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Serendipity

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  1. Apologies for coming late to this topic in 2020. Not surprisingly, this topic is even more relevant today than it was 14 years ago. I don’t know what coin collecting will be like 100 years from now. I don’t know if there will be more slabbed coins rather than raw coins in the future.
  2. I’ve discovered that none of my sovereigns are counterfeit and that the discrepancies in old sovereigns are accounted for by the old Victorian minting methods.
  3. 1911 George V Sydney Mint sovereign bought from Sovereign Rarities. George V of Great Britain initially sought a career in the British Navy, but the premature death of his brother, Albert, placed him on the throne in 1910. However, it was not until 1911 that George’s portrait replaced that of Edward’s on coins. He played an active role supporting the troops during World War I. George’s last reputed words were: “Bugger Bognor!” (When told by his doctor he would soon be well enough to visit Bognor Regis.) DESCRIPTION George V (1910-36), gold sovereign, 1911 S, Sydney Mint, Australia, bare head left, B.M. raised on truncation for engraver Bertram Mackennal, Latin legend and toothed border surrounding, GEORGIVS V D.G.BRITT:OMN:REX F.D.IND:IMP: (“George V, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britons, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India”), rev. struck en médaille, St. George on horseback slaying dragon with sword right, plumed helmet with three-strand streamer, horse with long tail, ending in three strands, with one spur higher up at curve, broken lance on ground-line to left, tiny WWP raised under lance for Master of the Mint, William Wellesley Pole, mint mark S at centre of ground-line, date in exergue, tiny B.P. raised in upper right of exergue for engraver Benedetto Pistrucci, edge milled, weight 8.00g (Bentley 727; McDonald 237; Marsh 271; M.C.E. 639; S.4003). Toned with light bag marks, otherwise good extremely fine. Ex Randy Weir Numismatics, Unionville, Ontario, Canada, purchased 14 January 1992. Calendar year mintage 2,519,000.
  4. Marking coins in some way by merchants in order to validate their authenticity is a very old practice and can even be found on ancient Greek coins.
  5. 1873 Victoria Melbourne Mint Sovereign St. George Reverse gEF 1873 Victoria Melbourne Mint St. George Reverse sovereign bought from Sovereign Rarities. Princess Alexandrina Victoria was born in 1819, crowned as Queen Victoria in 1837 when her uncle, William IV, died and reigned through a period of unprecedented change until her death in 1901. Victoria ruled for 64 years, a record only recently surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II. DESCRIPTION Victoria (1837-1901), gold sovereign, 1873 M, Melbourne Mint, Australia, first young filleted head left, W.W. raised and buried in truncation for engraver William Wyon, mint mark M below, Latin legend and toothed border surrounding, VICTORIA D:G:BRITANNIAR:REG:F:D: (“Victoria, by the Grace of God, Queen of the Britons, Defender of the Faith”), rev. struck with inverted die axis, St. George on horseback slaying dragon with sword right, plumed helmet, horse with long tail, ending in three strands, with one spur higher up at curve, broken lance on ground-line to left, tiny WWP raised under lance for Master of the Mint, William Wellesley Pole, date in exergue, tiny B.P. raised in upper right of exergue for engraver Benedetto Pistrucci, edge milled, weight 8.00g (Bentley 760; Marsh 95; M.C.E. 536; S.3857). Lightly toned, with proof-like underlying brilliance, lightly bag-marked, otherwise pleasing good extremely fine. Ex Randy Weir Numismatics, Unionville, Ontario, Canada, purchased 12 November 1990. Calendar year mintage 752,000 presumably all St. George reverse of which 199 went for pyx trial.
  6. I intend to purchase more sovereigns during the lockdown. I’m very careful where I buy my sovereigns from because of the proliferation of forgeries. Unfortunately, more forgeries turn up with numismatic than bullion coins because collectors generally pay more for numismatic coins. I’ve bought my sovereigns from Baldwin’s, Chards and Sovereign Rarities. I never buy any sovereigns from eBay. Even reputable dealers can sometimes mistakenly sell you a fake sovereign. One of my sovereigns worries me but my worries might be groundless.
