TeaTime

You sound a similar age to me, my little life story may help or guide.
........... I've posted my little how I got into gold story in prior years, but it seems relevant to this thread today. Here's it again 
 

     
 

    I'm 45 now and through my twenties, i guess I must have staked and wasted around £75k-£100k at a rough guess through bookies, FOBTs, online poker and land based casinos.
    
    
    
    Some good days but it all quickly went back as losings in the end.
    
    
    
    I went cold turkey at 30-31 and managed a few months until i relapsed again.
    
    
    
    Told myself never again.
    
    
    
    It was this time I found about gold, since 2008-2009 I have bought investment gold every month, a gold sovereign here, a half sovereign there, 1/2 oz on a good month, a full oz of fine gold when bonus from work.
    
    
    
    What this did was separate actual cash i could gamble and move it into another tangible thing with value that i couldn't easily spunk away or spend.
    
    
    
    Slowly but surely, my gold stack has grown, every month, as i would buy a another gold coin every fortnight or so.
    
    
    
    The ancient Aztecs called Gold 'the sweat of the sun'
    
    
    
    Blood, sweat, tears and toil getting it out of the ground.
    
    
    
    YOUR blood sweat and tears represents how hard you have worked to get this coin you now hold, and continue to hold ongoing.
    
    
    
    Your pile of gold increases monthly.
    
    
    
    Gold is also a little bit of a gamble, it will never go to zero, it has been money for 5,000+ years, and can also go up in value
    
    
    
    Currently im now VERY nicely up in £ terms if i chose to cash in and take some profits.
    
    
    
    A quote stuck with me quite prophetically, as i've never believed in loans or credit cards.
    
    
    
    “Gold is the money of kings, silver is the money of gentlemen, barter is the money of peasants – but debt is the money of slaves.” ― Norm Franz, Money & Wealth in the New Millennium: A Prophetic Guide to the New World Economic Order
    
    
    
    The bigger my gold stack grows the more satisfied I become and want more. A positive kind of addiction.
    
    
    
    I have not yet cashed in one single coin for gambling and my investment pile has grew.
    
    
    
    I have cashed gold in here on the forum and realized better than dealer prices to increase my business and expand/buy new vans/staff/tech
    
    
    
    This degree of separation that takes place between the gold coin and actual cash i can spunk gambling is awesome.
    
    
    
    Yet i know at a glance my total gold grams i have on any given day, and know how much it is worth should i cash in.
    
    
    
    When money is in a bank AC it is just like figures on a screen to me, cash in my hand just gambling token/betting voucher credits.
    
    
    
    I could never hold onto money while it was in a bank account, savings account would be were there for good intention but the money came out for gambling.
    
    
    
    Gold doesn't do that for me, the degree of separation between between the time and effort it takes to cash in a gold coin, packing posting, sending, waiting for bank transfer for payment etc. is a few days minimum.
    
    
    
    By which times my urge to gamble has long since past.
    
    
    
    whilst i will always have that gamble bug inside me, i cant extinguish that flame as i like to to take risks, i'm self employed and risk = reward. and i have done well working over the years.
    
    
    
    I still have my monthly little gamble, but as my priority with my spare cash is always to buy a minimum amount of gold, i'm never exposed to loose mega money EVER, fact these days, as the money isn't there because it has been converted from one asset class cash into another asset gold.
    
    
    
    The small amount i assign myself to have a gamble is minimal, £100 or £200 for a month. should i win, i actually treat myself to some more gold coins for my stack.
    
    
    
    With doing this approach and putting what used to be gambling stake money cash into gold, i've got my good nest egg of gold if i cashed it in from my safe deposit box.
    
    
    
    I purposely store the gold in a safety deposit centre in a city that is hours drive/train ride away to resist the sudden urge to gamble/cash in.
    
    
    
    A financial advisor would tell you it is stupid and daft to put all your eggs in one basket with one asset/investments, but to a gambler?
    
    
    
    would i sooner have this,  lots of gold is much better than having nothing at all, **** all to show for it - so it works for me
    
    
    
    Knowing this fall back of savings is there for any of lifes eventualities makes me sleep wonderfully at night.
    
    
    
    This approach may not be for everyone but if you can never hold onto money it has worked wonders for me.
    
