Sovereign balence, makes to look for?

[universalcurrency]

Recently got the sovereign disease, I know you say there's a lot of it going around on this forum.

After buying a few bullion sovs I decided lately that it would be a good idea to get a simple tester and what better for small capital outlay than a pocket balence...  Having scowered my local antique shops without any sucess I looked on fleabay.  However many of the offerings look quite rough, the castings are jagged on the coin slots not something I would want to chance on numismatic coins.

So does anyone know which quality makers marks to look out for?

I am aware that the balence will only tell me if the metal is genuine, however its still useful tool.

[HighlandTiger]

8 minutes ago, universalcurrency said:

Recently got the sovereign disease, I know you say there's a lot of it going around on this forum.

After buying a few bullion sovs I decided lately that it would be a good idea to get a simple tester and what better for small capital outlay than a pocket balence...  Having scowered my local antique shops without any sucess I looked on fleabay.  However many of the offerings look quite rough, the castings are jagged on the coin slots not something I would want to chance on numismatic coins.

So does anyone know which quality makers marks to look out for?

I am aware that the balence will only tell me if the metal is genuine, however its still useful tool.

If you don't want to damage coins, may I suggest you'd be better off getting a set of digital scales and one of those credit card sized coin dimension cards. 

[universalcurrency]

1 minute ago, HighlandTiger said:

If you don't want to damage coins, may I suggest you'd be better off getting a set of digital scales and one of those credit card sized coin dimension cards. 

Good Point, I was just wondering if there were any high quality scales with a smooth slot that wouldn't put any noticeable scratches on the coin?

[HighlandTiger]

1 minute ago, universalcurrency said:

Good Point, I was just wondering if there were any high quality scales with a smooth slot that wouldn't put any noticeable scratches on the coin?

These sovereign scales are not made today, and are only available as antiques. They were designed to be a working piece of apparatus, so they are going to be a little bit rough and ready, after all they are over 150 years old. 

[Xander]

19 minutes ago, universalcurrency said:

So does anyone know which quality makers marks to look out for?

I bought a set of the antique scales off E bay, I didn't trust them, they were also a bit rough. 

I ended up with a set of digital scales plus the MDP coin card, not too expensive but they work.

It was @HighlandTigerwho put me onto them.

[HighlandTiger]

3 minutes ago, Xander said:

I bought a set of the antique scales off E bay, I didn't trust them, they were also a bit rough. 

I ended up with a set of digital scales plus the MDP coin card, not too expensive but they work.

It was @HighlandTigerwho put me onto them.

Shhhhhhh I don't want any more bidders on the ones i'm after.  Although after chatting with a coin dealer I know very well yesterday, he was telling me of a guy in the Isle of Wight who has over 200 different sovereign scales. It seems I have a bit of a challenge in both tracking them all down and finding the cash. I have a set figure in my head for boxed and unboxed examples, and I won't go over those prices. I'm in no rush and gives me a challenge for the years ahead.  

[universalcurrency]

I think I have seen those cardboard coincheckers before on ebay, however I can't find one at present anyone have a link?

[HighlandTiger]

Check out this recent thread, it''ll be useful for you. 

 

[AlL]

@HighlandTiger yes. I use the £3.99 and a cheap scale and that works fine.