Pete

Definitely Kookaburras as they are a quality strike from the Perth Mint and encapsulated, so not scuffed and marked like many other bullion coins these days.
Each year has a different reverse so do look nice in a coin tray.
1990 - present date
I also collected the full series of Royal Australian Mint Kangaroos including the carded version - often referred to as blister packed.
This series ended with the 2019 coin ( first coin 1993 )
Great looking quality coins with a different design each year and highly collectible in my opinion.
Pandas are another nice set to collect but the very early coins will be hard to find and quite expensive but maybe start building a set from 2000.
Maybe consider Perth Mint Koalas.

I also like the Britannia series ending 2012 before the Royal Mint switched from 958 alloy to 999 and had serious quality problems, later changing the polished background field to patterned to conceal the production scratches ( my theory anyhow ).

Definitely Kookaburras as they are a quality strike from the Perth Mint and encapsulated, so not scuffed and marked like many other bullion coins these days.
Each year has a different reverse so do look nice in a coin tray.
1990 - present date
I also collected the full series of Royal Australian Mint Kangaroos including the carded version - often referred to as blister packed.
This series ended with the 2019 coin ( first coin 1993 )
Great looking quality coins with a different design each year and highly collectible in my opinion.
Pandas are another nice set to collect but the very early coins will be hard to find and quite expensive but maybe start building a set from 2000.
Maybe consider Perth Mint Koalas.

I also like the Britannia series ending 2012 before the Royal Mint switched from 958 alloy to 999 and had serious quality problems, later changing the polished background field to patterned to conceal the production scratches ( my theory anyhow ).

Definitely Kookaburras as they are a quality strike from the Perth Mint and encapsulated, so not scuffed and marked like many other bullion coins these days.
Each year has a different reverse so do look nice in a coin tray.
1990 - present date
I also collected the full series of Royal Australian Mint Kangaroos including the carded version - often referred to as blister packed.
This series ended with the 2019 coin ( first coin 1993 )
Great looking quality coins with a different design each year and highly collectible in my opinion.
Pandas are another nice set to collect but the very early coins will be hard to find and quite expensive but maybe start building a set from 2000.
Maybe consider Perth Mint Koalas.

I also like the Britannia series ending 2012 before the Royal Mint switched from 958 alloy to 999 and had serious quality problems, later changing the polished background field to patterned to conceal the production scratches ( my theory anyhow ).

I have to admit I got carried away collecting one ounce Kookaburras and ended up with 4 full sets plus the P20 set.
I then made the error ( not a bad error - but should have gone to specsavers ! ) of buying two wooden Kook boxes from Meinemuenzbox in Germany.
Terrific boxes indeed BUT they are enormous !!
I then started looking out for the 2 oz Kooks and succeeded in getting most from fellow forum members but I am missing the 2006 and 2008 to complete the date run.
 

You are fortunate in not having to pay 20% tax in buying both silver and platinum like us Brits.
Depending on why you are stacking and how much you are planning to invest will govern which metals you choose and in which proportions.
If investing a significant amount in silver you will quickly find out that storage can become an issue and also maintaining your inventory if primarily in mixed single ounce coins.
When is comes time to sell ( if you plan to sell later ) trickling lots of small orders will be very time consuming but if retired perhaps a nice hobby.
Selling in bulk means generally to a bullion dealer so you will be lucky to receive spot price on the day.
Platinum was once higher priced than gold and all the fundamentals and logic suggest that it still should be.
However it is significantly cheaper than gold so is it cheap or is gold over-valued ?
The markets dictate prices, demand, and fat cat bankers manipulation so who can tell the direction of prices ?
Silver would appear to have more upside potential but people have been saying that for a long time.
Premiums on many silver coins right now are way over the top.
If gold drops significantly it could take a long time to recover.
Platinum seems cheap by comparison if you can find a seller that isn't adding a high premium.
I would also only ever value bullion metals at spot price, ignoring premiums, so if you can sell later above spot then that's a bonus.
If you have to pay a higher than average premium to acquire your coins / bars then don't assume that premiums are guaranteed and are likely to be dented with selling fees etc.
Back to how much ?
If spending a few thousand dollars, probably silver or gold coins.
If spending $50,000 then I would be tempted to split 3 ways - gold, silver and platinum.
Once you have your weight in silver ounces then add gold and platinum each time there is a sizeable dip in price.
Gold is very easy to sell but platinum doesn't always get the same percentage of spot as gold.