    
    
    Sorry for the rambles length here today but to those nodding their head to this and this life course maybe sounds a familiar path to yours, if my narrative resonates with you, give gold a try. please try it, you might just like it, or start just buying gold with your big wins.
    
   https://www.thesilverforum.com/topic/32375-your-gold-story-how-it-happened/?do=findComment&comment=416089
 

     
 

     
 

     
 
https://www.thesilverforum.com/topic/60379-anyone-else-addicted-to-buying-gold/?do=findComment&comment=638451
 
I'm about 15 years into my stacking journey, ahead of you though 

I want a £2-1p set - no commem nonsense, just a bog standard base metal definitive set. I don't ask for much. I'm waiting and waiting and waiting... 2025 perhaps?

They could up the face values to account for inflation;) 

Three Charles I additions.
Charles I (1625-1649), Sixpence, Tower mint, 1625, group A, first bust left in coronation robes, high double arched crown, rev. shield on long cross fourchée, date above, mm.lis, 2.70g, (N.2235, S.2805). Some scratches on obverse, otherwise nearly very fine, scarce.
Charles I (1625-1649), Threepence, York mint, crowned bust left, mark of value behind, rev. square-topped shield on long cross fourchée, EBOR above, mm. lion, 1.47g, (N.2323, S.2877). Toned very fine.
Charles I (1625-1649), Threepence, 1644, Oxford mint, narrow crowned Rawlins bust left, R below, mark of value behind, rev. declaration in three lines, three lis above, date below, 1.27g, (N.2471, S.2994). Attempted piercing at 9 o'clock on inner circle, otherwise nicely toned and very fine or better.
The Reverse ‘Declaration’ and legend reads:
EXURGAT DEUS DISSIPENTUR INIMICI (REL PRO LEG AN LIB PA 1644)
Translation:
Let God arise and His enemies be scattered (The religion of the Protestants, the laws of England, the liberty of Parliament 1644)




 

Today I received - some distinguished Charles I (1625- 49) coins-  
          - Five Shillings & Sixpence- 
References as per the coin tickets.









And all my Charles I coins together: 

 
 

I sold a lot of silver during the last peak - i was advertising generic 1oz rounds on Ebay at £39 in the 'buy it now' format (previously having bought ASE, Brits etc at £5-£6 each)..
(I was also buying sovereigns at £60, but that's another story)
They were selling within seconds of me listing them - i don't think there will be a problem in shifting silver if the price increases. Most people see a bandwagon and are more than willing to shell out cash to jump on it.

Received this wonderful Henry VIII Groat today.
Henry VIII (1509-47) Groat, Second Coinage 1526- 44, Laker bust D, larger squarer face with Roman nose, fluffy hair, crown arch does not break the inner circle.  Lombardic lettering, mm: Arrow. 2.62g,  S.2337E.
Exceptionally nicely toned with blue & green hues. NVF.


 

I think the Royal Mint needs to lower their prices. We are in a recession and they need to wake up from their coma and realize this!

Have just remembered that a friend of mine who previously collected the Britannias stopped at this time. The reason - he was miffed that they changed the size of the coins and the .999s didn't fit in his custom made holders. 😵 The change in quality was a big deal at the time and the RM tried to blame it on the use of .999 silver over .958 (stating it was softer and damaged more easily). The reality was the manufacturing process changed to accommodate higher production runs rather than the silver content. Britannias are now treated as circulating coins by the Mint... but priced as collector coins. 

2013 was the first year of the mass production of Britannias (millions of the 999 versions vs roughly 100,000 of the old 958 versions).
The mint didn’t finalise their design / production of tubes until the second half of 2013, so the coins from early in the year were provided in the sheets.
I remember this specifically because I had to return two sheets of 20 from the very early runs to a dealer in Germany, which were of the most appalling quality. They were covered in dings, scratches and gouges. The replacements from later in the year, came in tubes.
The tubes from 2013 (and possibly 2014) also contained only 20 coins, rather than the 25 the current tubes hold.
Your coins look like they are from a run between the disastrous early run and the adoption of the tube.

Whilst the Britannia was manufactured in .958 silver the standard of the coins was brilliant uncirculated (they were still sold as bullion) and dealers would get them individually sealed (at least the dealers i used did). To maximise profits the RM changed the manufacturing process with the switch to .999 and, somehow, managed to con people into accepting the new bullion coin definition (zero quality control as opposed to metal content) that is common today.
The BU Britannias now sold by the RM are of the same quality as the old 'bullion' coins of yesterday - but sold with a hefty premium. 😕
I suppose the .958 coins were more for collectors than stackers...
 

