AppleZippoandMetronome

Forum motto:
Buy high, sell low.
 
It never fails.

This company cancelled their Official Sponsorship and advertising on TSF around the same time that another member which I will not name asked for their account and all information about them to be deleted when I called them out for directly trying to damage TSF and actively suggesting to members via PM to cancel their membership and go to his FB group instead, all while TSF was sponsoring their YT channel. 
I had felt that CC had used TSF to get awareness of their auctions and then cancelled their paid membership once enough TSF members were aware of them and also were possibly persuaded by the aforementioned member, I was aware that they had a business relationship. The reason they gave was that not enough members of TSF are interested in Gold. However, I had put up a public statement at the time (which has since been removed) and a member private messaged me at the time and said that the commission on his item alone would have been enough to cover several years of their membership fee. And of course, as many of you are aware there are many members of TSF who purchase gold and some exclusively gold.
Recently they actually emailed trying to buy TSF or offer me a job. Of course TSF is not for sale nor do I wish to work for them. 
Unfortunately @Silverman2U I am unable to help but as I was tagged in this post I just wanted to make my relationship with this company clear, and that TSF has no business relationship with CC. Hopefully if you reach out again via email they are able to help. 

https://www.roslandgold.co.uk/products/harry-and-meghan-wedding-1oz?variant=41372732162227&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=Cj0KCQiA8t2eBhDeARIsAAVEga3P0IqapKcyHcfnHfouGDmVbnE_0fvKhiCS0--kExCHQMegk9P6qd0aAvznEALw_wcB
Bargain of the century surely.
Is there anything to like about this coin?

@GoldDiggerDave  Awesome post.  
 
(1) There is a roaring trade in Sovs on TSF - more being sold than I have ever seen before.  
(2) I suspect that this is because of a shortage of Sovs in the market, which means Sovs are now regularly selling for 8pct over spot or more.  
(3) I think “too much” for me at least will be dictated by the price over spot.  Sovs could be bought for a little over spot a year or so ago, this is no longer the case.  1 Oz Brits are more becoming more attractive - for me at least. My long standing view is that gold is a very good long term bet, and I am still buying.
(4) I am not routinely buying Shields any more despite loving them.  The premium is too high for me unless I am buying one that I consider special in some way.  For example I bought an excessively copper colours Shield six months ago.
Gillicks are now my staple and will remain so unless the premiums go higher.
All the best
Dicker
 

I had this conversation with a friend yesterday and we were both reminiscing when we were stacking these when they were £190 each and today they are bouncing around the £400 mark.   He was saying for him now they are becoming practically harder to buy 1 a mental block for him as he's still wishes he could buy at the sub £200 mark, (don't we all)  but 2  real world limitations £400 is a chuck of money now for normal people and wages have not doubled in the time gold  has.   Yes you could say buy less per year but is there a point where even buying 1 is a considered purchase. 
We could say it's all relative but it clearly isn't,  by the time every gets their 10% pension boost and workers get there 8-15% pay rise  it's very likely gold would have risen again 15-20% more, is gold accelerating away in terms of affordability for mortals especially if you look at the longer term predictions for gold.  I know anyone can predict anything and the market could go south so this leads me onto another question.......
A what price for a bullion sovereign would you back the truck up......and I mean really back it up, pull a chuck of savings, load the credit card I mean really throw  a good portion of your wealth into it?    
Would be interesting to see where the low and high bar is for people.   
For me I'd back the truck up at £300, but would have to really consider buying less at £600-£650 if they doubled in price again in the next 6-7 years to £800 and wages had still not kept up I'd be out. (I'd be selling loads so I'd still be happy)   
I can hear people saying you can play the spread, of course you can but I just really wanted to simplify at what point is a sovereign too much for a moral working person? 

