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Silver Britannia's + Milk Spots


jayboat

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So, i received a 1998 britannia, very happy with it but  when i was adding it to the stack, i decided to check my tubes as there were 1-2 i had never looked at. I found milk spots on around 80% of the coins. Each spotted coin varies from very little to almost covering 1 side. It seems to be worse of the queens face side but its on both.  I remember this happened to some of my 2014's also.

Little lost about what to do about this as brits are the corner of my stack. I dont want to be buying nice new shiny slices of heaven cut by the hand of god bruce lee style and sent to earth in coin form and praying for them to not spot up every year only to be disappointed every year. Of course i also lose value which is a bummer. I also have a tube of 2013 1.5oz polar bears and they've turned nasty also but they canadian.

In fact come to think about all of my stuff in tubes have milk spotted except for 0.5oz sharks and 0.5oz apmex rounds. Everything else is in quadrum caps. Maybe time for a change to save to remaining few. 

Just looking to discuss of this has happened to you before and what you've done about it if anything. 

Make new friends but keep the old.

One is silver and the other gold

* * * * K   e   e   p       o   n       s   t   a   c   k   i   n   g  ....my friends****

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Sorry to hear about that - I found the very same on Brits/Noahs/Maples - everything really with the exception of Australian Silver however it's still susceptible I believe.

I don't believe anything can be done with milk spots

I mainly collect fractional gold as a result - Like you say the uncertainty/disappointment when you buy silver bullion hoping it won't milk spot - I am suprised they can't get to the bottom of this but I suppose as long as people keep buying there won't be much done about it.

Some people may argue its bullion so what's the big deal but if you are collecting a specific design year on year you would like to look at it with pleasure not in pain.

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It is a problem, and no mint seems totally immune. If coins were still produced in .925 or similar I doubt I would have gone over to gold as quickly as I have.

Mind you I also prefer 22ct to 24ct, so maybe it is just me.

Currently stacking 1/4 oz (22ct) and Sovs.

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I've just experienced the exact same thing with tubes of Somalian Elephants, not milk spotting but dark black marks in the grooves of the reeding round the edges and toning on the faces of the coins at either end of the tube.

I've now moved them out of the mint tubes and all into capsules which go in larger tubes which take the capsules.  I also intend to start packing my boxes with anti tarnish strips and silca gel packs.

It is a bit disheartening, I had every intention of not selling for at least a decade but if the silver is spotting after just a year or two what chance have you got.

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As stacker you shouldn't be upset, silver is silver with or without milk spots. At the end britannia is produced as bullion coin. You may find some info about milk spots and possible way of removing milk spots in this article http://www.coinweek.com/education/coin-grading/ngc/coin-analyst-collectors-crying-milk-spotted-american-silver-eagles/

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A right pain in the backside I agree. I have managed to avoid this so far ( although not checked the Ellie's for a while) I am not sure if this is by good luck or not. I was advised by another member to use camphor

https://www.amazon.co.uk/CAMPHOR-Tablets-GENIUNE-CRYSTALS-TABLETS/dp/B00C5M7Q2G

i pack my stack with this gear and it seams to do the trick, the jury is out anyway, for a few quid it is worth it on the off chance it protects the investment. 

“Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” Oscillate Wildly

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Sorry to hear about the milky brits, the same happened to a tube of queens beasts (now sold) so I feel your pain. This was part of the reason I prefer bars.

Just remember that even though its milky silver, its still silver and milky capital gains free silver at that. You should always be able to get spot for them.

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4 minutes ago, KDave said:

You should always be able to get spot for them

I agree with your and SP's comments Dave, it is always silver, and thus worth spot.

Unfortunately some people pay a premium for the big names, when the sad fact is they may as well buy the cheapest tubes they can as they will likely only ever get spot for it.

My biggest PM lesson is that .9999 just means more hassle :)

Currently stacking 1/4 oz (22ct) and Sovs.

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Just now, BaldyBob said:

I agree with your and SP's comments Dave, it is always silver, and thus worth spot.

Unfortunately some people pay a premium for the big names, when the sad fact is they may as well buy the cheapest tubes they can as they will likely only ever get spot for it.

Its true, people like to pay for those designer coins, same as they like their premium cars and their designer clothes, when really its just a tool with 4 wheels and some cloth to wear. :P

I do understand though - I tried the queens beasts on for size myself until I woke up to those milk spots. That really killed the dream for me, reality hit hard enough for me to give up on the idea of paying more for a bullion coin and forced me back to the old stacking ways. At least with bullion britannias they are not that much more expensive so you can just about justify paying the extra for the CGT free status if you really need it.

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Its does not bother me that much that they lose a little premium, i plan to swap out all my silver for gold when the ratio is correct, so any premium i get over spot is a bonus.

Im more peeved off cause i'll be buying 20 more of these brits when the lunar series 2 is released later this month. I need 20 to to complete 4 full tubes of 2016's, which is the most of a single coin ive ever stacked. So i feel i need to buy them to complete the milestone. 

1 hour ago, Scuzzle said:

I've just experienced the exact same thing with tubes of Somalian Elephants, not milk spotting but dark black marks in the grooves of the reeding round the edges and toning on the faces of the coins at either end of the tube.

