterns of the silver will also be unique and different for each one. Even the stamping (again done by hand) is different bar to bar.
The allure of hand poured silver is growing stronger month by month and these bars are a brilliant way to start collecting hand poured silver and at the same time supporting the forum and my own business too!
Hallmarking
As with all of my Hand Poured Silver products these bars are Assay Tested and Hallmarked by the Edinburgh Assay Office. 
These bars are hallmarked with a 2mm sized mark - it is a larger and more expensive mark than normal but it really shows off the beauty of the Edinburgh Assay Office's work. 
Hallmarking is a very good addition to any poured silver. It is your guarantee that these bars are indeed 999 fine silver and made by me in 2022.
If anyone wants to find out more about hallmarking please feel free to get in touch!

Ready for Immediate Dispatch!
The bars are all made and hallmarked and ready to go. 
We aim to dispatch the first batch on Monday 18th July.
After this date bars will be dispatched to order and any new customers will have their bars dispatched in Mid August. 
Mintage Figures
The mintage for 2022 is 175 Bars matching the previous years mintage. 
Mintage figures are as follows for all the releases of 100g bars to date:
2022: 175 bars
2021: 175 bars
2020: 150 bars
2019: 100 bars
2018: 150 bars
2017: 150 bars
These mintage figures are set and will not change.

Pricing 
Standard or Non member price - £112.00 per bar
Silver Premium member price - £107.00 per bar
Gold & Platinum member price - £102.50 per bar
Platinum Plus member price - £100.00 per bar
UK Postage: 
1 bar: +£3.50 via signed for delivery or +£8 for special delivery 
2 bars or more: Free postage
International postage: +£12.50 tracked for or free for 3+ bars
Forum membership and pricing 
As you can see there are some very good savings to be had for upgrading your membership - so take a look at the benefits that are available for premium and gold premium members today!
 
 
 
Guaranteed bars for owners of 2021 editions
As with all our Silver Forum products we offer first right of refusal to all owners of a previous years serial number. 
So, the following applies:
If you own a bar with a serial number between 1 and 175 from 2021 then you will be able to buy the same serial number for 2022. If you wish to reserve that number you need to do so BEFORE 31st July 2022. Members who do not own bars from 2021 will be able to put their name down on a waiting list for unallocated bars. After 31st July we will know how many bars are still available against how many people are on the waiting list. In the event that there are more members than bars available we will draw a random ballot to allocate bars to people. We will then communicate a fair and open way to decide who gets what bar serial numbers. Not got a 2021 bar? Join the waiting list today!
To formally join the waiting list all you need to do is comment on this thread or drop me a PM that you wish to have a bar. 
I hope that all makes sense. In summary, you have until 31st July 2022 to reserve and/or pay for your existing serial numbers if you have a 2021 edition.
A few notes on pricing of these bars
These bars are hand poured, hand stamped and polished by me. They take a lot of time and energy and equipment to create. These are premium hand poured silver products, not cheap bullion. They are a way to support the Backyard Bullion business, my brand and most importantly, The Silver Forum. As I said earlier, proceeds from the sale of these bars go towards the upkeep and running costs of this forum. This helps keep membership prices as low as possible for premium and gold premium members and ensures that standard members can still use this forum for free. The price also incorporates the Hallmarking costs, this includes postage of these bars to and from Edinburgh and the application of the hallmark.
Standard members - The difference in price is as a way for you to support the forum in a one off style payment rather than signing up for membership. But also please feel free to upgrade your membership to take advantage of the discounts available. 
Payment Information
To secure the reservation of your bars and serial numbers you will need to pay me before 31st July 2022
If you are interested then please let me know in this thread or via PM and I will then reply with the payment information.
Payment will be via Banks Transfer or PayPal. We can accept other forms of payment too, just ask if you would like to find out more. 
Also, I welcome all feedback and any questions you might have about these bars. 
Thanks for reading and thanks for supporting The Silver Forum!

 

