TeaTime

I would imagine that the reason it is relatively cheap is because the standard bullion version was the first .999 silver Brit (before they introduced dimples etc to hide the manufacturing flaws) and looks exactly the same as the BU version ?

Later BU coins were referred to as 'plain fields' to distinguish them from the bullion... 

Interesting....

Unfortunately all of the issues shown could be introduced after they have been made.

The last coin, for instance, with the transposed inner and outer ring can't happen at the mint. The coins are struck (in one piece) from dies and it would be impossible to strike a coin with this error. The middle has been punched out and reversed. 

Ironically the BU 2012 Britannia isn't half as nice looking as the frosted fields regular bullion issue. 🙃 Too shiny for tired eyes !

There is nothing to indicate that it's fake, Although;

It's odd that the seller states that it is in excellent condition yet has not shown a photo of the actual coin.

If it's because the packaging is sealed then how would he know the condition..

Also a bit odd that the seller states 'It is made from various fineness materials' when it clearly states on the packaging that it's .958 silver.

Looking at other listings from this seller he has a shilling listed as in 'excellent condition' which is buckled and worn. So his definition of a coins condition is rather liberal !

I purchased the Queens Beasts cufflinks from the RM - lovely miniatures of the actual coins and i believe priced at around £100 (reduced to about £50 in the sales they used to have)....

And now they showcase plain silver discs (although, admittedly very shiny) at 3 x the cost of the QB cufflinks. Madness.

The jewellery on the RM site is the most insipid and over-priced tat i have ever seen - £295 for plain silver cufflinks That you could buy anywhere else for around £50...

Wikipedia ;

.... Historically, the mint refined its own metal; but following the advice of an 1848 Royal Commission, the process was separated, with the independent Royal Mint Refinery being purchased and operated by Anthony de Rothschild in 1852. The Rothschild family continued the refinery's management until it was sold to Engelhard in 1967. A year later, the Royal Mint relocated to Wales and ceased its bullion bar interests, but the brand was revived in 2015. Bullion bars produced by the mint are stamped with the original Royal Mint Refinery emblem and come in a range of sizes....

Refining has been outsourced for quite a while..  Every day is a school day.

Haven't been to one in years but when i used to there was ALWAYS a couple of stalls selling fake silver. Mostly Chinese 'coins'...

I once took a whole boot load of stuffed toys (long story) and set up a selling table. I had my nephew with me at the time... I decided to have a wander around and left him in charge, returning about 20 minutes later. The table was empty and he told me he'd sold the lot for £12. I wasn't happy because it had cost something like £10 for the table but lesson learnt - don't leave a 12 year old in charge.

On the way out of the car boot i saw another stall selling the toys for £4 each (there was a couple of hundred of them).

I think that's the last car boot i did.

I very much doubt anyone else would want the coin blanks the RM are using for their silver bullion....

In regards gold blanks - who else produces a sovereign (RMs flagship gold coin) sized coin ?

I smell obfuscation. 

May be worth looking in 'collectables' or somesuch ?

I converted some Nectar points and couldn't use them for any of the items listed under 'coins' but managed to find a few things under different categories. Although it was a faff and, quite frankly, i can't be bothered to do it again....

I've used silver-plating solution before - and the results have been mixed. In my experience the end product appears 'tired', somewhat grey and you lose any mint lustre. And i can confirm that this stuff will stain your fingers like a 60 a day smoker with an aversion to washing.

I always end up with a silver coin / round that looks like it's been in someone's sweaty pocket for a month or two.

A tutorial is called for...... 😁

I've tried everything i can imagine - including heating the offending coins in a kiln 'til they glow 😬.

Nothing short of scouring will remove milk spots - i'm sure that they are caused by a chemical reaction that molecularly changes the metal.... The only way to remove them is to remove the offending metal.

Liver of sulphur will camouflage them if you are silver-tongued enough to persuade people the resulting coin is a (very rare) 'antiqued' variant  😁

Not sure why a gold coin would be more costly to mint than a silver one... Remove the precious metal element and you would end up with the exact same processes and minting procedures ? Unless i am ignorant of aspects of manufacturing.

The RM are currently selling gold Britannias at a 4% premium and silver (before VAT) at 21%. This appears to be incongruous until you realise the silver premium is pretty modest in reality - £4.50 per coin for manufacturing, logistics etc (bearing in mind the VAT is beyond their control) ..... It only seems high because silver is valued so low. The elephant in the room is how they get away with charging £75 to manufacturer a gold coin versus £4.50 to manufacture the same coin in silver ? 

Or

Gold premiums appear lower because gold is massively over-priced. 

I like the new 'Kookaburra' typeface and sizing.....

However, i also dislike change for the sake of it. I also dislike the fact that it appears incongruous. 

I guess i'm on the fence on this one.

Oh dear, the RM really aught to avoid actual people portraits if that is the best they can do.... On a par with the recent George Michael coin. 😬 Definitely regretting following that link.

Conversely there will be a lot more coins in good condition available for collectors. Will anything be considered rare or desirable ?

I collect BU 'circulation' 50p coins (and year sets) from various of the non-Royal Mint sellers now available*. None of the coins will ever command much of a premium - these companies have pretty much wiped out any future numismatic market for modern coinage

I can only hope that plebs inheriting encapsulated coins break them out to spend them - less likely now with everyone using plastic 😁

*Too much disposable income !

My gold has never been an alternative to a pension fund or a savings plan, just a short term holding i will sell when the price gives me enough profit.

Right now i am checking every day waiting for the £2k ounce.  When (?) it hits i will sell..

I see colourised coins as a way of enhancing, what is usually, a poor or muddled design. A bit gimmicky.

I have occasionally wondered what would happen to the printed area if the coin was dipped. Would like to see a colourised coin after a few years when natural toning has occurred...

In short; I do not like them !

18 hours ago, Petra said:

Looks in good nick, any chance of seeing the other side?🤔🤔

Depends if you want them and for what reason. If it's to sell on then anything over 8g has to be hallmarked to be sold legally in the UK as silver. What guarantee will you have that they are actually sterling silver ?

(There is a lot of (almost certainly not silver )white metal pendants/chains coming out of China stamped 925 - a quick look on Ebay shows similar items selling at £2-£3)

If they are to be gifts then the actual manufacturing/material cost seems reasonable for bespoke items in such a small amount. Just make sure the recipients are not allergic to any metals typically found in Chinesium*

*Not a real word 

Very canny - collectors of Roos, Kooks & Koalas will want one (or more) of these for completeness...

For me; Trying too hard and not quite getting it... Does it really need a Britannia, a lion, stylised waves and a sailing ship (Golden Hind) ?

The company logo reminds me of something that i can't quite put my finger on ! 

I'd take a few at £60 a pop, free postage 😁

Wow, that's a complex question.... Gold by volume is almost twice as heavy as silver - so, for example a cubic centimetre of silver would weigh 10.49g and the same in gold would weigh 19.32g. That would be for pure silver and gold.

So you would need 78g of pure gold to make up the same volume as 43g of pure silver

Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver.

9ct gold is 37.5% pure gold - usually alloyed with silver. 

Assuming, in the end product, that 62.5% of it is silver . . . . and that's where i give up.

BUT - gold is heavier than silver so it stands to reason that, regardless of purity, you will need more gold than silver to make an equivalent sized piece. 

Or, if feeling extravagant - a pack of Stuyvesant to share amongst friends. LOL