I've now moved them out of the mint tubes and all into capsules which go in larger tubes which take the capsules.  I also intend to start packing my boxes with anti tarnish strips and silca gel packs.

It is a bit disheartening, I had every intention of not selling for at least a decade but if the silver is spotting after just a year or two what chance have you got.

I have 20 elephants in quadrum caps but ine are milk spotting. I have seen the same tube before. Are they as tall as a brit tube are taller? I keep me stuff in brit monster boxes. I'll still be holding onto mine all the same :) 

 

2 hours ago, SilverPirate said:

Silver be silver arrrrrrrr,

There's a market for all types of silver, and milky silver has its buyers too.Don't be worrid, there real and will sell one day.

Put the lids on and stack on shipmate.

 

The treasure be buried already, mapped out and long forgotten. A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor, i'll continue me curse to plunder what i can and stack and bury when i can on land be dry. 

Why are pirates pirates?? Cause they arrrrrrr!!

51 minutes ago, Tyrrrano said:

For the moment I only buy coins by Perth Mint and they are all good with no milk spots , maybe better treatments? 

The ozzy stuff is good. I have a tube of mixed 0.5oz sharks and they are sweet. The only problem i have had was on 2 kangaroo's out of 5 i got with very small spotting. All my kooks, koalas, lunars and other stuff is fine. I have also never had problems with libertads. 

Make new friends but keep the old.

One is silver and the other gold

* * * * K   e   e   p       o   n       s   t   a   c   k   i   n   g  ....my friends****

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Agreed on the ozzy coins, I have about 20 bullion coins of different design just for looking at and so far the Australian coins (kook, koala and lunar stuff) are still as perfect as the day I bought them, it probably helps that they come in capsules from the mint. With those coins you do pay for the premium, but unlike most others you get what you pay for. The royal Canadian mint have the worst record of mine, all but a couple are milk spotted. My last queens beast is also in the capsule as it came from the royal mint and its covered in milk spots. 

At the other end of the scale my bars have been handled without gloves and thrown around and I have yet to notice tarnishing lol.

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I have found a great way to clean milk spots and nasty fingerprints - really simple! Be warned though - you wont be able to send them off for grading :-(

Check it out:-

 

Visit my website for all my Hand Poured Silver: http://backyardbullion.com

And check out my YouTube channel 

https://www.youtube.com/backyardbullion

 

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Milk spots used to be almost confined to Canadian Maples.

Sometimes the coins looked as if they had been dipped or splashed in milk, never mind a few dots.

Since this plague is migrating to other coins maybe it's time to call it the "Silver Pox".

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9 hours ago, BackyardBullion said:

I have found a great way to clean milk spots and nasty fingerprints - really simple! Be warned though - you wont be able to send them off for grading :-(

Check it out:-

 

Thanks for taking the time to post your video :) I will try this out tomarrow afternoon, too late now for digging out the stash and i will post an update .

 

8 hours ago, Pete said:

Milk spots used to be almost confined to Canadian Maples.

Sometimes the coins looked as if they had been dipped or splashed in milk, never mind a few dots.

Since this plague is migrating to other coins maybe it's time to call it the "Silver Pox".

I remember when it was only Canadian stuff also, that is the reason i buy 1 lonely maple leaf every year from the mints ever growing range. I think i will give in this year and get a few of those superman coins. 

"Silver Pox" - I like it 

Make new friends but keep the old.

One is silver and the other gold

* * * * K   e   e   p       o   n       s   t   a   c   k   i   n   g  ....my friends****

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@BackyardBullion, I tried that trick with the rubber and it seemed to work ok. I sampled it on some 1.5oz polar bears and it takes the shine off the coin.  I tihnk im goinging to just leave them as they are for now and then do this when i plan to sell them. Deffo a good trick. 

Make new friends but keep the old.

One is silver and the other gold

* * * * K   e   e   p       o   n       s   t   a   c   k   i   n   g  ....my friends****

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Good to hear that it worked. Try giving the polar bears a wash now in warm water with some fairy liquid. They should shine up nice again. The loss of shine is probably just rubber residue.

 

Visit my website for all my Hand Poured Silver: http://backyardbullion.com

And check out my YouTube channel 

https://www.youtube.com/backyardbullion

 

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I am going to use this method for when its time to sell, the coins i sampled the method on have came up much more pleasing on the eyes :) 

I am never going to get britannia graded are any coin for that matter. These will be sold are swapped for gold with some bullion dealer down the road so i just need them to look decent. 

Make new friends but keep the old.

One is silver and the other gold

* * * * K   e   e   p       o   n       s   t   a   c   k   i   n   g  ....my friends****

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It could be this too. Each to their own when they decide to clean or handle coins! What I do makes me happy as the coins look much better after!

Visit my website for all my Hand Poured Silver: http://backyardbullion.com

And check out my YouTube channel 

https://www.youtube.com/backyardbullion

 

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Let's be honest stackers - bullion coins are just paper weights.
Coins that come from the mint in a capsule are likely to be in better condition than something that flies of the production line into a hopper.

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