Stuntman

Keep your pecker up, Pete. I agree entirely with you about the NHS.

Good to hear - and hope you're OK.

I agree on all counts. But perhaps keep a few of the modern RM coins whose designs you particularly like.

Nice!

That link is laughable if you know what CGS 75 means!

I agree that it's Fine (or slightly better). What a nice thing to re-find!

The main thing is if you're happy with it for the price you paid. It's certainly a pretty coin that's had a bit of life, but which has remained in good nick over the past 173 years! My 1885 for comparison - graded GVF by the selling dealer:

Sounds like a good plan, happy collecting! There are certainly some eyecatching designs out there from the various mints now. More interesting (albeit a fair bit more risky) than a deposit account... Agree with you on the bullion sovereign, that's why I was disappointed about the 2017 coin

Cheers, many thanks. I was aware of the 0.995 to 0.999 rule, definitely important to remember and I will certainly be buying coins of that fineness. Do you think the mintages of bullion coins have any impact on their resale price? My line of thinking is not, and therefore I would just choose the coins with designs I preferred most, and at acceptable buying price. I'd like a bit of diversity - a Britannia, a Lunar Year coin, an Australian Kangaroo, a Canadian Maple and an Austrian Philharmonic would be nice! . Tricky one on the gold price, especially given that the sterling price is also tied to the GBP/USD movement. I'd say there are factors which could influence the price in either direction in the short term at the moment, hence my wish/hope to get in at a slightly lower point. I agree with your sentiment on Trump!

Well I like it. A very nice coin, in good nick with plenty of eye appeal. A solid VF from me, I don't think it would make GVF. Somewhere between £75 and £125?

Thanks Gents. I'd never really looked into bullion coins other than sovereigns until recently. The sovereigns I have were either won in races, or bought to be enjoyed as coins (I bought the 2002 and 2012 bullion sovereigns about 16 months ago). With the gold price having fallen a bit since the post-brexit surge I'm considering buying some gold bullion over the next few months (and not looking at it as a short term investment, more an alternative store of value) and the coins look decent value as a way in, with the added bonus of being interesting in their own right. If the gold price drops a few percentage points in sterling terms in the first half of 2017 I will probably take the plunge!

Bet it doesn't look like that today, Terry! (seriously, lovely view...)

How big is that 2oz silver proof? Must be enormous! I still think it's a shame that the bullion sovereign isn't the same design as the proof, but hey ho. I don't think the proof design has been different from the bullion sovereign coin in all other years when both types were minted since 1817, but I may well be wrong? I'm interested in the 1oz gold bullion coins from the Royal Mint, I like the Britannia and the Lunar Year coins too. From other mints I like the Maple and the Kangaroo. Any advice about where best to buy from (UK buyer, buying in GBP)? I've looked at Royal Mint Bullion and Bullion By Post, which seem reasonably competitive (about 5 or 6% over spot) but are there better options out there?

You're welcome! I guess I had better restore the photos, I must have altered the old links: 1829 Halfcrown 1703 VIGO Shilling 1745 LIMA Shilling And the 1723 SSC and 1739 Roses Shillngs - good honest mid grade coins all, I'd say. I still like them very much!

Another fan of that 1888 crown reverse here!

I love that W&M design, both obverse and reverse. A halfcrown, I presume, or is it a crown?

Sixpence is about VF, Shilling is GVF in my opinion. A very nice example. I'd avoid the sixpence but would be very tempted by the shilling if the price seemed fair. Can I ask who the dealer is? I promise that I won't buy it. PM me if easier?

I think only you can be the judge of that. The coin has lots of eye appeal (in my opinion) but will always have the metal fleck on it. Apart from that, it's lovely. Assuming that the metal fleck is in the very centre of the obverse, I agree with the dealer's description that it doesn't detract, certainly from the visual appeal, but perhaps you can only fully judge when you have the coin in hand. Fortunately the dealer in question offers no-quibble returns, so it will only cost you the postage if you decided to purchase it and then return it. Good luck with your decision.

At least 4 weeks in olive oil, changing the oil after 2 weeks I would say. That should get rid of a decent amount of the verd on the reverse. Can't do much, if any, harm in my opinion.

I think it's disappointing that the 2017 bullion sovereign has not got the same reverse as the proof. I didn't want the proof, but I did want that design as a bullion coin to accompany my (few) others, which include the 2002, 2005 and 2012 reverse designs.

Because some coins are more deeply lodged in the public and collectors' consciousness and hence there seems to be more demand for them. Take 1905 shillings, florins and halfcrowns for example, the prices on these are very high in all grades compared with other post 1816 coins of similar rarity.

Looks lovely in the pictures, bags of eye appeal for me.

Re Def Lep, I'd start with High n Dry, and then Pyromania. If you prefer Pyromania you might like Hysteria. I saw them on the Hysteria Tour in '87 and preferred the support band, Tesla! Their debut album, Mechanical Resonance, is worth a listen. Good straightahead US hard rock.

I think somebody's pulling your leg - or one of them, anyway

A 1913 penny in VF would cost somewhere between £2 and £5 to buy, I reckon. Keep it if you like it and it makes you happy!