Royal Mint News

[Geoff T 3]

Has anyone seen this? I found it purely by surfing (actually looking for coin dealers in Oslo - anyone know any?), but it looks like slabbing taken to new levels of absurdity.

http://www.collectors.com/articles/article...html?artid=4198

G

[Half Penny Jon 0]

That is absolutely ridiculous! I didn't think the royal mint would ever do anything like that! I think it a sign that they think slabbing and grading is the future for coin grading, I however strongly disagree.

[Master Jmd 80]

Hmm...this is ridiculous...and to make things worse we cannot easily get a question to the mint seeing as the RM forum is down...

If this is and will be the case for future gold coinage then does this mean that there is a chance that we could be diverted to using the American grading by the mint (PR-69, PR-60, etc...)?

[Half Penny Jon 0]

It does seem that way doesn't it JMD but I don't think the British system of grading will fade out at all after all, who is going to use american grading just because the Royal Mint does?!

[Chris Perkins 228]

I don't think there's much chance of us converting to American! There are far too many collectors/dealers etc that are perfectly happy with Brit, most of them prefer it, so there's not much chance of that.

At the end of the day people seem to forget that the Royal Mint is basically a business. Ok, they make coins for the nation, and several others, but a major part of their business is to make a profit. They sell all kinds of crap directly to collectors, many of those collectors will be American, and this is obviously an attempt to get more money off our (ex) colonial friends by combining the name 'Royal Mint' (which many Americans probably imagine is a big old building with a draw bridge, guards with long fluffy black hats that live in little 2"x2" sheds and all the employees wear bowler hats!) and of one of their much cherished 3rd part grading companies.

It's very clever, and I doubt very many of those slabbed modern proof gold bit and bobs will be returning.

[Half Penny Jon 0]

(ex) colonial friends

Why are they our (ex) colonial friends?

[Master Jmd 80]

(ex) colonial friends

Why are they our (ex) colonial friends?

Well, if you can remember, i think it was George V who gave America their 'freedom' from the British rule...as with India, South Africa, Canada, etc...

[Half Penny Jon 0]

I know that, but I was just confused what chris meant about (ex) friends, it is very difficult to know what people mean through reading text on the internet you know without their facial expressions to go with it.

[Chris Perkins 228]

I meant ex colonial, not ex friends!

JMD it was George III, and the history books say 1776, although it was not officially recognised by the British government until some years later, it wasn't quite as late as George V!

[Master Jmd 80]

I meant ex colonial, not ex friends!

JMD it was George III, and the history books say 1776, although it was not officially recognised by the British government until some years later, it wasn't quite as late as George V!

oh, that was a typo of mine...i meant to put George IV not V and that it was George V who gave India and SA back

Edited July 19, 2004 by Master Jmd

[Chris Perkins 228]

I think India was 'lost' under George VI (hence the removal of IND IMP from coins in 1949) and our very own Elizabeth II misplaced South Africa in the 50's.

[Half Penny Jon 0]

Talking about Elizabeth and the 50's, totally off-topic mind you! Are there any 1953 gold proof sets in private hands?!

[Chris Perkins 228]

Not heard of any.

[Half Penny Jon 0]

I wonder if the royal collection will ever go up for sale probably not!

[Chris Perkins 228]

Probably, but after the Crown jewels!

Stranger things have happened. I read that the Queen is selling some of her London demi palaces near to Buck house at the moment. I think the cheapest was £13.5million. I didn't realise she owned the whole of Regent Street!

[Half Penny Jon 0]

I read that if the queen owned everything in her many estates (paintings, jewels, property), it would all amount to £10 billion making her the worlds richest woman!

[Sylvester 15]

After Liz Taylor.

[Chris Perkins 228]

The rich list thing in the papers, I fail to see how it can be accurate when the Queen is concerned. I know that the public have a claim to some of her luxuries, but how can you possibly put prices on those antiques and castles? Can you imagine how much the Crown jewels would fetch on eBay?? No one could guess high enough.

[Sylvester 15]

The rich list thing in the papers, I fail to see how it can be accurate when the Queen is concerned. I know that the public have a claim to some of her luxuries, but how can you possibly put prices on those antiques and castles? Can you imagine how much the Crown jewels would fetch on eBay?? No one could guess high enough.

I'll swap America and Russia for the annointing spoon.

[GDJMSP 0]

I don't think there's much chance of us converting to American! There are far too many collectors/dealers etc that are perfectly happy with Brit, most of them prefer it, so there's not much chance of that.

As one of the ex-colonials I must say I find it interesting that you say that. It's kind of a deja vu thing for me. You see - about 20 years ago - America had basically the same system you use today. And it was the American collectors who were making statements very similar to yours. In fact - some of them still are making such statements today. But the popularity of the grading companies grows day by day. And not just in America - but worldwide.

Many of the European coin dealers are now listing their coins with both European & Sheldon grades side by side. A year or two ago - that never happened. Today it is common. So will Britain and the rest of the world adopt the Sheldon grading system ? I guess time will tell. For no matter how much you or I like or dislike it - change is inevitable. It always has been - it always will be.

[Coppers 58]

I don't think there's much chance of us converting to American! There are far too many collectors/dealers etc that are perfectly happy with Brit, most of them prefer it, so there's not much chance of that.

As one of the ex-colonials I must say I find it interesting that you say that. It's kind of a deja vu thing for me. You see - about 20 years ago - America had basically the same system you use today. And it was the American collectors who were making statements very similar to yours. In fact - some of them still are making such statements today. But the popularity of the grading companies grows day by day. And not just in America - but worldwide.

Many of the European coin dealers are now listing their coins with both European & Sheldon grades side by side. A year or two ago - that never happened. Today it is common. So will Britain and the rest of the world adopt the Sheldon grading system ? I guess time will tell. For no matter how much you or I like or dislike it - change is inevitable. It always has been - it always will be.

As another ex-colonial, I would hope that collectors and dealers in the UK will have better sense than to start slabbing their coins. I'd sooner believe in the tooth fairy than in any grading service's claim to be able to accurately and consistently tell the difference between eleven grades of mint state.

[Geoff T 3]

Well, if you can remember, i think it was George V who gave America their 'freedom' from the British rule...as with India, South Africa, Canada, etc...

Oh my God - don't you kiddies know ANY history? It was George III in 1776 and I doubt whether he considered he was giving it away.

Write out all your English monarchs with dates from 1066 a hundred times!

[Half Penny Jon 0]

I doubt that I could manage to do the early ones! Sylvester could though!

[Sylvester 15]

Yes i could (i learned that off by heart by junior school... when you spend alot of time reading coin catalogues you soon pick it up), i can do them all from AEthelred II, and probably from Edgar.

[william 0]

I would give up when i got to George II!!! lol