I recently purchased some older Brits to add to my stack and was interested to learn these used to be supplied in vacuum sheets. I believe this is still done for gold Half Brits today.
On the downside you can't open them up like you could a coin in the capsule. But on the plus side for 10 year old coins they look fantastic! I haven't inspected all ten coins yet, but there's no sign of tarnish, milk spotting or even any marks.
This method of packing presumably is much easier to protect the coin, particularly while in transit where the current tube system just leaves them rubbing up against each other. No chance of them switching back I suppose, but I was interested to learn something new all the same!

Of course, the cost of these coins will be much more than the value of the metal.  There are fixed costs, variable costs of this issue, a built in profit, etc.    It costs a lot to produce the coins.  In addition to costs for designing and engraving the coins, there are the supplies (cases, capsules, etc), marketing/advertising costs, administrative costs and salaries, etc.  if I like the coin and can afford the cost, I buy it.  Then again, I’m a collector and not a flipper.  I have never sold a coin, so I don’t view them as a quick profit.

I was half tempted to order the 2oz set but i cannot justify the cost. £560 for two silver proof (albeit 2oz) copy coins is ridiculous. With a regular one ounce proofing selling for £95, and taking into account the additional silver content, these should be for sale at no more than £260. 
The Britannia 2 coin reverse proof sets were £195 with a mintage of 520 as opposed to this mintage of 3250. Take away the flipping aspect of this issue and i just don't get the appeal.

I was half tempted to order the 2oz set but i cannot justify the cost. £560 for two silver proof (albeit 2oz) copy coins is ridiculous. With a regular one ounce proofing selling for £95, and taking into account the additional silver content, these should be for sale at no more than £260. 
The Britannia 2 coin reverse proof sets were £195 with a mintage of 520 as opposed to this mintage of 3250. Take away the flipping aspect of this issue and i just don't get the appeal.

I was half tempted to order the 2oz set but i cannot justify the cost. £560 for two silver proof (albeit 2oz) copy coins is ridiculous. With a regular one ounce proofing selling for £95, and taking into account the additional silver content, these should be for sale at no more than £260. 
The Britannia 2 coin reverse proof sets were £195 with a mintage of 520 as opposed to this mintage of 3250. Take away the flipping aspect of this issue and i just don't get the appeal.

I was half tempted to order the 2oz set but i cannot justify the cost. £560 for two silver proof (albeit 2oz) copy coins is ridiculous. With a regular one ounce proofing selling for £95, and taking into account the additional silver content, these should be for sale at no more than £260. 
The Britannia 2 coin reverse proof sets were £195 with a mintage of 520 as opposed to this mintage of 3250. Take away the flipping aspect of this issue and i just don't get the appeal.

Rather nice shilling and sovereign arrived today

Isn't that mark where another coin has landed on it?

Half-Crown Day™ this one was for me:
Edward VII 1902 Matte Proof HC William & Mary 1689 'PRIMO' HC  
 
 
 

Charles I (1625-1649), Sixpence. Briot’s Second Milled issue which dates it between 1638- 1639, mm. anchor, 3.02g S 2860.  Peripheral weakness to the legends and contemporary? graffiti in obverse field, otherwise very fine.  
Obverse Lettering: CAROLVS·D:G·MAG·BRIT·FR·ET·HIB·REX· 
Translation: Charles by the Grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland 
Engraver: Nicholas Briot 
Reverse Lettering:  CHRISTO · AVSPICE · REGNO . 
Translation: I reign under the auspices of Christ 
Engraver: Nicholas Briot


 

Ohh so not any time soon then! 
I have sent an email to the Royal mint, so hopefully they get back to me and can offer some more info. If they respond anything useful I’ll pop it on here. 

It's the Royal Mint - they may not even produce them this year. The 1/10th ounce silvers seem to be produced completely randomly (i suspect that they are only minted if they receive a big overseas request and then sell the remainders on their website).
Would be nice to have a KC III 2023 issue but it wouldn't surprise me if they don't bother. Logging on to the RM website daily is the only way to know - they tend to appear with no fanfare and very, very quickly sell out. 

Latest additions, firstly to my Charles I collection, this time a Scottish Twenty Pence.  Third Coinage, 1637-42; Bust wholly within circle, R as last S.5590. Weight 0.93g.
I haven’t quite made my mind up on the Reference of the Charles II Twopence as yet- I think it’s Spink 3318.  nice little coin.



 

I've been anticipating the two coin set for months but missed it due to work commitments..... Now i've seen it i guess i can live without owning them. The sea-horsey things look well executed but what the hell is wrong with Briannias face and why has she got a wattle ?