  7. I’m sorry to hear that. One of my sovereigns worries me. You are probably familiar as an American with air-tite capsules. I’m using direct fit 22mm air-tites to encapsulate my 22.05mm sovereigns. The heads on sovereigns are forever changing. Some are in high and others are in low relief. Some sovereigns rattle in the capsules while others don’t. What worries me is that one of my sovereigns seems to be slightly thicker than the others. The capsule holds the sovereign but doesn’t completely snap shut. I’m starting to suspect it might be a forgery. Perhaps old mints didn’t work to the same high standards as modern mints. I don’t really know. Perhaps there are slight discrepancies in older sovereigns. They didn’t mint them, of course, with modern plastic air-tite capsules in mind.
  8. I’m particularly interested in numismatic or historical sovereigns.
  9. Lawrence of Arabia & Sovereigns T.E. Lawrence, aka Lawrence of Arabia, was a British scholar, writer and soldier who mobilised the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I and wrote about his wartime exploits in The Seven Pillars of Wisdom (1926). Gold sovereigns were used by Lawrence to sway Arab tribes to join the Allied fight and as a bounty for Arabs who returned any downed Allied airmen to safety. Portrait of T. E. Lawrence by Augustus John, 1919. Tate Modern, London. First World War propaganda poster featuring the sovereign, July 1915.
  10. 1914-1918 George V Sovereigns I recently purchased these First World War sovereigns online from Chards. Sovereigns issued during the First World War are significant to collectors and none more so than the 1914 and 1918 issues which are frequently paired together in collections to mark the beginning and end of the Great War. T.E. Lawrence, aka Lawrence of Arabia, was a British scholar, writer and soldier who mobilised the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War and wrote about his wartime exploits in The Seven Pillars of Wisdom (1926). Gold sovereigns were used by Lawrence to sway Arab tribes to join the Allied fight and as a bounty for Arabs who returned any downed Allied airmen to safety. The war impacted on the sovereign - eventually being removed from circulation and replaced by banknotes, but it was still struck throughout the First World War, mostly in overseas branch mints. Due to its single year production, the Bombay Mint sovereign is generally the most sought-after issue for 1918. At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 the gunfire finally ceased. This brought to an end over 4 years of fighting that had accounted for over 17 million military and civilian lives. George V’s reign saw the rise of socialism, communism, fascism, Irish republicanism, and the Indian independence movement, all of which radically changed the political landscape. DESCRIPTION George V (1910-36), gold sovereign, 1914 M, Melbourne Mint, Australia, bare head left, B.M. raised on truncation for engraver Bertram Mackennal, Latin legend and toothed border surrounding, GEORGIVS V D.G.BRITT:OMN:REX F.D.IND:IMP: (“George V, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britons, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India”), rev. struck en médaille, St. George on horseback slaying dragon with sword right, plumed helmet with three-strand streamer, horse with long tail, ending in three strands, with one spur higher up at curve, broken lance on ground-line to left, tiny WWP raised under lance for Master of the Mint, William Wellesley Pole, mint mark M at centre of ground-line, date in exergue, tiny B.P. raised in upper right of exergue for engraver Benedetto Pistrucci, edge milled (Marsh 232; M.C.E. 642; S.3999). Almost extremely fine. Calendar year mintage 2,012,029. George V (1910-36), gold sovereign, 1918 I, Bombay Mint, India, bare head left, B.M. raised on truncation for engraver Bertram Mackennal, Latin legend and toothed border surrounding, GEORGIVS V D.G.BRITT:OMN:REX F.D.IND:IMP: (“George V, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britons, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India”), rev. struck en médaille, St. George on horseback slaying dragon with sword right, plumed helmet with three-strand streamer, horse with long tail, ending in three strands, with one spur higher up at curve, broken lance on ground-line to left, tiny WWP raised under lance for Master of the Mint, William Wellesley Pole, mint mark I at centre of ground-line, date in exergue, tiny B.P. raised in upper right of exergue for engraver Benedetto Pistrucci, edge milled (Marsh 228; S.3998). Obverse good very fine, reverse almost extremely fine. Calendar year mintage 1,294,372. State portrait of George V by Sir Luke Fildes, 1911. Portrait of T. E. Lawrence by Augustus John, 1919. Tate Modern, London. First World War propaganda poster featuring the sovereign, July 1915.
