Royal Mint British Monarchs Collection

[BackyardBullion]

Probably will pick up a silver but not overly excited about this design

[westminstrel]

Same here. I’ll probably just try for the 2 Oz silver.

It would have been nice to have these in gold though - but the 2 Oz size and the release schedule of 3 to 4 coins per year is just too much. 

[GoldDiggerDave]

Hum? I don’t know about this one, if they wanted it to look hammered then they could have made some modern hammered dies…….I’m sure the guys in the factory are capable of thumping the blank with a hammer, it could have been a spectacular launch.  

[paulmerton]

It won't be long until technology allows us to pay to download coins from the royal mint website and print them out at home. Imagine the effects on the Royal Mail, DHL, collectability, piracy, and prices!

[Rll1288]

1 hour ago, BackyardBullion said:

Probably will pick up a silver but not overly excited about this design

Has the design been released then?

[goldhunter]

Can any of my esteemed fellow TSF members lend me 5k to buy the 2oz gold?

I will repay once I have flipped it.

[Rll1288]

1 minute ago, goldhunter said:

Can any of my esteemed fellow TSF members lend me 5k to buy the 2oz gold?

I will repay once I have flipped it.

Only if I can get 25% of the profits 😉

[NewCoins]

3 minutes ago, Rll1288 said:

Only if I can get 25% of the profits 😉

And the loss ?

[Foster88]

3 hours ago, paulmerton said:

Crazy, I went to check why I hadn't received that email yet and it turns out I got it 2 days ago and somehow completely missed the picture within!

 

3 hours ago, harrygill111 said:

i hadn't noticed the picture in the email. I'm convinced it wasnt there 

The picture wasn’t in the email I got either, I’ve just gone to check the email and it’s there. It definitely wasn’t there when I got the email two days ago.

How is that possible. 🤔

[paulmerton]

1 minute ago, Foster88 said:

 

The picture wasn’t in the email I got either, I’ve just gone to check the email and it’s there. It definitely wasn’t there when I got the email two days ago.

How is that possible. 🤔

The image referenced in the email is hosted on the Royal Mint's website, so the appearance of the email can change at any time regardless of when it was received.

So there's two possible ways:

1. The image hosted by RM used to contain something else but now contains a picture of the coins; or
2. The web server previously redirected requests for the image to a different image but no longer does.

 

[westminstrel]

3 hours ago, stackspot said:

Looking at these pictures some more and thinking about it, it seems very likely (to me) that these coins, at least their reverse sides, will not have typical mirrored fields like modern proofs.

The picture definitely shows everything having the same finish - the fields, the portrait, and the inscription.  I can definitely see the difference between the rim of the coins, which have the typical mirrored proof finish, compared to the inner designs, which do not.

Also, I spent my Friday night doing some fun research…

I believe there was no concept of “proof” coins with mirrored vs frosted finishes in 1489; and it was not until 1746 that the first proof set was issued during the reign of George II. Although there exists “specimen” coins  from Elizabeth I’s reign in 1558 - 1603. Specimens are not necessarily proofs, and the early milled specimens were not. 

So anyway, if the RM’s intent is to create a close reproduction of these hammered coins, edge flaws included (as can be seen from the picture), the finish probably won’t be a typical modern proof finish.

I could be completely wrong - but there we have it. 😅

[paulmerton]

1 minute ago, westminstrel said:

Looking at these pictures some more and thinking about it, it seems very likely (to me) that these coins, at least their reverse sides, will not have typical mirrored fields like modern proofs.

The picture definitely shows everything having the same finish - the fields, the portrait, and the inscription.  I can definitely see the difference between the rim of the coins, which have the typical mirrored proof finish, compared to the inner designs, which do not.

Also, I spent my Friday night doing some fun research…

I believe there was no concept of “proof” coins with mirrored vs frosted finishes in 1489; and it was not until 1746 that the first proof set was issued during the reign of George II. Although there exists “specimen” coins  from Elizabeth I’s reign in 1558 - 1603. Specimens are not necessarily proofs, and the early milled specimens were not. 

So anyway, if the RM’s intent is to create a close reproduction of these hammered coins, edge flaws included (as can be seen from the picture), the finish probably won’t be a typical modern proof finish.

I could be completely wrong - but there we have it. 😅

Well let's hope they're nice and cheap as a result  

[SilverJacks]

5 minutes ago, westminstrel said:

Looking at these pictures some more and thinking about it, it seems very likely (to me) that these coins, at least their reverse sides, will not have typical mirrored fields like modern proofs.

The picture definitely shows everything having the same finish - the fields, the portrait, and the inscription.  I can definitely see the difference between the rim of the coins, which have the typical mirrored proof finish, compared to the inner designs, which do not.

Also, I spent my Friday night doing some fun research…

I believe there was no concept of “proof” coins with mirrored vs frosted finishes in 1489; and it was not until 1746 that the first proof set was issued during the reign of George II. Although there exists “specimen” coins  from Elizabeth I’s reign in 1558 - 1603. Specimens are not necessarily proofs, and the early milled specimens were not. 

So anyway, if the RM’s intent is to create a close reproduction of these hammered coins, edge flaws included (as can be seen from the picture), the finish probably won’t be a typical modern proof finish.

I could be completely wrong - but there we have it. 😅

That's very interesting. So, potentially, this coin and any future releases with designs before 1746 could have a different finish to the others in the series.. Rather speculative but intriguing. I think it would be a nice touch, if that's what RM do. I find this series getting more appealing the more I learn of it.

