mr1030

Recently decided to buy some jewellery. A 999 platinum shield,with an 18” platinum chain and a 9ct gold bracelet.
will probably trade for coins eventually. 

Normally I show photos of gold, but today as a former bank-note collector I thought this might be interesting to show the first coloured helmeted  'Britannia' £5 note printed in 1957 the same year as the Gillick Sovereign. This has to be the best designed British banknote ever IMO. There is also a depiction of St George & Dragon, as well as a superb rendition of the reverse Lion/key and chain. Note that QE11 does not appear on this note. QE11 first appeared on the £1 banknote in 1960 and has been seen on all our notes for the last 62 years! and of course for 69 years on our coins. At the time this was the highest denomination banknote in circulation, and for some in 1957 this was a weeks wages! The £10 followed in 1964, the £20 in 1970, and the first £50 in 1981. The 3 Scottish Banks all print £100 notes. Anyone heard the death-knell of Coinage and Banknotes yet?😠
 

A good friends birthday is coming up so I bought him his first gold coin. It’s small but it’s a start. He’s mentioned getting gram size gold before. 

Multi-Millionaire. Just don't ask what currency

The lovely piece popped up through the koin club. A nice high relief 1kg piece of art. Outside what I’d be prepared to pay, still nice all the same.  

1582 6 pence. It's very worn out and lost a bit of it's weight in last 440 years. Still like it despite being worthy not much. I found it couple years ago.

Today its a 'Metalor' 100g (3.2 ozs) cast gold bar, a piece of gold bearing ore, and the approx. equivalent weight in coinage - 3, 1oz Brits. and a 1/4 oz QB.
In the 'Gold' section there's a thread on 50 gram bars, minted or cast? Well, that's a matter of preference. I prefer 'cast' but also like the minted 'Britannia' bar. However, if you really want to appreciate gold for what it is in its 'raw' state, this is a no-brainer! How can a small 100 g bar (45mm x 25mm x 5mm) feel so good to touch and fondle? Just feel the weight and its 'WOW'! The alternative is to have a minted bar behind plastic and never touch it at all. I do understand about preserving condition/grading etc, but not for me (apart from my Proofs)
This piece of ore comes from the deepest gold mine in South Africa 'The Western Deep Levels' at 3.7km or 2.3 miles. where the purity is about 7.6grams per tonne. That means extracting about 4 tonnes for every 1oz coin. To make this 100g bar would mean an extraction of 12.8 tonnes. So next time you look at one of your coins.......     😀

'Four Eagles' = Four  Metals! + One oz Silver .45ACP. with my name on it! 
Thank-you @daca2007 it is. The silver and gold are both 1995.
 
 

Bit of a different looking sovereign rocker from John Greaves & Son - apparently made of some sort of nickel alloy. 🤔
cc. @HighlandTiger
 
 

Well...not today but last few days anyway.
In 2021 RAM started the limited mintage Australian "Coat of Arms" series in Au and Ag.
I picked the 2021 Ag coins (Australia issue) and 2022 Au coin (start of the states and territories with NSW as next issue)....Going to be a yearly series so a few more years before this set gets completed.
(Apologies for the poor images)


 
 
 
 

Today I bought the first 10oz bars I have bought in years.  The rounds finished up what was left of my budget for that pay period.  

Pic 2 of 2
 

Today I bought..... some 2022 pandas in AU and AG

next on the list PL panda 😍

Scottsdale "Stacker"

All together...

Thanks.  I think it’s going to be a labour of love.  Since the inaugural Sixpence issue of Edward VI (1551) there have been 19 Monarchs plus the Commonwealth/ Cromwell rule.
It appeared to be a straightforward enough task- find a nice example of each Monarch- 20 coins total- but drilling down into the task, there’s many Sixpence varieties within each reign aside from the basic Hammered/ Early Milled.
You’re correct, to source decent higher grade coins takes up a fair bit of resources, not only a lot of cash for 3 grams of Silver!  but also, time researching and trawling around dealers, auctions and fairs to find them.
In terms of the earlier Sixpences, if both Hammered/ Milled examples were issued, then I plan to collect one of each and hopefully moving forward, pick up an interesting variety or two.  In terms of later issues from George III onwards, I’m going to attempt to get hold of all the Proof issues- I have already gathered up each portrait change, in Proof from Victoria.
In hindsight, to have made the task of collecting a Monarch type set a lot easier- choosing a larger denomination than the humble Sixpence would have been wiser- these sweet little circulating coins were well used day to day- and acquiring nice condition Sixpences can be frustrating, and much more expensive than shillings, and some larger denominations.  

Silver coins with trains on?? OMG!! Two hobbies in one! I feel another collection just about to begin...............

My first quintuple sovereign 🤩

Another step closer to the Sixpence Type Set I am putting together.  This time a Charles I 1643- 1644, mm Lion Spink: 2876. 2.89g.  Charles portrait depicted in a scalloped lace collar and Reverse with a Crowned oval shield.
The abbreviated Latin legends translate as on the obverse "Charles by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland"; and on the reverse "I reign under the auspice of Christ."
This is a nice VF/gVF Hammered example of a provincial issued York Mint Sixpence from the midst of the English Civil War. Charles I issued coins from many English & Welsh besieged towns & cities during the war, in order to pay his armies and ensure trade and commerce could continue.

... Continued.
Saved the best until last.
Silver 2oz and Gold 1/4oz QB set complete.
I guess my plan, after finishing the 2oz QBs, of going onto the 10oz next, didn't work out.
I want to thank both @Midasfrog and ultimately @modofantasma for the complete set.  (I now have spares!)
Photographing the whole lot was a challenge.






 

Less than an hour from deal to delivery. Is this a TSF record? 😄 thanks @alexmcsheffrey
 

And this one is soon to be on its way to @GoldDiggerDave for grading. I have the 1997 Britannia set which i fancy having slabbed and then trying to resist the temptation to sell them on straight away!!
 

Received this from @FFposh. That completes the set (assuming there's only 3 in the Myths & Legends series??)
 

Thanks to @SilverJacks for the trio of ozzie sharks.

.... Continued.
Next up, let's stick with the silver.  @Panda6Pack supplied:
(Last week) The Hildegard Variants (I still think that sounds like a 1960's spy novel) The Shield of Henry II (and previously the backfill of the other shields). Horus, plus a backfill of all the previous Egyptian series.