  11. I recently ordered this beautiful gold Philharmonic coin from the Royal Mint Bullion who have a limited selection of world coins. The Philharmonics are very popular with the Asian market, especially Japan. I bought the 1oz gold Philharmonic to complement my 1/4oz gold version which was also minted in 2018. The reverse features a cornucopia of musical instruments used by the Vienna Philharmonic, including a Vienna horn, bassoon, harp, and four violins centered on a massive cello. Both the reverse and obverse designs were produced by the Chief Engraver of the Austrian Mint, Thomas Pesendorfer. The obverse depicts the Musikverein Pipe Organ. Located inside of the Golden Music Hall, it is a fixture within the home theatre of the Vienna Philharmonic and is situated in the Innere Stadt neighbourhood of Vienna. Founded in 1842, the history of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra dates back much further. As early as 1833, orchestral performances took place in Vienna and were done by ad hoc orchestras.
  12. Thank you very much! It’s a real privilege! I’ve been collecting coins since 2018. My coin collection consists of a rich variety of world bullion and numismatic pieces, everything from exotic shipwreck coins to the cutest panda. Not even the pandemic can put a stop to my coin collecting. I’m doing everything I can to scout online for some of the best historical pieces.
  13. Marcus Aurelius is often seen as the last of the truly great Roman emperors from 161-180 CE before the empire declined. One factor in the decline may be the Antonine Plague, a mysterious epidemic that the army brought back from West Asia which ravaged the empire from roughly 165-190 CE. Marble bust of Marcus Aurelius (121-180 CE), Glyptothek Museum in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
  14. I bought this beautiful 2019 1oz Gold Buffalo, also known as an American Buffalo, from Atkinsons. The Native American figurine did not come with the coin but was coincidentally or “serendipitously” on my mantelpiece along with various objets d’art. The obverse (front) features James Earle Fraser's classic portrait of a Native American in profile, as first seen on the 1913 Buffalo Nickel. Fraser based the portrait on the Native American chieftains Iron Tail (Sioux), Big Tree (Kiowa), and Two Moons (Cheyenne), who posed as models for him to sketch. The reverse depicts an American bison, also adapted from the original reverse of the classic Buffalo Nickel. This image is thought to be based on Black Diamond, a buffalo living in the Central Park Zoo in the early 20th century.
  15. 1908 Edward VII Melbourne Mint Sovereign EF Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910, an immensely popular and affable monarch and a leader of society. DESCRIPTION Edward VII (1901-10), gold sovereign, 1908 M, Melbourne Mint, Australia, bare head right, tiny DeS. raised below truncation for engraver George William de Saulles, Latin legend and toothed border surrounding, EDWARDVS VII D:G:BRITT:OMN:REX F:D:IND:IMP: (“Edward VII, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britons, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India”), rev. struck en médaille, St. George on horseback slaying dragon with sword right, plumed helmet with three-strand streamer, horse with long tail, ending in three strands, with one spur higher up at curve, broken lance on ground-line to left, tiny WWP raised under lance for Master of the Mint, William Wellesley Pole, mint mark M at centre of ground-line, date in exergue, tiny B.P. raised in upper right of exergue for engraver Benedetto Pistrucci, edge milled, weight 8.00g (Bentley 820; McDonald 229; Marsh 192; M.C.E. 627; S.3971). Some light bag marks, hairline scratch in obverse field, otherwise extremely fine, better than usually seen. Ex Randy Weir Numismatics, Unionville, Ontario, Canada, purchased c.1998. Calendar year mintage 3,078,500 of which 1,648 went for pyx trial. Photograph by W. & D. Downey, 1900s.