[westminstrel]

13 minutes ago, paulmerton said:

Well let's hope they're nice and cheap as a result  

Ehehehehe. I wouldn’t count on it. 😋

 

[westminstrel]

1 minute ago, SilverJacks said:

That's very interesting. So, potentially, this coin and any future releases with designs before 1746 could have a different finish to the others in the series.. Rather speculative but intriguing. I think it would be a nice touch, if that's what RM do. I find this series getting more appealing the more I learn of it.

I hope I’m right and that this series does have something nice and unique about it, so the coins won’t just be easy peasy replicas of older coins (something which has been done intermittently by other mints).

[Shep]

2 hours ago, GoldDiggerDave said:

Hum? I don’t know about this one, if they wanted it to look hammered then they could have made some modern hammered dies…….I’m sure the guys in the factory are capable of thumping the blank with a hammer, it could have been a spectacular launch.  

Completely unrealistic but I would have been really interested in this if they were actually hammered. What a unique modern release that would have been, and likely a nightmare for the grading companies (bonus!)

Saying that I can just imagine the tsunami of thread pages with all the whining we would all do about rim nicks and imperfections.

Edited January 21, 2022 by Shep

[westminstrel]

Just now, Shep said:

I would have been really interested in this if they were actually hammered. What a unique modern release that would have been, and likely a nightmare for the grading companies (bonus!)

Saying that I can just imagine the tsunami of thread pages with all the whining we would all do about rim nicks and imperfections.

Hahaha wouldn’t that be the perfect way to wash hands off imperfections though?

Market imperfections as “every coin is unique” and “your coin is bespoke”. 😎

[SilverJacks]

Check out this really cool video. It gives a full diagram of how the process works. You really need to watch the full video to get a good understanding of it.

https://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/learning/learning-zone/the-tower-of-london/hand-striking/

 

Imagine RM employing their staff to do this, then the health and safety officer enters the room and has a heart attack

[GoldDiggerDave]

5 minutes ago, SilverJacks said:

Check out this really cool video. It gives a full diagram of how the process works. You really need to watch the full video to get a good understanding of it.

https://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/learning/learning-zone/the-tower-of-london/hand-striking/

 

Imagine RM employing their staff to do this, then the health and safety officer enters the room and has a heart attack

I’ve stuck a few of my own coins, a couple of sovereigns, I’d pay really good money to be able to strike my own hammered gold……..and I’d even sign a disclaimer for hitting my thumb! 

[westminstrel]

8 minutes ago, SilverJacks said:

Check out this really cool video. It gives a full diagram of how the process works. You really need to watch the full video to get a good understanding of it.

https://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/learning/learning-zone/the-tower-of-london/hand-striking/

 

Imagine RM employing their staff to do this, then the health and safety officer enters the room and has a heart attack

That was pretty cool. The guy looked quite pleased each time he held up a coin.

Also, lol at the heart attack comment. 😆

3 minutes ago, GoldDiggerDave said:

I’ve stuck a few of my own coins, a couple of sovereigns, I’d pay really good money to be able to strike my own hammered gold……..and I’d even sign a disclaimer for hitting my thumb! 

Now that would be very cool. 😎

[SilverJacks]

4 minutes ago, GoldDiggerDave said:

I’ve stuck a few of my own coins, a couple of sovereigns

Was this at RM? 

5 minutes ago, GoldDiggerDave said:

and I’d even sign a disclaimer for hitting my thumb! 

I'm guessing that would be obligatory these days...

 

 

[SilverJacks]

4 minutes ago, westminstrel said:

That was pretty cool. The guy looked quite pleased each time he held up a coin

I found it rather amusing that he went on for 1:40 repeating the same process 😂

I vaguely remember a conversation a while back with my local dealer. He was explaining how some hammered coins are identified with thumb strikes and are more valuable as such. There may have been a proper term for it, I can't remember for sure. He explained that such an accident would typically result in retirement for the moneyer.

[westminstrel]

5 minutes ago, SilverJacks said:

I found it rather amusing that he went on for 1:40 repeating the same process 😂

I vaguely remember a conversation a while back with my local dealer. He was explaining how some hammered coins are identified with thumb strikes and are more valuable as such. There may have been a proper term for it, I can't remember for sure. He explained that such an accident would typically result in retirement for the moneyer.

Haha yes. I was waiting for something “new” to happen but he kept at it. Probably how they did it back then, sitting in one place for hours, hammering out 100s of coins each day.

What do you mean “identified by thumb strikes”?  You don’t mean the fellow actually struck his thumb on the coin with a hammer? 😵‍💫

[SilverJacks]

12 minutes ago, westminstrel said:

Haha yes. I was waiting for something “new” to happen but he kept at it. Probably how they did it back then, sitting in one place for hours, hammering out 100s of coins each day.

What do you mean “identified by thumb strikes”?  You don’t mean the fellow actually struck his thumb on the coin with a hammer? 😵‍💫

Worse still. They somehow sandwiched their thumb between the blank and the die apparently. Seems implausible, but if you consider perhaps someone pressured with having to produce so many per day, or maybe an apprentice or something... Either way, that's what I was told. If you find one with what is essentially a thumb print, they are worth more...

[westminstrel]

Good grief!!! That’s just horrible. I remember banging my thumb with a hammer many years back while helping my dad at home. I spent the rest of the day hating everyone and everything.