For the benefit of anybody ordering from eBay (in my case eBay US), I'd like to share my story and the resolution:
I order regularly on eBay, mostly 1oz Gold coins (preferably Eagles and Krugerrands). I started mainly because if use my credit card, it basically refunds me 5.75% of the first $2,500 every quarter, so that's how I gained my first experiences with buying on eBay. Over the last couple of years, I increased my buying on eBay successively and arrived at 100+ coins in deliveries ranging from $2k to $15k in value. Most were shipped USPS or FedEx with no problems ever, and since I purchased exclusively from the big sellers (Liberty, BullionExchange, DBS, etc.) all coins turned out to be real, at least that's what my Metalyzer Pro said. I grew confident that this way works for me.
Fast forward to May 2022, when I placed an order for 5 American Gold Eagles for just short of $10k through eBay with one of the previously mentioned large sellers. The seller was apparently changing around logistics, so the package did not leave their HQ in California, but was dispatched from a warehouse in Dallas TX and handed to FedEx. I followed the package to FedEx's Memphis sorting facility, when it suddenly went MIA for a day over the weekend. I didn't think much of that, and 24 hours later, the package re-arrived at the Memphis hub and was dispatched to my local sorting facility and out for delivery two days later.
When FedEx home delivered the package, it was "half-handed" to me by the driver, we both held on to a side each, while I was signing on his little gizmo, using the package as support. Once I had the package fully in had and turned it around, I saw that the other side of the package had been cut open at the filament sealing tape, and had been taped back shut with simple clear tape. I already knew what must have happened, so I took some photos and opened the package, which turned out empty. The FedEx truck was already gone by that time. Please note, I am not accusing anybody in particular, but either the seller's warehouse tampered with the package before shipping, or someone else did, while the package was in the carrier's possession. I am not judging which one is more likely, I am merely stating the two possibilities.
I called the seller who did not pick up the phone. So I immediately called eBay and opened a case with them. They were helpful and tried to calm me down, reiterating that I was protected by the eBay-Guarantee. The seller ultimately answered to my case in the eBay messaging system, requesting photos and eventually telling me to wait for one to two weeks until they get feedback from FedEx on an inquiry that they launched. I contacted eBay again and they told me I had to wait four days to give the seller time to find a resolution for me. I also asked if I should file a police report, and eBay support told me that this would not be necessary. I did not follow those instructions and reported the theft to our local Sheriff's office. Two detectives came out to collect the box and fingerprint it, and they also gave me a police report number and contact details. Of course, nothing happened from the sellers side, and I called eBay back after four (business) days. I was then told that they (eBay) would now escalate the case to their High Value Claims Group, a special group for these kind of cases. Their inquiry was going to take another four business days, they would have to investigate the buyer and seller for previous claims and the circumstances surrounding the claim.
I kept in touch with the High Value Claims Group every day, asking if they had found out anything, offering any help I could provide. One day before their deadline, a Supervisor in that group asked me if I had filed a police report. I told her that I did, even though the lower level eBay support told me previously that I did not have to. She said that the report was extremely helpful and took down the number and the contact details for the local Sheriff's Office and told me that she would call them and verify my claims. I waited for the four days to pass exactly, then I called eBay. Within half an hour, I had the woman from the High Value Claims Group calling me back, saying that she just hung up with the Sheriff's Office and she verified everything that had happened exactly as I had told her. They decided the case that very same day in my favor. I received a full refund from eBay to my credit card about 24 hours later. I never heard anything from the seller. My assumption is, that eBay "ate" the loss in the end, and I am probably blacklisted by the seller for future purchases (I haven't tried again since then).
What do we learn from this?
1) Inspect EVERY package on ALL sides BEFORE signing. Be religious about this. If it looks in any way suspicious, refuse to accept it, let it go back. Your risk BEGINS when you take possession of it (i.e. sign for it).
2) Take photos of high-value packages as they arrive, or even better a video of receiving and unpacking. eBay advised me to do so in the future.
3) The seller on eBay is not necessarily your friend. They may try and hang you out to dry over their investigation with the carrier. eBay is your advocate, they can make (and force) a decision in a case.
4) Immediately file a claim with eBay, not Paypal, not your Credit Card Company, not your bank. You can do so in a second step.
5) Right after, file a police report, no matter what eBay says. You are the victim of a crime, it's in your best interest.
6) Be proactive, be in eBay's face daily in a constructive way, offer any help you can provide, make sure they know you are the victim. Get to know the person that is handling your claim.
7) Try not to have a second loss (I am speculating here), they keep records of all this happening.
Final thought: The all-in-all 14 days it took to resolve this issue were no fun. While the end result is good, you may have a sleepless night on the way. I did not enjoy that. But eBay's Money-Back-Guarantee worked as promised and they did the right thing. Kudos and thanks for that to eBay. I luckily got my money back and have started to buy stuff on eBay again, although less valuable to begin with. My LCS is happy about that. But eBay knows that this buyer's trust is at the core of their business model, so I think that's why they in the end decided for the innocent buyer. Lastly, I still feel strange about someone "taking/stealing my stuff" somewhere, and it bugs me that some lowlife thief somewhere is running around with 5 Eagles of mine, probably feeling as cool as Clooney in Ocean's 11. I hate the feeling of being victimized. I am now completely OCD about getting packages directly from my mailman, and about checking anything from any carrier for signs of tampering.
I hope none of you ever has to go through this, but if you do, maybe my experience can help.
Martin
 
 
 

A big thank you to @Voodoo2762 for this generous competition after @Squalleonhart's recent competition   Thanks guys for being part of TSF!