  16. 1871 Victoria Shield Reverse Sovereign gEF Princess Alexandrina Victoria was born in 1819, crowned as Queen Victoria in 1837 when her uncle, William IV, died and reigned through a period of unprecedented change until her death in 1901. Victoria ruled for 64 years, a record only recently surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II. DESCRIPTION Victoria (1837-1901), gold sovereign, 1871, London, Tower Hill Mint, third young filleted head left, W.W. raised on truncation for engraver William Wyon, date below, hint of doubling in legend both sides, Latin legend and toothed border surrounding, VICTORIA DEI GRATIA (“Victoria, by the Grace of God”), rev. struck with inverted die axis, engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen, crowned quartered shield of arms, laurel wreath surrounding, die number 14 below, emblems below, Latin legend and toothed border surrounding, BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID:DEF: (“Queen of the Britons, Defender of the Faith”), raised hairline flaw in last A of legend to rim, edge milled, weight 7.97g (Bentley 558; Marsh 55; M.C.E. 531; S.3853B). Tiny obverse rim nick, otherwise pleasing good extremely fine. Ex Douro Cargo, Spink Auction 118, 20-21 November 1996, lot 1377 (part). Calendar year mintage 8,767,250. HISTORY RMS Douro was a slender iron-hulled, screw-driven steamship of 2,824 tons - distinguishable by her graceful clipper bow and two brigantine rigged auxiliary masts - built in 1865 by Caird & Company on the River Clyde at Greenock, Scotland. She measured 326 feet long by 40 feet wide and served from 1865 to 1882 with the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. Douro initially served the routes between the United Kingdom and the West Indies. Early in her career, she was running mates with RMS Rhone until Rhone was sank in 1867 by a hurricane in the West Indies. In 1869, Douro switched to South American service on the Southampton, England-Buenos Aires, Argentina, route. As a Royal Mail Ship, she carried mail and newspapers under contract. She also often carried precious cargo, including gold and diamonds. Douro sank in the early morning hours of April 2, 1882, off Cape Finisterre following a collision with the Spanish steamer Yrurac Bat when en route to Southampton from Buenos Aires. Her captain, Ebenezer C. Kemp, along with five other officers went down with the ship, but all 144 other crew and passengers were saved. The wreck was eventually salvaged in 1995 By Sverker Hallstrom and Nigel Pickford using a remote-operated vehicle (ROV) at a depth of 1,500 feet. The cargo of gold coins, mostly British sovereigns dating from the reign of Queen Victoria, was sold at auction by Spink, London, in 1996. https://gmic.co.uk/topic/418-the-true-story-of-the-rms-douro/ This photo shows Douro, sister of RMS Rhone, at Charlotte Amalie Harbour, Saint Thomas, just before the 1867 hurricane; she did survive that force! Route of the RMS Douro. TO THE MEMORY OF CAPTAIN E. C. KEMP, THE OFFICERS, ENGINEERS & CREW OF THE ROYAL MAIL STEAM PACKET COMPANY’S SHIP “DOURO” WHO PERISHED AT SEA ON THE 1ST APRIL 1882 NOBLY SACRIFICING THEIR OWN LIVES THAT OTHERS MIGHT BE SAVED. Queen Victoria by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1842.
  17. Have you been furloughed? Coronavirus Travel Posters
  18. I received this majestic 2016 1oz Somalian Gold Elephant yesterday from Bleyer Bullion which just had one in stock. The Somalian African Wildlife series is minted by the Bavarian State Mint in Munich, Germany, and has been a favourite of coin collectors worldwide for many years. My sincere apologies to fellow forum members who love the series as much as I do and missed out on the deal. By way of explanation, I had been scouting for that coin since last year and even ordered a direct fit air-tite capsule from the US specifically for the coin. 2016 1oz Somalian Gold Elephant (BU). Obverse: Features the Somalian Coat of Arms. In the image, a heraldic shield is flanked on both sides by a leopard. The shield itself features a single star set against a background of horizontal lines. Engravings include Somali Republic above, the year of minting on each side of the coat of arms along with the face value of 1000 shillings. Reverse: Depicts an African elephant tromping through a savannah. The African bush elephant, also known as the African savannah elephant, is the world’s largest living terrestrial animal with bulls reaching a shoulder height of 3.96m. Both sexes have tusks, which erupt when they are 1-3 years old and grow throughout life. The diameter of the coin is a very capacious 39mm in order to accommodate such a magnificent mammal.
