Hi all Until last week -with the exception of my Sovereigns - my gold and silver bullion investment was all in a non-bank Swiss vault. But as a newbie on this forum I've become encouraged to start stacking and I decided to start off buying 10 ASE and 10 Maples from Atkinsons in the UK. The ASEs are superb, they look lovely and I can't stop gazing at them through my loupe. But of the 10 Maples, 8 of them have a smudge or scratch just to the right of the middle 'A'. They all differ slightly, but the position and shape is very similar. I did search the forum but couldn't find anything about this. Has anyone else seen this, or know if this is a flaw that's been noted elsewhere? I'm phoning Atkinsons to ask them, but wanted to check with you guys too. When I bought the coins I bought capsules too, and Atkinsons took it upon themselves to put the coins in the capsules before posting them. Any help would be much appreciated.
ASEs and maples are packed together bare in tubes and then in monster boxes. They can move around and scratch each other. Don't expect every coin to be perfect. If you want a perfect one get one in a slab my opinion - many others might disagree
Mate, Maples are loose bullion coins - not numismatics. Often see imperfections in ASEs and Maples - the dies get run pretty hard. Don't sweat it.
Thanks guys. I did only buy them for the bullion value, not numismatic motivation, so I wasn't expecting perfection. But I confess my worry was that they may have been fake because it looked initially like the surface had been scraped to reveal something darker underneath, even though I bought them from a reputable dealer. Atkinsons said they have not had anyone report anything and they are going to look at other coins that came in from the Canadian Mint. They've also offered (without being asked) to replace them if I'm not happy - so all credit to Atkinsons. I'll happily use them again. Anyway, I have now added some new coins to my sovereigns to start building a proper stack. Now to decide what to buy next. I was thinking about 2013 Britannias, but I've heard the Philharmonics attract a better premium. Thoughts?
Here's a flow chart my organisation has produced to assist new PM buyers. If you want the hard copy of it, send me a Bitcoin. Source: My head
If your Maples weren't splattered with the obligatory signature RCM Silver Coin Milk Spots, I'd suggest you send them back and demand a refund. Silver Maples without milk spots? Absolutely outrageous!!! This is a brazen breach of RCM Warranty!! Don't stand for it!
