Can any of our UK stackers give some advice on buying sovereigns in the UK please. Things like premiums to expect, sources of bullion sovereigns, where to source collectable sovereigns, issues with counterfeits etc.
I've bought on fee-Bay and from other bullion dealers. For a common sovereign expect to pay a premium of up to 10% on spot. A year ago it was easy to buy almost at spot but everyone's buying, it seems, pushing up the premiums. Remember to factor in P&P which on fee-Bay can make a significant difference. Check out the site bullionsupermarket.com for comparisons. Until you gain familiarity with gold coins it's best to be careful with unknown sellers. Check the weight accurately - you can get an electronic scale that is accurate to 0.01g Measure the diameter with vernier callipers and set the thickness with a micrometer and see if the coin passes through. Fakes are generally underweight and at the same time too thick. Sometimes the colour is wrong and it sounds different dropped on a hard surface. Buy some from a proper source as reference. Proofs and boxed sets are getting very expensive. Best of 'British' starting your collection - keep us posted