 
 

You are fortunate in not having to pay 20% tax in buying both silver and platinum like us Brits.
Depending on why you are stacking and how much you are planning to invest will govern which metals you choose and in which proportions.
If investing a significant amount in silver you will quickly find out that storage can become an issue and also maintaining your inventory if primarily in mixed single ounce coins.
When is comes time to sell ( if you plan to sell later ) trickling lots of small orders will be very time consuming but if retired perhaps a nice hobby.
Selling in bulk means generally to a bullion dealer so you will be lucky to receive spot price on the day.
Platinum was once higher priced than gold and all the fundamentals and logic suggest that it still should be.
However it is significantly cheaper than gold so is it cheap or is gold over-valued ?
The markets dictate prices, demand, and fat cat bankers manipulation so who can tell the direction of prices ?
Silver would appear to have more upside potential but people have been saying that for a long time.
Premiums on many silver coins right now are way over the top.
If gold drops significantly it could take a long time to recover.
Platinum seems cheap by comparison if you can find a seller that isn't adding a high premium.
I would also only ever value bullion metals at spot price, ignoring premiums, so if you can sell later above spot then that's a bonus.
If you have to pay a higher than average premium to acquire your coins / bars then don't assume that premiums are guaranteed and are likely to be dented with selling fees etc.
Back to how much ?
If spending a few thousand dollars, probably silver or gold coins.
If spending $50,000 then I would be tempted to split 3 ways - gold, silver and platinum.
Once you have your weight in silver ounces then add gold and platinum each time there is a sizeable dip in price.
Gold is very easy to sell but platinum doesn't always get the same percentage of spot as gold.

 
 

The best thing I ever did was to open a SIPP.
Mine is with Hargreaves Lansdown and I am in full control on-line.
Long time ago SIPPs were for the high earners and had significant fees but not any more.
My pensions from previous jobs were arranged by financial advisors and I had next to no choice in switching funds and everything incurred fees which affected my returns significantly.
I transferred them all into my SIPP and glad I did.
Paying into a pension with spare income means you get full tax relief boosting your contributions.
This might not last forever as the government needs to reign in its tax giveaways in the future.
With the HL SIPP you can buy and sell funds as you please and most no longer have the different prices between buying and selling so you do not get charged for changing your mind or switching funds. That used to be a problem with a bid/offer spread and was definitely a deterrent to switching. Using a broker or IFA inevitably will cost you each time you pick up the phone so take the DIY route. There is so much advice these days on selecting a good mix of funds and I am not convinced the fee charging experts can do a better job than DIY so long as you pick your funds sensibly. That's my experience.
There is nothing to prevent you opening up a SIPP on your own, not connected with the Company pension scheme, and just feed it with cash claiming tax relief as you go or on your annual tax return. You can even open a SIPP for a young child or grandchild literally the day after they are born and if you put £2,880 per annum into their SIPP the government adds £720 to £3,600. Repeat each year and the pot will grown.
That's a 25% gain straight away and you can keep this in cash if you wish but funds would be recommended for long term growth potential.
 

With reference to eBay I have noted regularly that two sellers offering the same coin -
Seller A starts bids at 99 pence, gets maybe 15 incremental bids and the coin sells for £35
Seller B starts bids at £30, gets no bids and the coin doesn't sell.
Fine silver coins are rarely sold below spot price and currently around £24+ at best.
When you have a full set to sell you are already attached to the set and feel it is worth something to another collector.
Unfortunately it is all about luck in finding a set buyer when your coins are up for sale.
Worst case a bullion dealer might offer you close to spot and without the fees is better than underselling on eBay.
Either sell the coins individually at a fair price and people will buy because they are buying 999 silver and adding a different coin to their collection, or hold until nearer Christmas and try again.
 

With reference to eBay I have noted regularly that two sellers offering the same coin -
Seller A starts bids at 99 pence, gets maybe 15 incremental bids and the coin sells for £35
Seller B starts bids at £30, gets no bids and the coin doesn't sell.
Fine silver coins are rarely sold below spot price and currently around £24+ at best.
When you have a full set to sell you are already attached to the set and feel it is worth something to another collector.
Unfortunately it is all about luck in finding a set buyer when your coins are up for sale.
Worst case a bullion dealer might offer you close to spot and without the fees is better than underselling on eBay.
Either sell the coins individually at a fair price and people will buy because they are buying 999 silver and adding a different coin to their collection, or hold until nearer Christmas and try again.
 

