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 Replies: 11 / Views: 3,474 |
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New Member
United Kingdom
32 Posts |
Saw some boxed modern crowns at the Auction with COA from Windsor Mint, Royal Mint etc that state Solid Nickel Silver. I see loads of Nickel Copper crowns like the churchill and Jubilee Crown that they sell everywhere for quid, But have not seen any Solid Nickel Silver crowns before and wondered what % of silver they have if any. They seem to sell for £5-£10 on ebay boxed. Does anyone know what alloy this is, I know the post 1920 pre 1947 Coins where 50% sterling silver alloy with Nickel/copper are these similar? |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5255 Posts |
There is NO silver in a "Nickel-silver" coin. It is an advertising gimmick-an alloy with nickel that vaguely resembles silver. In this case it the the same copper-nickel of the 1947+ coins for circulation.
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Moderator
 Australia
16868 Posts |
"Nickel silver" is a phrase that people who are trying to sell you "cupronickel", "copper-nickel" or "nickel-brass" coins might use, if they are trying to imply that there's actual silver in the coin and therefore are more valuable than they actually are. "German silver" is another phrase that means the same thing. Use of such phrases is against ebay policy and people using such phrases are likely to find their listings reported and pulled. Windsor Mint, of course, has their own website and they're free to use whatever weasel words they wish over there. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5255 Posts |
I may add that 5-10 pounds each is high. Here in Canada a dealer would be lucky to get $1 for a modern one.
Years ago I remember a dealing saying that "everyone in the world has a Churchill crown". It is probably still true.
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Pillar of the Community
4628 Posts |
Scammy grannybait rubbish. Let me guess these coins are from Tristan Da Cunha or some other flyspeck coin. Here the Bradford exchange sells them all the time and they are wildly overpriced. If you see the words "Plated" or "Look" or the name of a base metal like "Nickel" or "Copper" in the description, then you know its muck metal junk. I am not saying its always really bad, but when you are paying more than 10 or 20 pounds for a base metal coin plated with silver or gold, its really a design medallion more than a coin. I mean a crown technically has a face value of 25 pence or about 33 US cents or 48 NZ cents. The metal will be cheaper than that. Often these coins will rip at Sentimental heart strings or themes (WW2, Vera Lynn collection, any Royal tatt like Her Majesty's 93rd birthday etc, muscle cars, battleships, Mickey Mouse, Marilyn Rowe, Elvis etc). Grannybait companies like Bradford Exhange, Westminster mint etc will sell them with glossy brooches and have the lettering the ad with gold or silver lettering saying "Stunning GOLD" and in super tiny letters "Plated" or covered in 24 Karat shimmering real gold. Often the true metal of the coin will not be revealed and its always muck metal like Brass, Cupronickel not so much anymore, steel is much cheaper now. Such bait advertising lures in the unsuspecting and these companies make a fortune off this junk. Bradford Exchange are the worst here and I suspect this group is American or at least Australian like the old Franklin Mint (Slammed so much here by People's advocates and Consumer groups, it was banned from trading in 1992). Anyway BE sold sets of "Silver" and "Gold" TDC crowns for an introductory price $39.95 each + $10 postage and packaging per coin from their usual price of $89.95 per coin. This is for a piece of worthless plated muck metal that has a face value of 25p. Even the postage fee was abhorrent and would cover the true cost of this junk. Often they gave away the case made out of wood, but when you have paid $200 or more for $4 worth of junk theme coins, is it really a "free case". Yet no one does anything about it, and judging by the volley of these ads - someone is buying these things. I would avoid any so called "Mint" seller as they always sell heavily marked up junk, same with Littleton coin company and Pojoby Mint, even The Royal Mint of England has a rort on old coins. I mean they were selling Churchill crowns for like 15 or 20 pounds each. Plus a flier with emotional rubbish about his speech and this worthless ugly coin was the ultimate souvenir of the country's sacrifice. Sadly no one tells the baited grannies to go to a coin dealer and get all this stuff at much cheaper prices without abhorrent postage fees or wooden cases and emotional brouhaha. |
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Pillar of the Community
4628 Posts |
There are even stories of people taking their "Solid silver look coins" to dealers and getting angry when the dealer offers them peanuts or tells them he is not interested in their worthless junque.