Britannia Misinformation by a Reputable Dealer
Anyone can make a mistake, but when "experts" are airing their knowledge to educate and impress customers with their vast knowledge, they ought to check their facts, and get things right.
According to one of our competitors:
These will be the first ever Britannia coins not to feature Queen Elizabeth II, marking a new chapter in this iconic British coin series.
This is of course incorrect.
The first ever Britannia coins were issued by the Ancient Romans. Here is a page of information about them:
https://www.chards.co.uk/blog/roman-britannia/338

Britannia Seated on the Reverse of an As of Antoninus Pius
The first British coins to feature Britannia were farthings issued in 1672, and had King Charles II's portrait on the obverse, and were quickly followed later that year by halfpennies.
Here is a page about these early British copper coins:
https://24carat.co.uk/frame.php?url=britannia2.html

Britannia on 1672 Copper Farthing of King Charles II
There were then tin halfpennies and farthings issued from 1684 which still had Charles II's head on the obverse, as well as Britannia on the reverse.
More of both denomination continued in tin for James II, then William and Mary, until 1692.
From 1694, copper halfpence and farthing production was resumed for William and Mary, then William III.
Copper Britannia farthings of Queen Anne are a famous rarity, and no halfpennies were produced for her.
Britannia farthings continued during the reigns of George I, George II, and George III.
There were even copper cartwheel pennies and twopences issued in 1797. These featured Britannia, and were the first two ounce and one ounce Britannia coin.

Britannia on 1797 Copper Cartwheel Twopence Weight Two Ounces
Copper Britannia pennies, halfpennies, and farthings were issued for George IV and William IV.
There were also Copper Britannia half farthings and third farthings issued for both of these Monarchs.
For William IV, there were silver groats, with a denomination of fourpence, issued in 1836 and 1837. These were the first ever British silver Britannias.

Britannia on 1836 Silver Groat of William IV
These Britannia groats were continued for Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1862.
Copper pennies (1839 to 1860), halfpennies (1838 to 1860), farthings (1838 to 1864), half farthings (1838 to 1868), third farthings (1844), and even quarter farthings (1838 to 1868)were issued for Queen Victoria.
Bronze coinage generally replaced copper from 1860, including Britannia bronze pennies, halfpennies, and farthings.
These were continued for Edward VII. George V, and George VI, although the George halfpennies featured a ship and his farthings featured a wren.
That is a long list, and I may have omitted some coins, please let me know if I have.
I am always wiliing both to learn and to correct my errors.
😎

I'd really like to start and pursue a new collection. Perhaps silver proof round £1 coins as I've been humming and hawing over them for quite some time. I will carry on doing what I've done the last few years which is adding decent priced gold and silver to the stack but it would be nice to find some more joy in the hobby by way of pursuing a subject that I enjoy. Something that I wouldn't be doing for the sake of future value but just for the enjoyment of it. I think I've done too little of that in recent years and it would be a good way to pump some fun back into this hobby for me.

The round pound (either normal or Piedfort) is very rewarding to collect.  There are a handful that were only ever released in sets so are exceptionally hard to find.  I’m out and don’t have my spreadsheet with me but @PapaLazarou might be able to confirm which the really hard to find ones are, as we discussed 
A couple of mine have toning but that’s the way I bought them. 
 
Best
Dicker

I'd really like to start and pursue a new collection. Perhaps silver proof round £1 coins as I've been humming and hawing over them for quite some time. I will carry on doing what I've done the last few years which is adding decent priced gold and silver to the stack but it would be nice to find some more joy in the hobby by way of pursuing a subject that I enjoy. Something that I wouldn't be doing for the sake of future value but just for the enjoyment of it. I think I've done too little of that in recent years and it would be a good way to pump some fun back into this hobby for me.

I'd really like to start and pursue a new collection. Perhaps silver proof round £1 coins as I've been humming and hawing over them for quite some time. I will carry on doing what I've done the last few years which is adding decent priced gold and silver to the stack but it would be nice to find some more joy in the hobby by way of pursuing a subject that I enjoy. Something that I wouldn't be doing for the sake of future value but just for the enjoyment of it. I think I've done too little of that in recent years and it would be a good way to pump some fun back into this hobby for me.

I'd really like to start and pursue a new collection. Perhaps silver proof round £1 coins as I've been humming and hawing over them for quite some time. I will carry on doing what I've done the last few years which is adding decent priced gold and silver to the stack but it would be nice to find some more joy in the hobby by way of pursuing a subject that I enjoy. Something that I wouldn't be doing for the sake of future value but just for the enjoyment of it. I think I've done too little of that in recent years and it would be a good way to pump some fun back into this hobby for me.