The best thing I ever did was to open a SIPP.
Mine is with Hargreaves Lansdown and I am in full control on-line.
Long time ago SIPPs were for the high earners and had significant fees but not any more.
My pensions from previous jobs were arranged by financial advisors and I had next to no choice in switching funds and everything incurred fees which affected my returns significantly.
I transferred them all into my SIPP and glad I did.
Paying into a pension with spare income means you get full tax relief boosting your contributions.
This might not last forever as the government needs to reign in its tax giveaways in the future.
With the HL SIPP you can buy and sell funds as you please and most no longer have the different prices between buying and selling so you do not get charged for changing your mind or switching funds. That used to be a problem with a bid/offer spread and was definitely a deterrent to switching. Using a broker or IFA inevitably will cost you each time you pick up the phone so take the DIY route. There is so much advice these days on selecting a good mix of funds and I am not convinced the fee charging experts can do a better job than DIY so long as you pick your funds sensibly. That's my experience.
There is nothing to prevent you opening up a SIPP on your own, not connected with the Company pension scheme, and just feed it with cash claiming tax relief as you go or on your annual tax return. You can even open a SIPP for a young child or grandchild literally the day after they are born and if you put £2,880 per annum into their SIPP the government adds £720 to £3,600. Repeat each year and the pot will grown.
That's a 25% gain straight away and you can keep this in cash if you wish but funds would be recommended for long term growth potential.
 

The best thing I ever did was to open a SIPP.
Mine is with Hargreaves Lansdown and I am in full control on-line.
Long time ago SIPPs were for the high earners and had significant fees but not any more.
My pensions from previous jobs were arranged by financial advisors and I had next to no choice in switching funds and everything incurred fees which affected my returns significantly.
I transferred them all into my SIPP and glad I did.
Paying into a pension with spare income means you get full tax relief boosting your contributions.
This might not last forever as the government needs to reign in its tax giveaways in the future.
With the HL SIPP you can buy and sell funds as you please and most no longer have the different prices between buying and selling so you do not get charged for changing your mind or switching funds. That used to be a problem with a bid/offer spread and was definitely a deterrent to switching. Using a broker or IFA inevitably will cost you each time you pick up the phone so take the DIY route. There is so much advice these days on selecting a good mix of funds and I am not convinced the fee charging experts can do a better job than DIY so long as you pick your funds sensibly. That's my experience.
There is nothing to prevent you opening up a SIPP on your own, not connected with the Company pension scheme, and just feed it with cash claiming tax relief as you go or on your annual tax return. You can even open a SIPP for a young child or grandchild literally the day after they are born and if you put £2,880 per annum into their SIPP the government adds £720 to £3,600. Repeat each year and the pot will grown.
That's a 25% gain straight away and you can keep this in cash if you wish but funds would be recommended for long term growth potential.
 

The best thing I ever did was to open a SIPP.
Mine is with Hargreaves Lansdown and I am in full control on-line.
Long time ago SIPPs were for the high earners and had significant fees but not any more.
My pensions from previous jobs were arranged by financial advisors and I had next to no choice in switching funds and everything incurred fees which affected my returns significantly.
I transferred them all into my SIPP and glad I did.
Paying into a pension with spare income means you get full tax relief boosting your contributions.
This might not last forever as the government needs to reign in its tax giveaways in the future.
With the HL SIPP you can buy and sell funds as you please and most no longer have the different prices between buying and selling so you do not get charged for changing your mind or switching funds. That used to be a problem with a bid/offer spread and was definitely a deterrent to switching. Using a broker or IFA inevitably will cost you each time you pick up the phone so take the DIY route. There is so much advice these days on selecting a good mix of funds and I am not convinced the fee charging experts can do a better job than DIY so long as you pick your funds sensibly. That's my experience.
There is nothing to prevent you opening up a SIPP on your own, not connected with the Company pension scheme, and just feed it with cash claiming tax relief as you go or on your annual tax return. You can even open a SIPP for a young child or grandchild literally the day after they are born and if you put £2,880 per annum into their SIPP the government adds £720 to £3,600. Repeat each year and the pot will grown.
That's a 25% gain straight away and you can keep this in cash if you wish but funds would be recommended for long term growth potential.
 

I just checked my inventory of Victorian sovereigns and the range is 7.94 to 8.0 g with an average 7.98 g and they all show some degree of wear.
I think an underweight coin would look very worn and personally I wouldn't want to buy.
Also I have seen other gold coins where someone has clipped a bit off the rim or filed an edge possibly to verify gold using acid tests.
That would perhaps place a coin "underweight".

 

Yes - some mints would have a privy release just for a coin fair or maybe a commission for a high society sporting event where they could be gifted to VIPs.