Good luck to all entrants! 

After seeing @Squalleonhart giveaway he's inspired me to do something nice and do a little competition.
Welcome to Voodoos Magical Mystery Maccaroni Jar.
Tell me how many maccaroni's are in the jar and you win 1oz of Silver for free. Easy.
Repeat answers wont be counted so check Prior to giving your answer.
If noone gets the exact amount the nearest one will win.
If more than one are the same distance off the winning number then i will enter the names into a hat and draw for the win.
Competition ends sat 9th
Good luck.
May the odds be ever in your favour.

 

Nice little parcel came from Down Under via Blackpool this morning!
To be fair to @ChardsCoinandBullionDealer they were the best deal on offer for this particular combination, I am very happy with the result. Beautiful coins swiftly delivered.
Looks like there may be a few date runs on the cards...........🤔. Maybe Pandas next?
Have a great day everyone👍
 

Always wanted some old school JM bars - these are so nice and weighty in hand 

Got this amazing Bhuddist Stele today courtesy of @Panda6Pack
Great detail and lovely thickness to it, cheers matey

Nice little 1872M shield received today
first year of sovereigns at the Melbourne mint 

2022 Sovereign - Make Mine A Double! A really stunning thing, a big spend for me, but so, so worth it.

And a nice box & caps for it, and space for its smaller siblings in the hopefully not too distant future.

Ok.. Just one more photo

Picked up a complete set of the 1/4 Oz QBs. A few of favourite designs pictured individually

Nice little something through the post today

Love Mexican coins and this one has some lovely toning.

Big thanks to @arshimo2012 and @AgD for this bundle. 

2014 Brilliant Uncirculated / 'half proof' / mule sovereign. Interesting piece with one side proof like, and another side standard bullion.  

Last week's pickups. A quick snap before I dropped them off 

2021 RM Silver Proof Coin Set with Machin Ten Bob Bit   With a mintage limited to a maximum (and as yet unconfirmed) mintage of 550, I was pleasantly surprised to pick this set up at auction at a delivered price equating to a 60%+ discount on last year's issue price. Even for the RM that is a hefty tumble, so I am led to conclude that the auction house's decision to leave the set in its unopened state and offer only a photo of the outer cardboard box worked heavily in my favour.   Standing head and shoulders above the rest is the Decimal Day 50p with the Arnold Machin obverse, a coin only available in this set. A very good-looking coin.   The RM has clearly subcontracted its research to the likes of the criminally inept Gates funded Full Fact. Quadrupedal invaders are precisely what HG Wells did not describe. Notwithstanding, the coin - much like the Logie Baird 50p - is otherwise not unattractive.   The £5 crown and Walter Scott £2 coin both show the unmitigated lack of imagination that fairly represents the lack of thought so prevalent throughout the UK in 2021.

Hi everyone,
I just wanted to introduce myself to everyone on the forum. I have been collecting proof sovereigns over a number of years and I'm now wanting to purchase a few more proof coins and maybe some bullion to add to my collection. Everytime I do my research only about a coin Google always seem to point in the direction of the forum so I thought joining would make things a lot easier and I can always ask any questions that I have now.
 
 

Now then!
I signed up to the forum last week in the hope to gain some knowledge on stacking and possibly make some purchases along the way! 
I must say I am very impressed with what I have seen so far, everyone seems very friendly and helpful.
I started collecting about a month ago. I have a tiny stack so far (1 gram gold bar, 1 silver britannia and a couple of small silver bars) and I am looking to build a portfolio over time to preserve wealth and sell when i retire or pass on to my nippers.
Anyway im rambling, its a pleasure to be here and look forward to joining in more as time goes on!
Si thi!

Welcome to the forum!

Hello all! I'm based in the NW corner of the USA. I got hooked on antiques (after growing up a history nerd in general) thanks to my grandmother and great-grandmother's joint collection of silverware and silver tableware. I was researching their origins to sell them, which backfired drastically as I wound up unable to part after the research was done. Nowadays, I freelance as a historical research-writer. I've picked up a lot of info along the way but have also encountered gaps, so set out to find a like-minded community to learn and hopefully be able to offer pertinent help as well! Thanks  

My first double sovereign! I got it because of this year’s design, and I really like the size. Easier to see the design than a sovereign, and not as expensive as the 5 sovereign.

I was aware they won US Bullion Dealer of the Year at least once, but it's good to know more.
😎

I like the amount of information they provided about the coin and sovereigns in general.

My first double sovereign! I got it because of this year’s design, and I really like the size. Easier to see the design than a sovereign, and not as expensive as the 5 sovereign.