Is this a mule or is this a fake?

[Piggybank]

Hi everyone

I got this 1997 Britannia Silver Proof 20p coin as part of a larger lot in an auction a few years ago.

I noticed it had gold gilding and did a bit of home research and discovered that none had been minted. I contacted the Royal Mint who confirmed this stating, " that the gilding must have been applied to the coin after it had left the mint".

What do you think? If it is a genuine mule, should I get it slabbed? Any information or advice would be warmly appreciated.

Many thanks, Piggybank

[sixgun]

If you look at the quality of the gilding it is pretty shabby.

Compare with a 2009 version.

i also note the obverse Queen's portrait is gilded. i cannot find a gilded Queen's portrait in the Britannias i have seen.

Also note the rim is not gilded in the 2009 version as seen below neither is any other 'standard' gilded Brit's i have seen.

Planchets can get into the wrong minting machine and get the wrong heads and tails; they can get sent out unnoticed, this happens we see mules. i do not know the details of the gilding process but i expect there is a lot more to gilding the face and the rim of a coin than the wrong box of half minted coins getting put through the wrong machine. How would they gild a 1/10oz coin when no 1/10oz was getting gilded.

i say it is not a mule - this was done outside the Royal Mint

The coin may still be silver of course.

[HawkHybrid]

are you sure it's gilded? looks like a paintbrush job to me?

 

HH

[Pete]

You can purchase a thin film plating kit that will apply gold to many metals like silver coins and bathroom taps.
They are relatively inexpensive so looks as if someone has had some fun with this coin hoping to sell it for a profit.
A mule is an error i.e. missing numbers or wrong die used etc.
A tenth ounce silver coin in this condition may only be worth a cup of tea in Starbucks unfortunately.
Perhaps drop it in the tips cup.

[Piggybank]

Many thanks to your responses. I would say you are all right. 

Viewing it with the naked eye it seemed all right, however got my friend to post it here using  high resolution and I agree its crappy.

What made me originally think it might be a mule was the fact that in 1997 the RM produced the first bi-metric two pound coin and

the silver britannia. Thought they might have been experimenting around and this slip out.

It will rename " the mule I thought I had" or I'll just throw it in my piggy bank

Thanks   Piggybank

 

[sovereignsteve]

A mule is a coin with one side struck from a die that shouldn't have been used ie the two sides do not "belong" together.

It is not a generic term for a mint error.

Official gilding of any coin will be done after the coin is minted using a masking and plating technique

[fehk2001]

5 minutes ago, sovereignsteve said:

A mule is a coin with one side struck from a die that shouldn't have been used ie the two sides do not "belong" together.

It is not a generic term for a mint error.

Official gilding of any coin will be done after the coin is minted using a masking and plating technique

you can have a job at royal mint experience 

[sovereignsteve]

14 minutes ago, fehk2001 said:

you can have a job at royal mint experience 

No, my Welsh accent is useless.

[fehk2001]

1 minute ago, sovereignsteve said:

No, my Welsh accent is useless.

that's alright, cos most of the people who goes there just try to get the newton 50p 2018 strike and leave , u don't have to speak