Back in February, it was announced that a special collaboration between the U.S. Mint and the Royal Mint resulted in a special Liberty & Britannia Silver Medal.
I ordered one at the time and the release of the medals would take place in May.
Well, mine arrived Tuesday.
Here it is:
Likely the next coin (or medal) I will be buying is the silver 2024 Britannia and Liberty. It is a joint collaboration between the U.S. and Royal Mints. It is also available in gold.
According to the U.S. Mint:
Over centuries, the United States and the United Kingdom have become close allies. For the first time, the 2024 Liberty and Britannia Coin and Medal bring the world’s two largest mints together for one joint design collaboration. Representing each Nation equally, the iconic symbols of Liberty and Britannia take center stage on the obverse design. The reverse design includes a Bristlecone Pine and an English Yew separated by the Atlantic Ocean, which represents the connection between our two countries. Don’t miss your chance to own this historical coin and medal.
For more information, go here.
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| Above, 2023 Britannia silver coins with King Charles III's image. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The Royal Canadian Mint has announced that coins bearing the image of King Charles will soon be circulating.
According to the City News Edmonton:
WINNIPEG — The first Canadian coins bearing the face of King Charles are soon to be circulated across the country.
The Royal Canadian Mint in Winnipeg is set Tuesday to showcase its model of the King that will appear on one side of all Canadian coins.
The monarch’s effigy is also to be pressed onto a loonie for the first time at the mint.
The mint says a small amount of 2023-dated coins with the King are to circulate in early December.
Some coins, such as the Royal Mint's 2023 Britannia silver coins, already have the King's image.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, the 2023 1oz Silver Britannia coins. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The Royal Mint is already getting ready for 2024. They have introduced their first 2024 Britannia Bullion coins.
According to Coin News:
The Royal Mint has introduced the complete gold versions and the 1oz silver edition of their 2024 Britannia bullion coins.
Obverses of the coins showcase the official coinage portrait of King Charles III by Martin Jennings.
Created by Philip Nathan, the reverses of these bullion coins feature a rendition of Britannia, which has appeared on the Britannia bullion series since their debut in 1987. Britannia is portrayed with symbols that represent the values of the nation: a shield symbolizing protection, an olive branch symbolizing peace, and a trident symbolizing her maritime connections.
Britannia 2024 bullion coins are available to order from The Royal Mint’s website.
The 1kg, quarter-ounce, and tenth-ounce silver versions, along with the one-ounce platinum edition, are scheduled for release in late 2023. The tenth-ounce platinum coin will be available in early 2024.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, both sides of the 2023 Silver Britannia featuring King Charles III. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The coronation of King Charles III is two days away and the merchandising has already begun. They include special commemorative gold and silver medals and coins by the Royal Mint.
The question arises: Are they worth investing in?
That all depends. One thing people who may want to invest in them is to check the number of medals and coins being made. Scarcity breeds value. The less there is of something, generally, the more valuable it becomes.
The only coins featuring the King I invested in are the Royal Silver Britannia coins. I bought them before the current rise in the silver spot price of silver.
Times Money Mentor (U.K.) has posted an article on just this very topic.
Here's some snippets:
It goes without saying that King Charles III will soon be appearing on all of our UK coins, though the rollout of the mass circulation coins will be staggered. But the Royal Mint* has also released a series of ‘commemorative’ coins, which means their numbers are limited. And this is the key factor for collectors.
Let’s take a look at whether investing in coins can make you a mint.
When it comes to investing, buying money at face value as an investment might seem a little ironic.
But as we’ve seen over various financial crises, money is only worth what the people in power say it’s worth.
Coin collecting defies things that affect the value or availability of money, like inflation and quantitative easing. A humble 50p piece that’s never been in circulation can be worth hundreds of pounds over relatively short periods of time.
If you’re going to invest with a view to selling coins later for a profit, you need to do your research.
From art to wine, I must say that people who buy things purely as investments leave me cold. If you’re going to collect something, do it because you love it, not solely because of its underlying value at any given point.
Remember, investing comes with risk, it’s ultimately a gamble.
The article is worth a read. To read it, go here.
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| Above, 2023 silver Britannia coins. No endorsement of King Charles III is implied. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
It boggles the mind to see some Americans get all excited and gushy over the upcoming coronation of King Charles III.
Sure, it is an historical event for the United Kingdom. I can understand people wanting to see the pomp and ceremony take place, only as casual spectators on "this side of the pond." But to get all excited and, in some cases, "gushy" over it, is ridiculous to me. One friend set up British flags in his yard to celebrate the coronation. Huh?
The matter over "the Colonies" and the English monarchy was settled nearly 250 years ago in 1776. So what's the big deal (as far as Americans are concerned)?
