PablosGee

Received one of the 3 "rare" silver circulation Escudos coins today (1937 10$00 Escudos).

Not cheap, but certainly paid a lot less than those listed on eBay and the local Portuguese dealers for a similar grade. 

Only 7 left to complete, including 5 currently on their way in the post! Problem is, the other 2 are c. £350-£500 each..... 

Nothing too exciting these last few weeks. Likely to go on a little spending spree on Friday to round off 2019. 

My first 1oz Dragon Bars (2018), thanks to our very own @Guybrush

And a single 2020 1oz Britannia as a gift to a good friends baby over in Portugal to continue a date run for her birthday 'rainy day fund'. 

2018 Britannia proof with thanks to our very own @terakris

(It's the lighting making it look grubby - not my greasy bacon fingers, promise!) 

My budget is also a little tight before Christmas, so rather than buy any sovereigns for my beautiful box - i bought some Royal Mint Sovereign capsules (for the sovereigns i can't afford). 😆

£4.60 each delivered. Bargain! Probably my best investment in precious metals to date.....................

Pictures for dramatic effect.

I second @Fastnick. My second box from @Alun ... Perfectly sized; small enough for safes/deposit boxes, but big enough to admire its beauty. 

Also picked up a fairly cheap 'Last Round Pound' for nostalgia purposes. 

Another great package from Portugal arrived this morning. Been looking forward to this one. Managed to cut a great deal with a retiring dealer over in Portugal via eBay. Indiviudally, all the coins were cheaper than the market norm. Really happy with my purchases here and the dealer was a top drawer gentleman. He's already on the hunt for some coins missing from my collection through his contacts over there. What a guy! 

• 500 Escudos - 0.500 Silver Circulating commemorative:
  • 1995 - 'Saint Anthony' - Little disappointed with the quality of this coin. Will probably be replacing this one. As it's only £3 or so, not overly concerned! 
  • 1996 - 'Banco de Portugal'
  • 1997 - 'Padre Antonio Vieira'

• 10 Escudos - 0.835 Silver Circulating commemorative:
  • 1928 '- Battle of Ourique' 

• 1 Escudo - 0.835 Silver Circulating commemorative:
  • 1914 - 'Establishment of the Republic - 1910' - Absolute beauty of a coin! The quality of the obverse on this coin is unreal! I've seen similar quality coins go for triple the price compared to what i paid for this one. Reverse has what looks like a flap mark at the top which is a shame. 

• 1 Escudo - 0.835 Silver Circulation:
  • 1915
  • 1916

• 50 Centavos - 0.835 Silver Circulation:
  • 1912
  • 1913 (x2)
  • 1914
  • 1916

• 20 Centavos - 0.835 Silver Circulation:
  • 1913
  • 1916

Thanks to @Tomcbol my two 'Big Five' coins have arrived this morning. 

Portugal 20 Escudo's (0.800 Silver - 1,000,000 mintage) from 1953. I've almost got the full set of circulating, commemorative, silver Portuguese Escudos now. Think there are two more left in the collection. Ended up paying a little less than the advertised price (including delivery from Spain). 

And finally, nothing too special here. A circulating 1951 5$00 Escudos coin (Silver - 0.650) which i saw going cheap on eBay from a UK seller. No doubt a standard silver Escudo circulation collection will happen at some point!

Couldn't not share this little beauty which arrived from Portugal today for my personal collection. 

This coin is part of the 21 x 1,000 Escudo circulating, silver, commemorative coin range. It's also part of a wider "Ibero-American Series" in particular Series II - Endangered Wildlife. I have no interest in the other countries Ibero-American series (yet, anyway) but the other coins from this series from Portugal are some of my favourites.

It's quite rare compared to the others in the 1000 Escudo collection with a mintage of 70,000 versus 450,000 - 600,000 for the others. Most i've seen for sale over the past month or two for a reasonable price have been in pretty poor condition. This one isn't perfect, but picked it up within budget as i may (or may not have - depends who's asking!) picked up the other 20 in the collection from the same dealer. 

Only 0.500 silver but weighs in at 28g and 40mm in diameter.

*Disclaimer - yes i'm aware my scissor cutting skills are atrocious, yes it will annoy me every second of every minute of every hour of every day and yes i will be replacing it the minute i can get my hands on a colour printer!

I also got my mitts on 2 Mammoths yesterday, but i won't compete with @platinreloaded's photos!

I hope @SILVERFINGER will be pleased to hear i've been a busy buyer recently and hope to redeem myself and share some more purchases later in the month (once they all arrive from accross the globe!).

In the meantime, i couldn't not share my appreciation to @Alun for this absolutely incredible piece of craftmanship. You sir are an absolute genius and i look forward to filling this beauty over the coming months and years. If anyone is considering a nice presentation box for their coins - i order you to look no further than Alun!! Worth every single penny. 

Strictly speaking more of 'this last month, or so, i received....' post!

I've just got back from a nice sunny break in Lisbon where i 'stumbled' accross "Numismatica Diamantino" which had a pretty impressive collection of coins from throughout Portugal's currency history. I could've stayed there all day looking through the books of individual coins from decades gone by, but a glare from both my parents and girlfriend called a halt to proceedings (who i'd somehow managed to convince i was merely 'popping in' as we 'passed by' as it was definitely 'on the route'.......!)

Country: Portugal 
Year: 1960
Type: Circulating commemorative coin
Value: 20, 10 & 5 Escudos
Reverse: Bust of Prince Henry the Navigator
Obverse:  National coat of arms
Composition: .800 Silver

Country: Portugal 
Year: 1998
Type: Circulating commemorative coin
Value: 500 Escudos
Reverse: Vasco da Gama Bridge above sails of an old ship
Obverse:  National coat of arms
Composition: .500 Silver

Country: Portugal 
Year: 1992
Type: Circulating commemorative coin
Value: 1000 Escudos
Reverse: Discovery of the new world
Obverse:  National coat of arms in the centre with associated emblems 
Composition: .500 Silver

I couldn't get my grubby mitts on a Ponte Salazar (the other Lisbon bridge) whilst i was out there, but since ordered one from eBay to add to the collection. Coincidentally there were 10 for sale here yesterday, which completely blew my mind as i spent hours looking for the right one online for the right price and i could've had 10 from TSF if i was quick enough!

Also received 6 of these fantastic 2019 1oz Royal Coat of Arms bullion coins from our very own @StackSellRepeat. I can't get enough of these. I see a tube of these coming on!

My first 16 Britannia's kickstarting the 'My First Tube' accomplishment!

2020 Royal Mint Lunar Rat. 

And last but by no means least, 6 of the East India Trading Company trade dollars (2 x US, British & Chinese) courtesy of our own @Stackerads and SilverTrader; and 1 solitary Spade Guinea with thanks to @richatthecroft. 

Not to everyone's taste for a 'presentation box coin' i know, but i find something very endearing with these coins (especially, of course, the Spade Guinea). I found myself wanting to pick them up when i first got them and thought a CoinGallery case would be the ideal answer to help scratch the silver itch! Looking forward to the Japanese and French dollars and perhaps another Guinea to fill the gaps!