Elephant milk spotting?

[ChrisSilver]

Does anyone have any older somalian elephant coins, and do they have milk spots?

Someone told me today that they used to have a lot of 2011 and 2012 somalian elephants but sold them all after the majority of them developed milk spots. 
 

I bought a few elephants today before I heard about elephant milk spotting. If my bullion elephants develop milk spots it won't be the end of the world, I only bought a 2013 and 2014, but it will probably persuade me against buying the expensive previous year elephants. Which is a real shame as the designs look fantastic.

I sure hope the high relief elephants I bought don't have/develop any milk spots, that wouldn't be nice at all

 

I am wondering if it was just these 2011 and 2012 years that are effected, or do all somalian elephants suffer from milk spotting?

 

[Danny-boy]

I'll have a look at my 2014 later, have had it a few months so I'll see if anything is showing.

[silver_wox]

Yes, i got some Elephants with milkspots. Both 2012 and 2013 if i remember correct. I would say that The Perth Mint is the way to go if you want to avoid the milk. But i do like the Elephants. Very nice coins, but i will not load up to much of them because of that.

[ChrisSilver]

Yes, i got some Elephants with milkspots. Both 2012 and 2013 if i remember correct. I would say that The Perth Mint is the way to go if you want to avoid the milk. But i do like the Elephants. Very nice coins, but i will not load up to much of them because of that.

 

Thanks silver_wox, and welcome to the forum

I bought a tube of the 2014 elephants, I think I will sell them in around a years time and reinvest the money back into Perth Mint stuff then. 

 

The majority of my stack is Perth Mint, I thought the elephants might have been a nice addition, but I will tread with caution if the spotted monster is around the corner. 

[Danny-boy]

Think this has put an end to our elephant plan Chris.

[ChrisSilver]

Think this has put an end to our elephant plan Chris.

 

Yea. I think I won't buy huge amounts of current years, I still think they wont be as badly spotted as maples though. Maples have a fearsome reputation.

 

I will see what mine look like when I get them, I will still collect 1 of each future elephant release each year. Back dating them I am unsure about, might have to be done but after I have completed my series 2 lunars and found an 07 koala.

In terms of buying large quantities for long term investment though, I think that will have to be forgotten about. Stick with the kooks I think.

I will also probably collect the elephant high reliefs, although they are pricey. If they were to develop spots I would cry.   

I wish these mints would sort out this whole milk-spotting thing, I would have loved to of bought a few of those Canadian falcon coins but didn't because of this whole spot issue.   

[Pete]

For what it's worth I have several hundred Maples and only a couple are spotted.

I note that Apmex has occasionally listed spotted and scuffed coins for sale at discounted prices.

That makes me question the supplier(s) chain and who you buy from as you might be receiving reject coins.

Some people have horrible experiences so there is a genuine problem but does the RCM sell good and poor I wonder ?

[Shamatti]

I have some 2011 elephants and they are milk spotted, though some very lightly. Doesn't bother me too much, they are always going to be worth a couple of quid over spot. Worth hanging on to. I love the design on them, and the spots are very light.

[Danny-boy]

I have some 2011 elephants and they are milk spotted, though some very lightly. Doesn't bother me too much, they are always going to be worth a couple of quid over spot. Worth hanging on to. I love the design on them, and the spots are very light.

That is a big shame.

Date run cancelled, I'll just take one each year from now.

[Iceblue]

They are renown for developing milk spots just as maples are, shame as they are a great design.

Even when put straight into capsules from the tube milk spotting still developed.

[Danny-boy]

Are there any other series that are prone to spotting?

I know my Armenian Noah's spotted, so it's an unfortunately common issue.

[silver_wox]

Are there any other series that are prone to spotting?

I know my Armenian Noah's spotted, so it's an unfortunately common issue.

 

Wildlife series, and probably the new Bird of prey series. Seen a spotted bird on another forum, i have 4 of them and they look perfect for now. But it´s RCM bullion coins and they are well known for developing milk spots. It´s the same with their 1,5 oz coins. Milk spots all the way.

 

Philharmonics also have much problems with milk spots.

 

Unfortunately i seen spots on the Rwanda coins also, but not as much as on the elephants though.

 

I also seen it on less popular coins like Andorra Eagle, Somaliland lunars, silver pegasus.

 

Pandas also have some problems with spots. But they are usually smaller and can be seen on the mirrored parts of the coin. And i think it´s less coins that get it so they are a favorite coin for me because they do fetch nice premiums and a smaller spot don´t take all the premium for what i have seen.

 

Coins that don´t have or tend to develop milk spots are The Perth Mint coins like the Kookaburra, Lunar, Koala. I don´t seen it so much on Eagles and Libertads either.

 

This is my thoughts, someone else might think otherwise. But to sum it up, i think the milk spot issue on silver coins generally are a big problem, and i go more for the coins with less milk spot problems, thats for sure.

[Shamatti]

Are there any other series that are prone to spotting?

I know my Armenian Noah's spotted, so it's an unfortunately common issue.

 

 

Nooo!! Seriously? I have a bunch of these which I have not laid eyes on for two years or so. I wonder if they are spotted? Hope not. I have a tube of 2012 1 Ozers, and tubes of the very low mintage 2011 1/2 and 1/4 ozers.

 

It's no good - I have to go and check them!!! You have me worried!!!! lol

 

Happy to report none of my coins are spotted! Phew!

[sixgun]

i got 100 x 2015 Elephants.

i just got them out. i was dreading it.

39 of them have spotting or some smudge. There may be more but that is what i saw. Then 1 has some tarnishing.

i will never get these damned Elephants again.

Thankfully i got a special offer from Silver-to-Go and they worked out at £12 each. [Crickey i got a good deal]

Perhaps i will do some backyard bullion bars one day.

Out, damned spot! Out, I say!

Stick to good old Perth Mint now. Lots of nice silver coins from them. i know it does occasionally happen but at least it seems they are bothered about it.

[BackyardBullion]

@sixgun If you want any of them melting down into some hand poured pieces let me know and we can do a deal and make you some fun pieces!

[sixgun]

Well this is certainly something i have been thinking about. 

[SilverFox]

I don`t have this fear for spots. I bought some SE 2011, not particularly cheap either, one looked as if it had been in the dirt for years. I cleaned them and now they shines with the exceptions of one small spot on one of them.

Maybe my lack of spotophobia it is the childhood I spent helping my grandmother polish her silverware.

 

 

 

[AgD]

I have one 2015 elephant that has spotted so replacedthat one for my date run and I'm going to get that melted down at some point what o get round to it 

[Pampfan]

On 4/7/2014 at 10:34, ChrisSilver said:

 

Yea. I think I won't buy huge amounts of current years, I still think they wont be as badly spotted as maples though. Maples have a fearsome reputation.

 

I will see what mine look like when I get them, I will still collect 1 of each future elephant release each year. Back dating them I am unsure about, might have to be done but after I have completed my series 2 lunars and found an 07 koala.

 

In terms of buying large quantities for long term investment though, I think that will have to be forgotten about. Stick with the kooks I think.

 

I will also probably collect the elephant high reliefs, although they are pricey. If they were to develop spots I would cry.   

 

I wish these mints would sort out this whole milk-spotting thing, I would have loved to of bought a few of those Canadian falcon coins but didn't because of this whole spot issue.   

You still might be able to collect a milk spot free series of these coins if you are able to find problem free coins.  For those older date coins if they were going to spot by now they would be spotted. If you were to find spot free coins from those years - chances are they will never spot.  This is seen a lot in American eagles.  All milk spotting occurs within the first few years.  If you can get past that - you should be good.

I hate milk spots