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Bringing silver from the US to the UK


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Does anyone have experience of personally travelling from and bringing silver on them from the US to the UK? 

I have family in the US and my plan is to buy cheaper American junk silver delivered to them and they bring it over when they visit. 

I know there is a £10,000 limit where you don't have to declare money. My thinking was that American junk silver will look like regular money and won't be as questioned as it might be if it was bullion, etc. 

Any help much appreciated. 

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22 minutes ago, LukeStacker said:

Does anyone have experience of personally travelling from and bringing silver on them from the US to the UK? 

I have family in the US and my plan is to buy cheaper American junk silver delivered to them and they bring it over when they visit. 

I know there is a £10,000 limit where you don't have to declare money. My thinking was that American junk silver will look like regular money and won't be as questioned as it might be if it was bullion, etc. 

Any help much appreciated. 

Sounds like a plan, but I would imagine carrying more than 10k in junk silver in a suitcase / wallet would mean you need a pretty big suitcase or wallet and a cart to carry it around with you. ;) 

Edited by Jvw
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Just now, LukeStacker said:

Ha, yeah the £10,000 limit was just to include all the info. I was thinking half dollars, one dollars and maybe some quarters and dimes perhaps 2kg or so in weight. 

The 10K limit is just for cash i guess. Not sure for UK laws, but for other valuable things is a 400€ custom free limit. I guess you also have to pay VAT for silver over 400€/£/$... 

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So from what I have read, it includes coins, gold and bullion, if you are carrying it through as personal belongings or to give as presents. You don't need to declare below £10,000, if it's for business purposes then you have to declare any amount. 

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2 minutes ago, dikefalos said:

The 10K limit is just for cash i guess. Not sure for UK laws, but for other valuable things is a 400€ custom free limit. I guess you also have to pay VAT for silver over 400€/£/$... 

Here is the government website, first line is del are if over £10,000 https://www.gov.uk/bringing-cash-into-uk

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10 minutes ago, LukeStacker said:

Here is the government website, first line is del are if over £10,000 https://www.gov.uk/bringing-cash-into-uk

My english is really not the best, but it says only cash, no goods. Junksilver is also a good. You will not come through with 40000 quarters and tell them, it's your money you pay with. But just ask direct the customs before departure and you are safe.

Edited by dikefalos
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34 minutes ago, LukeStacker said:

Does anyone have experience of personally travelling from and bringing silver on them from the US to the UK? 

I have family in the US and my plan is to buy cheaper American junk silver delivered to them and they bring it over when they visit. 

I know there is a £10,000 limit where you don't have to declare money. My thinking was that American junk silver will look like regular money and won't be as questioned as it might be if it was bullion, etc. 

Any help much appreciated. 

Yes - I have travelled with silver coins several times.
Each traveller has a free allowance - check the gov site for the current limits.
I valued my silver Eagles at spot price and don't try to argue they are only worth face value - they are not stupid !
Provided the value of your "imports" remains below this level you can pass through the green channel.
Anything higher needs to be declared so you need to be prepared to have some plausible evidence of value.
Customs will ask you to pay 20% VAT on declared items that exceed your personal allowance.
Sometimes if it is a small amount they will just wave you through appreciating your honesty - they are really looking out for traffickers and professional smugglers.

As for the 10.000 £ / $ / € limit to declare currency this only applies to actual currency that is spendable or bankable and not to commemoratives, collectibles etc which fall in to the personal allowance. Don't forget that everything you have purchased including those trainers, jeans and polo shirts can also be included in calculating the value of goods if you got a " jobs worth" with a grudge.

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5 minutes ago, Pete said:

Yes - I have travelled with silver coins several times.
Each traveller has a free allowance - check the gov site for the current limits.
I valued my silver Eagles at spot price and don't try to argue they are only worth face value - they are not stupid !
Provided the value of your "imports" remains below this level you can pass through the green channel.
Anything higher needs to be declared so you need to be prepared to have some plausible evidence of value.
Customs will ask you to pay 20% VAT on declared items that exceed your personal allowance.
Sometimes if it is a small amount they will just wave you through appreciating your honesty - they are really looking out for traffickers and professional smugglers.

As for the 10.000 £ / $ / € limit to declare currency this only applies to actual currency that is spendable or bankable and not to commemoratives, collectibles etc which fall in to the personal allowance. Don't forget that everything you have purchased including those trainers, jeans and polo shirts can also be included in calculating the value of goods if you got a " jobs worth" with a grudge.

Thanks, do you know the goods limit? Or a link to more official info on this. 

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22 minutes ago, LukeStacker said:

Thanks, do you know the goods limit? Or a link to more official info on this. 

It's about £390.00 per person, then you pay VAT on anything over, so if you are travelling with others they have their own allowance....

It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.

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5 minutes ago, Bigmarc said:

Is American junk silver cheaper than our own junk silver, why not just buy it here? Morgan's maybe a better one to accumulate.

A very good point and yes you are right, I can always get pre 47 and also lower quality pre 1920 British silver at spot or even under. So yes I can get British cheaper. However, I find the American junk silver more interesting and fun to stack. Also I can always sell it in an instance. But then perhaps the same is true of the British. 

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3 hours ago, dikefalos said:

The 10K limit is just for cash i guess. Not sure for UK laws, but for other valuable things is a 400€ custom free limit. I guess you also have to pay VAT for silver over 400€/£/$... 

Cash includes coins. 

https://www.gov.uk/bringing-cash-into-uk

Types of cash you must declare

You must declare:

  • notes and coins

Always cast your vote - Spoil your ballot slip. Put 'Spoilt Ballot - I do not consent.' These votes are counted. If you do not do this you are consenting to the tyranny. None of them are fit for purpose. 
A tyranny relies on propaganda and force. Once the propaganda fails all that's left is force.

COVID-19 is a cover story for the collapsing economy. Green Energy isn't Green and it isn't Renewable.

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Yes includes coins, but there is a risk that they see it as silver and notes coins as cash. Remember you don't need to declare cash under £10,000 but goods is only £390.so if you have more than £390 worth and they say this is not cash then you need to pay vat and duty on all of it. 

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1 minute ago, LukeStacker said:

Yes includes coins, but there is a risk that they see it as silver and notes coins as cash. Remember you don't need to declare cash under £10,000 but goods is only £390.so if you have more than £390 worth and they say this is not cash then you need to pay vat and duty on all of it. 

If they are circulating coins, then they are cash.
We have the issue that virtually all the Royal Mint product is legal tender but the authorities argue it is not intended to be circulating currency.
If the US coins are circulating coinage and you could reasonably spend it in the shops then it sounds like it is cash to me. You are acting guilty. In my mind you have some loose change in your pockets.

Always cast your vote - Spoil your ballot slip. Put 'Spoilt Ballot - I do not consent.' These votes are counted. If you do not do this you are consenting to the tyranny. None of them are fit for purpose. 
A tyranny relies on propaganda and force. Once the propaganda fails all that's left is force.

COVID-19 is a cover story for the collapsing economy. Green Energy isn't Green and it isn't Renewable.

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32 minutes ago, LukeStacker said:

Yes, I agree but I wonder how much "loose change" you could reasonably ocme through with. 

You won on the bandits at Vegas.

Edited by sixgun

Always cast your vote - Spoil your ballot slip. Put 'Spoilt Ballot - I do not consent.' These votes are counted. If you do not do this you are consenting to the tyranny. None of them are fit for purpose. 
A tyranny relies on propaganda and force. Once the propaganda fails all that's left is force.

COVID-19 is a cover story for the collapsing economy. Green Energy isn't Green and it isn't Renewable.

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