I'd really like to start and pursue a new collection. Perhaps silver proof round £1 coins as I've been humming and hawing over them for quite some time. I will carry on doing what I've done the last few years which is adding decent priced gold and silver to the stack but it would be nice to find some more joy in the hobby by way of pursuing a subject that I enjoy. Something that I wouldn't be doing for the sake of future value but just for the enjoyment of it. I think I've done too little of that in recent years and it would be a good way to pump some fun back into this hobby for me.

I'd really like to start and pursue a new collection. Perhaps silver proof round £1 coins as I've been humming and hawing over them for quite some time. I will carry on doing what I've done the last few years which is adding decent priced gold and silver to the stack but it would be nice to find some more joy in the hobby by way of pursuing a subject that I enjoy. Something that I wouldn't be doing for the sake of future value but just for the enjoyment of it. I think I've done too little of that in recent years and it would be a good way to pump some fun back into this hobby for me.

I'd really like to start and pursue a new collection. Perhaps silver proof round £1 coins as I've been humming and hawing over them for quite some time. I will carry on doing what I've done the last few years which is adding decent priced gold and silver to the stack but it would be nice to find some more joy in the hobby by way of pursuing a subject that I enjoy. Something that I wouldn't be doing for the sake of future value but just for the enjoyment of it. I think I've done too little of that in recent years and it would be a good way to pump some fun back into this hobby for me.

The first coins came into being almost 2,500 years ago, and a substantial part of our historical knowledge is based on coins, including those from coin hoards (evidence of early coin collecting / stacking).
Postage stamps only came into existence in 1840, and as far as I am aware, have never provided any sustantial contribution to our knowledge base.
True numismatists are primarily interested in coins for many diverse reasons, and investment is not one of the main reasons. 
I suspect the same is true of philatelists.
Those who primarily collect for investment value are missing out on much of the potential pleasure and enjoyment they could get from the knowledge they could acquire. As it happens, I believe that real numismatists often end up with better investments than those whose prime motivation was the investment potential, and who probably ended up learning little.
The most extreme examples of this are the "armchair collectors", who only or mainly buy from what I call "Coin Marketing Companies", who mainly but not exclusively sell new issues, at what most TSF members would consider to be rip-off prices. These people hardly ever learn much about coins, countries, history, geography, or anything. Eventually, some of them learn, too late, that they overpaid. Sometimes it is their beneficiaries who realise this. Neither of these outcomes is good for the long-term image of collecting.
I should add that similar applies to stamp "collecting".
It is very frustrating, as a dealer that, day after day, we get this type of "collection" offered to us, and often have to deal with the disappointment and fallout from it. 
One annoying question we often get asked is "Why is your offer so little compared with the original cost?". The response I always want to give is "Why did you or the buyer pay so much for it in the first place without learning anything about coins or the market?" 
Before 1970. most UK coin collectors formed collections of mainly UK or other coins which had originally been issued for circulation. Since then, the UK market has changed, and most "collectors" accumulate new issues, commemoratives, and other made-for-collectors material. Even when they do buy "real" coins, they often want them "graded" (slabbed) or accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
In another 50 years, who knows?
😎

I think coin collecting has already gone the way of stamp collecting.
Too many damn commemoratives, it's been over diluted. It doesn't create the interest of new collectors it just overwhelms them, and the poor returns given by some of the tacky commemorative dross basically reaffirms that it's not worth investing in.
It also hacks off longer term collectors who were trying to complete a set of new material when the goal posts keep moving and that the 20 coin set you started out on had somehow morphed into a 126 coin run with more spin offs than anyone can keep track of (like Prime Ministers).
Just look at the state of play since the Queen's passing and the commemorative fatigue that has shown up on here - and many on here (not me) are some of the most committed and interested supporters of such material and even here the will to live was approaching a crisis point.
Same with US material - it started out with the State Quarters (pulled in a lot of new collectors) and then they went all in... on parks, monuments, presidents, first ladies and tons of other stuff. Many of which ended up with ever decreasing mintages as clearly people just weren't that bothered.
But then they do this with films as well... so many Marvel films, and where are we at with Rocky films now? 12?? 😁

