I know I'm new on this forum, but a few years ago I was the ONLY person in the US buying these in quantity from the UK mint. Last year the Royal Mint upped their mintage from the older 100K max to a 500k max to unlimited in 2013. My contact at the Royal Mint tells me that the 2013 design will be the same as the 2012 design and will stay the same moving forward with the move to .999. So this used to be a low mintage series with very nice varying designs made in Britannia silver and now it is going to be just like ASEs and Maples (.999, unlimited mintage, same design) with DOUBLE or TRIPLE the premium. I think that they are making some bad decisions in this series.
I got pretty much same info. I would buy a monsterbox in a second if the prices would be same as maples of phils, or even ASE, but double ASE premium? I'd rather buy kookaburras or koalas then.
What are you guys being quoted for the 2013 Britannia, the Maple and the Kook ? In the UK I have just purchased the Canadian Antelope, the 2013 Kook and today the 2013 Britannia and there is very little difference in price. Bear in mind though that us poor suckers in the UK are screwed on all silver. The prices would make you weep but it would be interesting to see the comparisons between these coins in your parts of the World.
In the US, I can get Maples for as low as $2 over spot, Kooks for about $4 over, and Britannias for about $6 over. All of that depends on the spot price, timing, other companies' sales, etc...
the good thing about the britannias for us in G.B. is that the coins are capital gains tax free ,,as the coins are legal tender so if you stack up say 100,000 pounds in kooks or eagles you will have to pay C.G.T....thats if you get caught. here is a link to a very good bullion dealer in England...and cheap for us brits...this will give you guys a chance to see the price before and after vat http://www.atkinsonsthejewellers.com/silver-coins so as you can see the small increase in price for brittannias can pay huge dividends in C.G hope this post helps
That is interesting I don't recall hearing that before. So you loose on your cost, but save on your profit. I like it in a way. The disadvantage is your cost price will always be higher than the rest of the world. You need a good increase to get some of your money back as profit. As you say though once you have it is all yours. We buy cheaper, but loose on the sale with the tax. The Govt get you one way or another....
If you can find someone to bring them over for you, you can reclaim the VAT on departure. I've had a quote for 10 Britannia 1oz in capsules for GB299, with a 49 VAT rebate on departure. I think that's around AU$39 each... Would Australian customs tax them on the way in for being British?
Update on the new 2013 fine silver Britannia. My first order arrived and I found that the tubes apparently are the wrong size so all coins arrived in the flimsy clear blister pack in sheets. Great, I have my own tubes and capsules to fit and at least the coins will be in good condition as previous years. NOT SO stackers !! Every coin was marked, scuffed etc so clearly the softer metal is prone to production rough and tumble. Very disappointed in the condition of these new Britannia's. Anyone else seen this degradation in quality ?
agree, 999 doesn't do a favor to the coins ... but kept one for the collection and sold the rest for a nice profit with no intention to buy them again. Next stop is 1 1/2 polar bear - let's see how those animals will come
Pictures taken of latest 2013 Britannia. Each coin was UNC and untouched by hand. Supplied directly from the Royal Mint in their traditional blister clear plastic sheets. Removed the coins wearing cotton gloves for the picture. Each coin shows scuffs on the queen's head, indeed almost every proud feature of the coin is marked somehow. The other side is reasonably good so maybe these coins dropped into a collection hopper before packaging - I don't know. As I have lots of Britannias, all perfect, I am indeed deeply disappointed in these new fine silver editions and if selling I would be forced into describing them as scratched and marked. Was I just unlucky ?
Thanks for the photos, I agree those are really disappointing. Have you contacted the Royal Mint regarding them? I'm having second thoughts myself now. Shiny kooks might be the way forward...
Looking again at the condition of these brand new coins I did decide to write a letter of complaint a few moments ago. I have many types of 999 silver coins, both older and spanking new but these Britannia's sadly are the worst. Every previous Britannia is brilliant but these look as if they were swept up off a concrete floor ! If anything develops I will post here.
That is really disappointing. Those plasic capsules that they use have been netorious for causing the rub marks on the queen's cheek. Some years were worse than others, with the 2011 being the best. It is sad to hear that they made yet another mistep in this series.
I got a few and not impressed - contacted my dealer about getting 1 oz gold version and informed that all sorts of problems with the silver and gold coins also new press is poor not impressed on coin that well , dealer summed it up that the royal mint had a great opportunity this year with the .999 and made a right balls up of it !!!!! I purchased a gold buffalo and kangaroo instead !
Following on from this I have sent a copy of these pictures to the dealer in the UK who "quoted me happy" earlier. I asked him to be candid, he was! "They are extremely disappointing , and that's putting it politely. Too long a story for now, but the only reason to buy them would be if you were concerned about the Capital Gains Tax free issue in UK." Not worried about CGT in the UK, so I don't think I'll be buying a stack of Britannia anytime soon!! Luckily his prices on other 1oz coins are equally appealing (once VAT is refunded on the way out of the UK), so there'll an order heading his way from me soon enough. Impressed that he was so honest, could have gone for the sale etc....
WOW that is disappointing. I have better condition circulated general currency than these. I would have been furious. Until fixed I know I won't be purchasing any. The only topside may come from a stop on these until the issues are fixed. This could create a limited release rarity in the series ? Like a Type 1 and Type 2.