  19. It's no secret that the world's supply of physical gold is limited. Gold is incredibly rare, making up about 0.003 parts per million of the earth's crust. The World Gold Council (WGC) estimates as of 2017 that around 187,200 tons of gold have already been mined, two-thirds of which were mined in the last 70 years or so. And since gold is virtually indestructible, this means that almost all of this finite yellow metal is still around in one form or another. Pack this gold together and you’ve got a cube that measures about 21 meters on each side. A cube this size would fit comfortably in the middle of a baseball field. As far as the amount of gold that remains in the earth, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that there are about 57,000 tons left to be mined.
  20. I’ve always liked the gold toga-to-suit ratio comparison which suited investment advisors love to tell their clients. Here’s a graphical representation that I created for anyone unfamiliar with the ratio comparison.
  21. I bought seven of these beautiful silver Star Trek coins with a limited mintage of 50,000 from Chards of Blackpool. Blackpool had a Star Trek exhibition on from the 30th June - 6th November 2016. The Perth Mint - on behalf of Tuvalu - issued a silver bullion coin to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Star Trek: The Original Series. The obverse features the Ian Rank-Broadley bust of Elizabeth II and the monetary denomination. The reverse depicts the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 as it appeared in Star Trek. The design includes the inscription "STAR TREK" and The Perth Mint’s traditional "P" mintmark. Please feel free to comment.
  22. I bought this beautifully designed 1/5oz gold crown online from Chards of Blackpool. The obverse features the Ian Rank-Broadley bust of Elizabeth II with the triskeles while the reverse depicts two Tonkinese kittens playing with a butterfly. Please feel free to comment.
  23. I bought this pristine Mexican gold Libertad from Atkinsons. I was shocked to later discover the Banco de México has issued only 1,250 of these coins worldwide. The obverse features a sculptural relief design of the National Shield, encompassed by the legend "Estados Unidos Mexicanos" (United Mexican States). The reverse depicts two key symbols of the Mexican people: Winged Victory in the forefront and the Mexican volcanoes Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl in the background.
  24. I bought this distinctive Royal Mint Lunar gold coin from the Royal Mint Bullion. The obverse depicts the fifth portrait of Elizabeth II by Jody Clark, along with the monetary denomination. The reverse design by British-Chinese artist and printmaker Wuon-Gean Ho features a rhesus monkey swinging through the trees, along with the inscription "Year of the Monkey," and the weight, purity and year. Please feel free to comment.
  25. My Monnaie de Paris (Paris Mint) pickup which I received today. On this silver coin, the engraving is highlighted thanks to the high relief. This fact magnifies the appearance of Mona Lisa. The obverse features the famous masterpiece of Leonardo da Vinci. The portrait of Mona Lisa in close-up, in the middle of the coin. In the background, we can see the portrait’s frame with the name of the masterpiece, “La Joconde”, and the name of the artist, “Leonard de Vinci”. At the top on the left, “500 ans” evokes the passing away anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci in 2019. The stamp “Chefs d’oeuvre des Musées” has been added on the right side. The reverse is common to the series. It depicts several views of many major French museums. An interior view of the Musée d’Orsay, on the top left, is recognizable by its distinctive clock. Beside that is a view of the façade of the Louvre as seen from the Napoleon courtyard where the pyramid is located. Below these two elements, a fresco shows the Hôtel Salé, which houses the Picasso Museum. The lower portion of the reverse side features a view of the façade of Hôtel Biron, the current Rodin Museum, and above, the famous Centre Pompidou stairway. The face value and the words “République Française” are also inscribed on the reverse side.
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