You should be able to get around 98% of spot selling to a bullion dealer but privately you may struggle, unless the price is very attractive to a buyer.
Personally I don't see any merit in buying such a chunk of silver unless it was a bargain not to be missed.
My max is 1kg and there are times when I think this is even too large but a kg coin that's a show stopper.

Arrived today from the Mint directly less than 48 hours after ordering -
Two QB 2 oz completer with the new 10oz Britannia

 
 

That's a bit concerning as there shouldn't be any moisture inside the capsule.
Condensation is usually detected if you receive say a tube of silver in mid winter when the package has dropped to low temperature.
If you then open the tube indoors where it is humid and warm then condensation forms on the highly thermally conductive coins.
This is why it is best to leave your tube closed for several hours to ensure the contents have reached room temperature.
I don't understand why heating the outside of a capsule with your fingers would show condensation unless your coin is kept in the fridge.
Maybe open the capsule and leave it to warm up and remove any moisture before recapping.

Well gents:
I have reported to Action Fraud.  There is a lesson to be learned for petty scammers here:
If you are going to try and scam people:
(1) Don't also advertise your car on the same ebay account with its number plate visible (Easy to lookup an address using the plate)
(2) Don't include your phone number on the ebay ad
(3) Don't then give your address to the person who phones up for a test drive
All of this has been reported to Action Fraud - fed up of Ebay doing nothing.
Best Dicker

I feel sorry for the buyers of these obvious fakes that aren't worth the postage alone.
Reported 2 coins as fakes but it would be nice to know what happens.

I need to watch again the movie Robin Hood where the Sheriff of Nottingham ( the actor that later appeared in Harry Potter as potions & spells master ) instructs his troops to raid the grain stored by the local peasants literally starving them to death over winter. With so much government debt, forget the bankrupt EU, and and a political reluctance to raise taxes, plus NHS back-log and social care etc etc to fund, who knows what is round the corner. For sure the uber-rich and city slickers will have their accountants and tax advisers working overtime in order that they avoid any hit on their wealth and assets whereas the rest of us will get raided like the "peasants" we are. Time to get that rifle licence ?
PS - I sold all my gold

We weren't the first stackers as this picture illustrates.
Many of us jokingly comment about burying our coins in the back garden.
Well there is no shame in that but when you forget about your buried treasure and your secret isn't shared then it can take 2,000 years for your ancestors to uncover your stack.
This batch was valued at around £10 million and I took the pictures during a visit a few days ago.
 

 

 

 

Happy metal detecting !
 

I need to watch again the movie Robin Hood where the Sheriff of Nottingham ( the actor that later appeared in Harry Potter as potions & spells master ) instructs his troops to raid the grain stored by the local peasants literally starving them to death over winter. With so much government debt, forget the bankrupt EU, and and a political reluctance to raise taxes, plus NHS back-log and social care etc etc to fund, who knows what is round the corner. For sure the uber-rich and city slickers will have their accountants and tax advisers working overtime in order that they avoid any hit on their wealth and assets whereas the rest of us will get raided like the "peasants" we are. Time to get that rifle licence ?
PS - I sold all my gold

I need to watch again the movie Robin Hood where the Sheriff of Nottingham ( the actor that later appeared in Harry Potter as potions & spells master ) instructs his troops to raid the grain stored by the local peasants literally starving them to death over winter. With so much government debt, forget the bankrupt EU, and and a political reluctance to raise taxes, plus NHS back-log and social care etc etc to fund, who knows what is round the corner. For sure the uber-rich and city slickers will have their accountants and tax advisers working overtime in order that they avoid any hit on their wealth and assets whereas the rest of us will get raided like the "peasants" we are. Time to get that rifle licence ?
PS - I sold all my gold

Not a time traveller with rock solid prediction - that's a pity !!
I wouldn't read anything into RM pricing or promotions.
Even the metals buyers at the RM don't know the price tomorrow of PMs.
 

I need to watch again the movie Robin Hood where the Sheriff of Nottingham ( the actor that later appeared in Harry Potter as potions & spells master ) instructs his troops to raid the grain stored by the local peasants literally starving them to death over winter. With so much government debt, forget the bankrupt EU, and and a political reluctance to raise taxes, plus NHS back-log and social care etc etc to fund, who knows what is round the corner. For sure the uber-rich and city slickers will have their accountants and tax advisers working overtime in order that they avoid any hit on their wealth and assets whereas the rest of us will get raided like the "peasants" we are. Time to get that rifle licence ?
PS - I sold all my gold