LawrenceChard

You are absolutely correct. I have seen and heard too much bad stuff on it and about it. Every time I look, there are so many fakes on there with misleading and fraudulent descriptions. I / we used to use it once, with some success, but ebay were a PITA to work with. I have also bought coins on ebay about 4 or 5 times. Every time, nothing turned up for weeks, and I had to remind the sellers to post the stuff. If we sold items on Monday and the buyer had not received them by Wednesday, they were complaining, and threatening to leave negative feedback. Sometimes they didn't bother to pay us for a week, and would complain the item had not arrived! Probably the only plus point is that they often paid too much for stuff, compared with our websites! Although one very early auction buyer than left negative feedback whinging about why we had charged him so much! 😎

So much negativity! Always whinging! Think positive... It saved you from having to send it back and complain! I was going to add that if you had bought it from a well known Lancashire dealer, and perhaps also the piedfort, you would have had your coin(s) by now, without paying any extra, but I just checked, and it looks like we also have sold out now: https://www.chards.co.uk/2022-five-sovereign-piece-bu-gold-coin/16890 Sometimes, we get multiple supplies via different routes, so it might be worth you hitting the NOTIFY ME WHEN BACK IN STOCK just in case. I see one of our "competitors" is also advertising them, but at £2750. Still, that's a lot less than the scumbags on ebay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155155358563 Price: £3,450.00 grEedy BAstards? Yes 😎

There are lots of different guides and advice online including YouTube, but most of them are done from one person's viewpoint. There is a lot of conflicting advice, some of which is quite poor. I wrote "Advice Guide for UK Bullion Investors" https://www.chards.co.uk/blog/advice-guide-for-uk-bullion-investors/1041 A while back, based on 50+ years of experience, and written for the benefit of investors rather my company's own self interest. While you are still in the UK, it will be relevant to you, but obviously once you reach the USA, some of it will be less relevant, mainly because of VAT and CGT. If what you take with you is of high value, it would make sense to take it with you personally, as hand luggage. Boxes, etc could go in hold luggage. I doubt if you will have to pay any import tax when taking it into the USA, but you should try to check with the US authorities, they may publish something online. You will need to complete declaration forms on export and import, for Anti Money Laudering Purposes, if your total valuables exceeds about £10,000 although US rules may be different. Some TSF members may have experience, so may be able to give practical advice from their own experience. 😎

Is this hairy enough? Perhaps St. George would look good on a Shetland pony? 😎

Yes, probably. They are quite long words for Aussies! 😎

Your wish is my command! Unless it's anything to do with "free postage"! 😎

Correct Rotation of Portrait / Head in Coin Photographs I take considerable pride that my company produces some of the world's best coin photographs. However, perfection is difficult to achieve, and being pragmatic, we also try to produce them as efficently as possible, which means restricting the time invested in their production. There are many details to get right, some smaller, some larger. One of the "details" which many quite competent photographers seem to struggle with is the exact rotation or alignment of the portraits on the obverse side of coins. While some photographers appear able to get it right almost instinctively, other don't. We had some debates about the "correct" alignment on this particular coin, so produced a comparison image showing 5 slight variations: This is a montage of 5 rotations in random order, all from the same photo. The coin is a 2016 Tristan Da Cunha Gold Queen's 90th Birthday Double Crown. Does anyone want to add any comments, or try to put them in order from best to worst? Anybody think none of them are right, and want to suggest a better rotation? 😎

Having gone back and re-read, the R.A.M.'s "Noticeboard", there are some parts which do not make sense, and are quite obviously wrong. "Historically, coins bearing a new Sovereign’s effigy were released approximately 12 months after coronation of the Sovereign." This is nonsense. Elizabeth II acceeded on 6th February 1952, and her Coronation was on 2nd June 1953. All 10 coin denominations were issed dated 1953. While I cannot remember, and do not know their exact release date, I can see no reason why they would not have started appearing in circulation as early as January 1953, which would have been before her coronation. I confienatly expect that if I researched the situation for George VI, George V, Edward VII, or Victoria, that "my" version and understanding of history would be as for Elizabeth. I suspect that whoever wrote their "information" page didn't know what he or she was talking about. If they were correct, then the first circualtion coins for Elizabeth II would have been dated 1954 at the earliest, or possibly even 1955. Some of their further information based on the above is therefore also dubious at best. This however is interesting: Q. Will the effigy of the new Sovereign be facing the opposite direction of the Queen on the new coins? A. Yes, in keeping with tradition, the new Sovereign will face the opposite direction to their predecessor in the profile portrait depicted on Australian coinage. It seems that this tradition, at least, is so firmly entrenched that R.A.M. are able to state it confidently, before having to wait for designs or confirmation from the Royal Mint. I hope they are correct. 😎

No. Orange peel effect is when the surfaces are lumpy and grainy, very similar to the surface of most oranges. This "bearding", looking like the horse has developed an extremely hairy neck, is probably "flow lines" created during striking, or when the metal cools after striking. If so, the two effects have similar causes, heating and cooling cycles causing surfaces to become uneven instead of perfectly flat. What is harder to understand or explain is why it looks so brown instead of gold, but I suspect this is a "trick of the light", because the colours we observe are created when (usually white) lights reflects differentially from different surfaces with different textures. It feels strangely different using the word different repeatedly in one, now two, short sentences. Does all this make sense to you? Perhaps we should claim this as a newly discovered rarity. The "Hairy Horse" variety? 😎

