There are specialist semi- bullion traders for these coins, they should give you the most competitive prices.
Of the 1887 issue, 54,000 of them were struck, along with 797 proofs, according to Krause World Coins.
I have a 1937 Five Pounds with plain edge proof in nearly FDC. 5,501 of them were minted. I reasoned that there was a better chance of obtaining a genuine coin. It came from Spinks in London decades ago, but I have noted the 1937 Five Pounds is also sold by semi- bullion dealers, when they are available.
I googled:
"Chards tax free gold Five Pounds"
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Quote from Coincraft's 1998 Catalogue, p. 420, for the 1887 and 1893 Five Pounds:
"Many of these are of high quality and of correct weight, and they often mislead experienced dealers.
For the average collector or investor, the 1887 and 1893 five pound coins are amongst the few coins where it is probably advisable to aim for a specimen in no higher quality than about very fine condition.
A genuine coin will often have an 'old' look, and frequently with numerous minor surface marks, (this can be easily faked with a light rubbing from a pot scourer*), while a forgery often has a 'clean' look, and a somewhat weak strike (not always*).
Many coins of the 1887 issue are early strikings that can be easily confused with proofs.
Familiarisation with genuine proofs will enable one to distinguish them with relative ease.
The proofs have wide, clearly defined rims, and the milling has a sharp cutting feel to the fingers."
(*) - my words.
That is why I went for the 1937 proof, which has a far lower mintage, although still relatively easy to obtain, along with the fact that there were very few countries on the Gold Standard in 1937. This helps to explain why very few gold coins were struck anywhere in the World from 1933, until the advent of modern gold collector coins in the late 1980's.
I have never developed an interest in modern NCLT coins struck after about 1970.
Edited by sel_69l
01/11/2018 08:17 am