TeaTime

A similar company (possibly related to this one - based in Poole) did a loss-leader deal on a coin which i purchased. Unbeknown to me (and subsequently found in very small print) i had agreed to a series of coins. As soon as i noticed this i emailed the company and informed them i wished to opt out of all further coins....
Of course, a month or so later the second coin appeared through the post. When i contacted them and pointed out that i had stated in writing i wished to receive no further coins they requested that i send it back. I declined to do so and informed then that it could be collected from my home address, by appointment, during working hours.
They told me to keep it gratis.
Subsequent to that i receive approximately 3 glossy advertising letters from them a week. 
I must be costing that company a fortune and can only assume that enough people buy their over-priced stuff to make this business model viable. 

Why not send out tulip bulbs to everyone and if the correct colour flower is grown then you get the chance to buy the rm's latest coin!

Not sure this is completely true - there is a sweet spot for mintages which can be hard to gauge because it depends on how the public receives a coin. Also, let’s be honest, most “collectors” aren’t collecting these coins simply because they love the design. They’re doing so also because they hope the value will not depreciate over time.
Let’s say we knew for certain that the plain edge 2 Oz would drop in value and cost £2,000 after 1 year (like a car’s value depreciates over time), how many would really hanker for it? Not many.
Part of the desirability of a coin to collectors is also its rarity. If they were to simply double mintages, that would drive desirability down. Of course more people would then be able to afford and own them, but would as many people want to in that scenario?
The RM sets prices for their products based on whatever formulae they use. Usually proof coins are around 100% over spot. If the aftermarket drives that to 200% over spot, what’s the RM to do or care. They’ve sold their products with a certain profit target in mind. It’s done and dusted for them. And vice versa if the aftermarket drives prices down, then lucky for the RM - they still made whatever profit they aimed to.
It’s simple market forces at play here.
The RM can’t do much about it - except what they’ve done already - which is give the people who they deem “collectors” (those who purchased prior coins in a series) first dibs, and make it a lottery for the rest of the people. Whether those collected are true collectors or flippers is not the RM’s business; and I doubt they care.

Autographed picture of Lawrence Chard maybe? 😀

I'm thinking that these are the same as tulip bulbs in the netherlands in the 1800's 

To be honest I am a bit traditional and prefer the smaller coins - they are, to me, truly coins, akin to currency people carry around in their pockets. 😊
Also I find it marvellous that some of the most intricate designs have been incorporated on the tiniest of coins since centuries.
Reminds me of Boromir’s words concerning the One Ring:
It is a strange fate that the world should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing - such a little thing.

The 1947 one won't be too expensive, trust me!!! 

Perth mint, the silver proof high relief coins are a thing to behold.
Pin sharp strikes and cheaper in many cases. 
 

How's about a cardboard type box option and knock the cost of the wooden box off the RRP....
Personally i think the current shiny box packaging is an indicator of how much the RM believe their own legend. It's a coin not the crown jewels.
It's hilarious when you open the outer packaging, then the next lot of packaging, then the padding and final the shiny wooden box.... to find the capsule open and the coin rattling about :(

How's about a cardboard type box option and knock the cost of the wooden box off the RRP....
Personally i think the current shiny box packaging is an indicator of how much the RM believe their own legend. It's a coin not the crown jewels.
It's hilarious when you open the outer packaging, then the next lot of packaging, then the padding and final the shiny wooden box.... to find the capsule open and the coin rattling about :(

How's about a cardboard type box option and knock the cost of the wooden box off the RRP....
Personally i think the current shiny box packaging is an indicator of how much the RM believe their own legend. It's a coin not the crown jewels.
It's hilarious when you open the outer packaging, then the next lot of packaging, then the padding and final the shiny wooden box.... to find the capsule open and the coin rattling about :(

How's about a cardboard type box option and knock the cost of the wooden box off the RRP....
Personally i think the current shiny box packaging is an indicator of how much the RM believe their own legend. It's a coin not the crown jewels.
It's hilarious when you open the outer packaging, then the next lot of packaging, then the padding and final the shiny wooden box.... to find the capsule open and the coin rattling about :(

How's about a cardboard type box option and knock the cost of the wooden box off the RRP....
Personally i think the current shiny box packaging is an indicator of how much the RM believe their own legend. It's a coin not the crown jewels.
It's hilarious when you open the outer packaging, then the next lot of packaging, then the padding and final the shiny wooden box.... to find the capsule open and the coin rattling about :(

How's about a cardboard type box option and knock the cost of the wooden box off the RRP....
Personally i think the current shiny box packaging is an indicator of how much the RM believe their own legend. It's a coin not the crown jewels.
It's hilarious when you open the outer packaging, then the next lot of packaging, then the padding and final the shiny wooden box.... to find the capsule open and the coin rattling about :(