Frankly, I find the King to be someone of questionable character, considering he cheated on his wife, Princess Diana. The Royal Family has been dysfunctional for years with the current saga of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle making practically daily headlines. We also have Prince Andrew's involvement with Jeffrey Epstein. The only Royal who seems to be a decent sort is heir-apparent Prince William.
A Canadian friend was perplexed over why I would buy silver Britannia coins featuring the image of King Charles III as he also finds him to be unsavory, referring to him a "globalist ass" as well as an adulterer (some folks do have standards). I couldn't care less about the King, but bought the coins as an investment since they are the first coins with his image and the first year of his reign. This would likely affect their future value. (I also bought some featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II.) Besides, the price was right. Buying them is not an endorsement of the King.
This wasn't the first time Americans gushed over the Royals in my lifetime. I remember many Americans gushing over the wedding of Charles and Diana, as if it were the second coming of Christ. My supervisor at the time asked me to videotape the wedding, which I did. Since the wedding took place while we were asleep, all I had to do was set the timer and pop in a blank tape. I didn't have to watch it.
I guess the coronation will please some dullards here. Considering what a moron we have in the White House, this may be somewhat understandable.
To each their own.
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| Above, 2023 Britannia coins from the Royal Mint. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Not since early February has silver's spot price closed over $24/toz.
Last Friday, silver closed at $24.17/toz (according to Monex). Will the spot price go higher or lower? That, of course, is anyone's guess. But the turmoil with the banking industry has aided silver.
People who bought silver while the spot price was down stand to make some money if they sell. As for me, I am sitting tight. I did make another purchase on Friday.
Gold, on the other hand, has flirted going over $2,000/toz, but each time it was about to cross that threshold, it falls back. It is almost as if it is resisting going over $2,000. It closed at $1,976/toz on Friday, according to Monex. For the average person, gold is too expensive to buy. Silver is much more affordable.
What happens with gold and silver this coming week will be interesting to watch.
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| Above, 2023 Silver Britannia coins from the Royal Mint. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The Biden Administration is screwing up the economy. Billions are being sent to Ukraine to the extent that we may be left without enough arms for our own defense, thereby goading Russia into World War III. Millions of illegals are flooding across our border with no resistance. Congressional spending has gone into the stratosphere with Biden's approval.
Small wonder there's runaway inflation. This is forcing people to seek a hedge in precious metals. Day by day, the dollar is losing value.
What is the cost of in investing in precious metals? This question is the topic of a new article in The Epoch Times.
They start it off with:
Gold and silver and other precious metals like platinum and palladium provide valuable security in times of financial turmoil. Despite price fluctuations, physical precious metals pose no credit risk and retain an intrinsically high economic value even when the stock market crashes.
What are the costs of precious metals investing, and what associated expenses are involved in a precious metals portfolio?
To read more, go here.
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| Above, both versions of the 2023 Britannia Silver Coins. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
People are probably wondering why there are two different 2023 Silver Britannia Coins, one with Queen Elizabeth II and one with King Charles III.
The Patriotic Mint explains why:
2023 will be the final year for 1-ounce Britannia Silver Coins featuring the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II before the Royal Mint transitions to King Charles III. Due to the timing of the Queen’s death, the 2023 series will have a limited mintage, making these coins extremely collectable. The Britannia is a stunning British bullion coin issued by The Royal Mint since 1997. Starting in the year 2013 and onward, the Silver Britannia has been produced with .999 fine silver (prior-to-2013 Britannia’s are .958 fine). The image of Britannia, the female personification of the Island of Great Britain, has appeared on UK coinage for almost 2,000 years.
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| Above, the image of Britannia of both coins. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
My shipment of the 2023 Britannia Silver coins with King Charles III arrived the other day. I bought the version with Queen Elizabeth II previously.
The 2023 Silver and Gold Britannias have been released. At least, their images.
They feature the image of King Charles III.
Coin dealers such as LM Bullion are taking orders for when the Royal Mint releases them.
The 2023 Silver and Gold Britannias featuring Queen Elizabeth II have already been released.
For ordering the Silver Britannia, go here.
...with the rest of the coin collection.
Today, the new 2023 Silver Britannia coin I ordered arrived in today's mail.
According to Wikipedia:
Britannia coins are British bullion coins issued by the Royal Mint in gold since 1987, in silver since 1997, and in platinum since 2018. The coin patterns feature various depictions of Britannia, a feminine personification of the United Kingdom.
Since 2013 the silver coins have been produced with a millesimal fineness of 0.999 (99.9% silver).
This will be the final year that Queen Elizabeth II will be featured on the Britannia coins. Later this year, King Charles III will have his effigy on the coin.
