dicker

The 1871 is VF imo for what’s it’s worth, obverse is not EF, reverse is not EF. 
 
I use the British descriptive to get a general grade then it’s other factors like cleaner fields, un dinged rim, strike  etc that may sway me a bit more to add a bit of a grade. 
problem is trying to second guess how someone else sees it.  

I think lots are from sets that are broken up (sadly). Plenty of collectors only want the Sov.
 

Totally agree that they seem to suffer more wear. I am not sure why this seems to be the case.

May be the alloy content? In the late 1860s the RM concluded that the alloy used by the Sydney mint which had higher proportions of silver than London sovereigns not only exhibited a lighter colour, but was causing more wear than the standard alloy with copper! 

However, it seemed that Leonard Charles Wyon, the engraver of J.E.Bs design had general concerns about this effigy in the first place, whatever they were. I must read the DISH publication!….

For me it’s the sets that the RM come up with mixing old and new. 
https://www.royalmint.com/shop/coin-sets/Charles-II-Premium-Exclusive-Set/
92k
At least you get a wooden box!

I think lots are from sets that are broken up (sadly). Plenty of collectors only want the Sov.
 

The problem with the Jubilee head coins is that they seem to wear easily and the design definitely doesn't take it well.
On the other hand, a Jubilee in top condition is an absolute joy to behold; the detail can be astounding.
Jubs are also very popular because there are so many variations in just a few number of years.
The shield series obviously speaks for itself but the G&D young heads are quite boring in reality with just the odd length of tail variation to create interest.
 

This gem is from Guernsey.
I have no words….apart from Susan Boyle.

They seem to have omitted Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from the survey…..

I agree with the above in that the RM has produced some absolute shockers honouring members of the royal family.  Even worse has come from Alderney etc.
The RM lost me as a customer a long time ago with their poor quality, copper mushy Sovs and lack of imagination.
 
 

Two auction stateside coming up for 
https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/auctions/3-17WPEC/historic-test-pieces-from-the-2023-trial-of-the-pyx-presented-on-behalf-of-the-royal-mint-session-a-part-1-lots-1001-1330
https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/auctions/3-17WQY0/historic-test-pieces-from-the-2023-trial-of-the-pyx-presented-on-behalf-of-the-royal-mint-session-b-part-2-lots-2001-2990
650 lots - over two sessions End Feb 13-14th 
looks like ALL lots are now slabbed by NGC with with unique RM label & Anne Jessop signatures 
None graded numerically just all mass classed as Brilliant proof/UNC- yet all marked & handled to Bvlgari 
Strange British coinage ALL gets sent Stateside to get auctioned off 
Anyhow, one to follow see what daftness gets bid up by daftys 
Be interesting what the sovereign bits get bid up to 
Enjoy  

Special delivery, in my opinion, is seller responsibility until goods are delivered. If you choose lesser then it’s on you as a buyer but if paying for SD then should not be at your risk as a buyer

You have to remember that die axis is not something that many people even collectors check, these may or may not be more common than originally thought?

100% agree with @dicker. I really have a very visceral reaction when I see some of the stuff they've repackaged to make look so much better than it really is. Its the same tactics places like Westminster Collection use to (IMO) scam people who don't know any better. Its probably worse coming from the RM though because I'd imagine your average person would think the RM is a more trust worthy institution than places like WC. I think going down this road is fundamentally wrong and I do think it is very much scam like behaviour.

For me it’s the sets that the RM come up with mixing old and new. 
https://www.royalmint.com/shop/coin-sets/Charles-II-Premium-Exclusive-Set/
92k
At least you get a wooden box!

A good friend of the forum who is not so active these days messaged me and suggested I post this.  
Be careful.m with your purchases.  
 

I’m not an expert on slabs but it may be that the slab is genuine and has been opened - and a counterfeit coin substituted.
Counterfeit PCGS graded slabbed coins are readily available and the slabs themselves are pretty convincing.  See below for an example on a Chinese knockoff site   
Beware everyone!

A good friend of the forum who is not so active these days messaged me and suggested I post this.  
Be careful.m with your purchases.  
 

A good friend of the forum who is not so active these days messaged me and suggested I post this.  
Be careful.m with your purchases.  
 

A good friend of the forum who is not so active these days messaged me and suggested I post this.  
Be careful.m with your purchases.  
 

I’m still buying Morgan’s (but only nice ones) and the occasional Kook.
Other than that no silver these days.  

Silver is hard to do in the UK because of VAT.  The spreads if you buy and sell from a dealer mean you've got about 1/3 of the value at risk if you need to make a quick sale back to the dealer.  It is possible to buy and sell off the secondary market; tubes of brits or other 1oz coins like Krugs or Maples, bars in the 10oz to 1kg range, and some other items can be traded on the secondary market fairly efficiently.
However, the secondary market still has a whiff of greater fool theory as you're buying and selling into your own market, and the alternative (sell back to a dealer) means you will take a big hit on price.  Other jurisdictions such as the US or Aus/NZ don't charge VAT on silver, which makes it far more cost-effective to stack there, but here we have to contend with VAT, with rather ganks the dealer market.  Here, you can only really do it as a sideline to buying gold. 
For gold, sovs are a good start, as they have a good combination of being liquid and having modest spreads.  Other fractional gold can be worth buying if you can get it a decent price - mostly through the secondary market, but sometimes through dealers.  1oz coins or bars sit in the intersection of selling onto the open market or selling back to a dealer.  If you don't overpay for them you won't carry too much value at risk.  I don't recommend anything bigger than 1oz or so as RMSD only insures up to £2,500, and couriers tend to be significantly more expensive.
 

I’m still buying Morgan’s (but only nice ones) and the occasional Kook.
Other than that no silver these days.  

A good friend of the forum who is not so active these days messaged me and suggested I post this.  
Be careful.m with your purchases.  
 

I’m still buying Morgan’s (but only nice ones) and the occasional Kook.
Other than that no silver these days.  

Dear TSF,
Just thought I’d share the reasons I started my precious metals buying journey, and how I’ve deviated away from my original goals. 
I decided to start buying Gold and Silver several years ago, as a form of savings plan for my family and I. Specifically as a nest egg for my two small boys, who are 5 and 8. I thought by the time they’re 18 they’ll have a good amount. 
My plan was to buy monthly what I could afford and buy 999 gold or silver, or sovereigns. This was working well and I built up quite a stack. However as time went on I got lured into buying more collectible and premium pieces. 
I’ve realised that I’m not a collector and that I’ve been led astray from my original goals by the shiny metal. If something was to happen to me, the last thing I want is my family having to deal with getting the best price for the premium coins. I want them to be able to cash in easily and quickly if they need the cash. 
So I’ve decided that I’m going to stay away from highly collectible and proof coins (unless I get them at normal bullion prices) and stick to how I started. I’ll start selling the collectibles bit by bit, and putting the funds into my original purchasing requirements. 

I’ve also decided to substantially downsize my silver stack, as I have just too much, and storing it is becoming a hassle. 
Just wondering if anyone else has been on a similar buying journey or if anyone has any further advice?