The Royal Mint annual sets are being released on 3rd January 2023.
There will be a 5-coin set to start with, as the definitive coins won't be available until later in the year.
The 5-coin set will contain a commemorative £5 coin, a pair of £2 coins, and a pair of 50p coins, available as BU, proof, premium proof, silver proof, silver piedfort, gold and platinum sets. I wonder if one of the £2 coins will be the Edward Jenner smallpox coin?
 

I'm sorry but for the premium paid, you/we should be guaranteed a perfect coin. Whether from a dealer or direct from source! 
When an entity ramps up production and starts releasing a new coin every fortnight, then it's common sense that quality will suffer. Now add the fact that premium has been increased, it's nothing short of moronic and will end badly for the mint. Short-term gain will create long-term pain.
 

who the eff was that?
 
postage charge?
 
internet charge?????
 
ryanair started an auction house?

My experience ?
Royal themed proof silver crowns depreciate like a balloon - with very rare exceptions. The majority will be available on the second-hand market at bullion prices within 5-10 years.
Britannia proof coins will generally hold their value and will increase in line with inflation - exceptions being low mintage issues and those that are visually appealing (beauty is in the eye of the beholder). There are anomalies - i.e. the 1997 single 1oz coin generally selling for more than the 1997 4 coin set (which includes the 1oz). 🙄
Other silver proof coins generally rely on how 'hot' they are - examples being the Beatrix Potter cash-in. Even they can generally be picked up at about 1/2 - 2/3rds of issue price presently.
In summation; RM silver proof coins should only be purchased if you actually like them and are generally a sure-fire loss. Once in a while a low mintage issue which becomes popular will increase in value... sometimes only temporarily. It's a flippers market, not a long-term investment.
 
Unless, of course, you are in the market for some RM silver proofs. In that case they are the best thing since sliced bread and i can do you a smashing deal.

Its a shame. The release sounded very good to me and I was interested enough to actually look at the website at 9am. Alas, disappointment was all I found.

Disappointment

https://www.royalmint.com/shop/limited-editions/celebrating-25-years-of-the-2-pound-coin/25-years-of-the-2-pound-commemorative-coins/
"The UK £2 coin, the largest circulating coin denomination in the United Kingdom, celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2022. In celebration, we have struck a special commemorative edition of the coin, a exclusive set which contains every definitive coinage portrait of Queen Elizabeth II that has appeared on the UK £2 coin, and a special set to celebrate the first UK nickel-brass £2."
Finally being released at 9am today!

To any collectors of silver proof £2 coins on TSF, may I offer this little information.
The two rarest silver proof £2 coins are the definitive coins from 2014 and 2016. The 2014 "Technology" had a mintage of 368 and that of the 2016 "Britannia Renaissance" was 383. Both coins were only available in the RM annual silver set.
As regards the commemorative issues, the 2015 4th Portrait Magna Carta is the lowest at 684 (sets only), followed by the Benjamin Britten at 717.

Hi all.
I've been playing with a smaller version of the axial lighting setup that we use for face on coin photography. This setup allows light to enter from the rear and reflect down onto the coin via the glass. The angle of the glass also cuts out any reflections of the phone being used.
The rig consists of the black stand and a piece of plain glass. You'll need a diffuse light source will work, i'm using a Neewer LED panel bit there are even cheaper versions available). Its simply a matter of placing your coin in the 'pot', laying the glass on top, and then taking a shot on your mobile generally at a minimum of 10cm which is the shortest focal distance for iphone and many others. The cup will take coins up to 40mm in diameter and is open at the base so that you can choose your own background or even backlight.  The rig in the picture is resin printed although i'm printing a few in PLA to keep costs down.
You'll possibly want some editing, such as a crop, and these test shots have been lightly processed in Lightroom, but it's a matter of taste. 
The rig (the black box) and glass will be available for £25.99 inc UK postage if there's any interest. (i'll upgrade my account to a business user if needed)