No chance. Will be a KCIII 😎

I agree. Kilo coins are good: 😎

I agree, but was all foreseeable, by most people, so with a modicum of thought and contingency planning, 99% of possible outcomes and decisions could have been prepared for. 😎

Mexican Libertads are OK Although the obverse is rather boring: Or were you thinking about gold ones? But they can't beat this: Made over 2000 years ago! 😎

No need to apologies for the "clickbait". It does make a good and valid point. 😎

Don't worry, have faith, and he or she should rise again. According to lots of old stories, his her son managed it! 😎

I believe the situation is or will be the same in the UK, but it's taking the British Royal Mint longer to come to a decision! 😎

You could have bought a 2022 double sovereign from A while ago, first we had special prices, then we also had free postage. We sold out last week at the special price. We did reserve some to sell at our normal price, but for some reason, we are showing as Out of Stock. You could register your interest, to get an e-mail when back in stock. We cannot get more from the RM, and are still much cheaper than the competition. Why would you trade you sovereign in with BbP? Did you buy it from them? 2022 Gold Sovereign Bullion Coin: Price Comparison Against Other UK Bullion Dealers - Updated at 15-Sep-2022 06:32 Qty Chards (Excl Delivery) Chards (Inc Delivery) B* G* A AB BB RM SP UKB TB 1 £363.86 £369.86 £374.30 £372.70 OOS £380.00 OOS OOS £371.00 OOS £373.34 5 £363.17 £364.57 £372.90 £368.00 OOS £376.50 OOS OOS £370.44 OOS £373.34 10 £362.99 £363.79 £372.10 £367.20 OOS £375.60 OOS OOS £370.07 OOS £373.34 25 £362.82 £363.30 £371.30 £366.10 OOS £373.90 OOS OOS £369.51 OOS £373.34 50 £362.65 £363.01 £370.60 £365.10 OOS £373.00 OOS OOS £368.77 OOS £373.34 100 £361.79 £362.09 £370.10 £364.20 OOS £372.20 OOS OOS £368.21 OOS £373.34 250 £361.27 £361.62 £369.80 £363.80 OOS £372.20 OOS OOS £367.29 OOS £373.34 500 £360.75 £361.04 £369.50 £363.50 OOS £372.20 OOS OOS £367.29 OOS £373.34 1000 £360.58 £360.85 £369.20 £362.80 OOS £372.20 OOS OOS £367.29 OOS £373.34 Also: 2022 Gold Double Sovereign Bullion Coin Price Comparison Against Other UK Bullion Dealers - Updated at 17-Sep-2022 07:40 Qty Chards (Excl Delivery) Chards (Inc Delivery) B* G* A RM 1 £720.16 £726.16 £745.50 £800.30 OOS £748.68 2 £719.47 £722.47 £745.10 £797.10 OOS £745.14 5 £718.09 £719.69 £743.90 £794.90 OOS £741.77 15 £716.71 £717.58 £742.30 £793.30 OOS £739.75 30 £715.67 £716.34 £740.70 £790.70 OOS £737.97 75 £715.33 £715.94 £738.70 £788.90 OOS £735.75 150 £714.29 £714.94 £738.30 £788.10 OOS £734.10 300 £713.60 £714.16 £737.90 £788.10 OOS £734.10 Every little helps! IMO, don't trade your sov in for a loss. 😎

In monster boxes? 😎

Breaking out requires special equipment: Slab Gone by @ChardsCoinandBullionDealer! 😎

Purchase tax! 😎

Yes, I'm sure many "hit and run". There will be much interest on your boat! 😎

Yes, that was good judgement, IMO. It would be nice if there was slightly more contrast between the grey and the background. No excuses. It's not my fault the queen died, that the RM needs time to sort itself out, or that at our prices, our 2022 gold Britannias sell out almost as soon as we get them. 😎

Don't tell any😎one. They will be queuing up at your door all night!

If the prices had been the other way round, there might have been a decision to make. My usual advice* is to pay the lowest premium, within reason, so the Britania would win. It is also CGT free, as other have already stated. Coins are generally easier and better to sell than bars. Do you need ay other reason? I hope you "bought the dip", because spot gold recovered about £20 of its £30 dip, instead of waiting for answers. * https://www.chards.co.uk/blog/advice-guide-for-uk-bullion-investors/1041 😎

I have just had time to look at some of the other Comparison prices. Probably the most relevant and important gold bullion coin for UK investors is the 2022 Gold Britannia: As with the 2022 gold bullion sovereigns, ours is the lowest price, but hard to read without my blue highlighting. Viewed normally, the OOS prices are greyed out. The Queen's death last week has understandably caused disruption at the Royal Mint, which is adversely affecting deliveries, and the RM are not currently able to give information about the resumption or normal service. Even if they told me anything, I would almost certainly not be permitted to publish or pass on such information until the RM cleared it. My guess is that deliveries could be about a month. For serious investors, it would be stupid not to be patient. If anyone desperately wants a single coin without waiting, then I guess they will be happy to pay over the odds, regardless or any investment advice, or ig they have more money than sense. 😎