How's about a cardboard type box option and knock the cost of the wooden box off the RRP....
Personally i think the current shiny box packaging is an indicator of how much the RM believe their own legend. It's a coin not the crown jewels.
It's hilarious when you open the outer packaging, then the next lot of packaging, then the padding and final the shiny wooden box.... to find the capsule open and the coin rattling about :(

Any historic silver coin without toning or a grey colour would make me suspect it's been cleaned. Before the advent of plastics most coins were collected and stored in cabinets or albums that were open to the air. There was no choice. When plastics became available for storage a lot of them were not suitable for storing silver and the result was either colourful or, often, black patination.
Circulated coins that ended up in collections are often grey - probably due to being handled by sweaty and greasy hands. I believe the accumulated detritus formed a layer that prevented further toning. Specimen and proof coins that were never/rarely handled tend to show more colour.
The amount of toning will be dependent on the atmospheric pollution the coin was/is exposed to. I have an uncirculated Edward VII crown that is pretty much brown all over - to me the coin has character and appears 'honest'. I also have a Geo II crown that is blindingly shiny even though the details are clear and crisp - it's obviously been cleaned in the last 20 years and, to me, has much less appeal.

I did the same a while back with this marked Britannia... Liver of sulphur in hot water - took about 25 seconds to colour up, then a quick rub with a cotton glove.

Any historic silver coin without toning or a grey colour would make me suspect it's been cleaned. Before the advent of plastics most coins were collected and stored in cabinets or albums that were open to the air. There was no choice. When plastics became available for storage a lot of them were not suitable for storing silver and the result was either colourful or, often, black patination.
Circulated coins that ended up in collections are often grey - probably due to being handled by sweaty and greasy hands. I believe the accumulated detritus formed a layer that prevented further toning. Specimen and proof coins that were never/rarely handled tend to show more colour.
The amount of toning will be dependent on the atmospheric pollution the coin was/is exposed to. I have an uncirculated Edward VII crown that is pretty much brown all over - to me the coin has character and appears 'honest'. I also have a Geo II crown that is blindingly shiny even though the details are clear and crisp - it's obviously been cleaned in the last 20 years and, to me, has much less appeal.

Any historic silver coin without toning or a grey colour would make me suspect it's been cleaned. Before the advent of plastics most coins were collected and stored in cabinets or albums that were open to the air. There was no choice. When plastics became available for storage a lot of them were not suitable for storing silver and the result was either colourful or, often, black patination.
Circulated coins that ended up in collections are often grey - probably due to being handled by sweaty and greasy hands. I believe the accumulated detritus formed a layer that prevented further toning. Specimen and proof coins that were never/rarely handled tend to show more colour.
The amount of toning will be dependent on the atmospheric pollution the coin was/is exposed to. I have an uncirculated Edward VII crown that is pretty much brown all over - to me the coin has character and appears 'honest'. I also have a Geo II crown that is blindingly shiny even though the details are clear and crisp - it's obviously been cleaned in the last 20 years and, to me, has much less appeal.

Any historic silver coin without toning or a grey colour would make me suspect it's been cleaned. Before the advent of plastics most coins were collected and stored in cabinets or albums that were open to the air. There was no choice. When plastics became available for storage a lot of them were not suitable for storing silver and the result was either colourful or, often, black patination.
Circulated coins that ended up in collections are often grey - probably due to being handled by sweaty and greasy hands. I believe the accumulated detritus formed a layer that prevented further toning. Specimen and proof coins that were never/rarely handled tend to show more colour.
The amount of toning will be dependent on the atmospheric pollution the coin was/is exposed to. I have an uncirculated Edward VII crown that is pretty much brown all over - to me the coin has character and appears 'honest'. I also have a Geo II crown that is blindingly shiny even though the details are clear and crisp - it's obviously been cleaned in the last 20 years and, to me, has much less appeal.

This coin has probably ruined the whole set of Mucha coins for me...

I did the same a while back with this marked Britannia... Liver of sulphur in hot water - took about 25 seconds to colour up, then a quick rub with a cotton glove.

No, but probably I am a dreamer. I love to imagine stories or fair tales behind a coin. Any old coin has a story, seen people, travelled a lot in a long life. Was used, exchanged thousands of times for essentials, food, drinks, guilty pleasures, lost or stolen several times, been in a silver purse or a dirty pockets, seen happiness and sadness.
In your thoughts, who can tell us more stories: a sixpence coin, or a sovereign?

2006 80th Birthday Silver Proof Set
This was the Royal Mint's third silver proof decimal set and, other than an attractive but otherwise uninspiring Maundy quartet, it contains precisely zero coins of great interest other than to a numismatic Denis Norden. The Monty Python £5 coin is also included
The mintage was an underwhelming 6,394.
Just another ✔️ off the ongoing collection of silver sets.
Happily, the condition of both the coins and the  blue "leatherette" (crushed velvet RIP) box is magnificent.

Interesting video. Basically no actual answer to the question 'what's the difference between a 70 & 69' - just a bit of waffle about magnification....
It seems like the answer is - don't ask just accept my opinion 😉 🤑