Even if these companies sell a coin with silver or gold, it will be heavily marked up price wise like in the sense a gold half sovereign will be like 800 pounds or more, when its worth like 1/3 that in melt value.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
I agree with Sap.
So called 'Solid Nickel Silver Crowns' issued in large numbers have metal value only, and represent a distortion of the truth.
They have zero silver content. Instead, the alloy is standard coin alloy - 75% copper, 25% nickel.
More truthfully, such a coin has a value of less that 25 Cents.
Are they collectible?
Yes, but a coin dealer will only buy them back for very little money, or more likely, will not be interested in them at all.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
1616 Posts |
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Moderator
United States
54283 Posts |
Nickel silver, German silver, Miao silver, Tibet silver, Alpacca silver, etc. are terms you should watch out for. NONE contain any silver.
oh, and Nordic gold contains no gold.
Show your financial support of the Coin Community Family (click here)See my topic on Mexican Numismatic Medals (click here) |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
725 Posts |
Quote:
Scammy grannybait rubbish
Oh no. Not the prelude to another PC thread hijack......
It's an unfortunate term, but the sentiment is valid if you flip it on its head. It's the sellers who're worthy of ridicule, not the people who buy the coins. Once people hear I'm interested in coins, they immediately think of commemoratives because that's what they see on TV. I have to gently suggest they don't buy me any. That I collect Saxon sceatas and Roman siliquae is a detail I wouldn't expect them to know - it's my hobby, not theirs. They're simply being thoughtful. Just because they dare to venture from their own sphere of interest to get me something, doesn't mean they should be fair game for legalised cons. Edited by JohnConduitt
04/26/2022 11:25 am
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Pillar of the Community
4628 Posts |
Defebding old people from conmen is not PC, well calling them Conmen rather than con artists already is sexist to some PC types who will say well some are women too.
These companies should be blamed as they play on people's naievity to move inferior product at marked up prices. They also deliberately lie about the content and value of such items, making up names like Nickel Silver and German silver for something that is not silver, is a bare faced lie. Yes of course the buyers of this rubbish should read a catalogue or at least do some reserach, but I think scamming those who may not have access to a coin catalogue or a computer and believe me, many elderly and low income people over 40 don't use computers or may have alow level of literacy or mobility to read a catalogue in a library.
The sellers of this junk, know that if the words silver or gold appear in the ad and the item is silver or gold coloured and looks shiny and blingy - that will attract buyers more than "This coin shows Vera Lynn singing to HMS Patriotic" or whatever.
Finally I am against these products as they might deter some people from collecting coins and they may think all coins are they overpriced modern souvenir tatt. Gold plating a coin is actually damaging it.
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Pillar of the Community
4628 Posts |
Let me clarify my use of the term "Grannybait", I mean the coins are the bait, not the people buying it. Companies like Bradford exchange generally advertise and attract elderly customers with some disposable income.
Just think of all the low quality mail order catalogues often stuffed into publications for old people and general newspapers and magazines that may be read by them. They see a colourful ad showing a shiny coin or medal showing an old car or Vera Lynn or some heroic Aircraft from WW2 and are instantly hooked.
I read that thread and it seemed some people got offended at the term and carried it on. Let me clarify that I have autism and are socially naive and are less likely to be aware of what is pc and what is not. I am assuming that on a coin forum board most of us are older male white people and thus the group that is most likely to be called out for being sexist, racist, agist and any other type of "gist".
Perhaps these Social Justice PC types should realisemy use of the term was to describe the advertising and products put out by these reprehensible scammer companies. I have nothing but sympathy for anybody sucked into buying them and being ripped off. Not everyone has the same access to coin knowledge and technology we do.
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Replies: 11 / Views: 3,474 |
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Posted 04/20/2022 6:47 pm
