Posts by Ian Glen
Inverted Stamp expected to sell for £70,000 today
One of the world’s rarest stamps featuring Queen Victoria’s upside down head goes under the hammer later today at London auctioneers, Spink.
One of only a tiny number now available, the ‘inverted’ Queen Victoria Stamp is likely to fetch in the region of £70,000
Out of over 200,000 stamps printed in Calcutta in 1854, it’s thought that less than 30 of the ‘inverted’ Queen Victoria stamps – caused by a printing error which nobody noticed – now exist anywhere in the world.
Whoops!
Of course, the philatelic world’s most famous printing error is probably the ‘Inverted’ Jenny Stamp, so-called because the Curtiss JN-4 bi-plane at its centre was mistakenly printed upside down. It’s thought there are just 100 in existence today – one of which sold for a staggering $977,500 in November 2007.
The ‘Inverted’ Jenny Stamp – probably the most famous print job to go badly wrong
Who wouldn’t want one?
Inverted stamps are incredibly rare and highly sought-after among private collectors.
Sadly, most of us won’t ever get to hold an inverted stamp, be it Jenny or Victoria, let alone have the chance to own one.
The closest most of us will ever get…
Little consolation, I know, but here’s the next best thing to owning the legendary Jenny stamp – The 1918 US Curtiss Jenny Airmail Stamps – Click here.
Just 2,013 new UK Coronation coins released today
Just 2,013 new UK £5 Silver Coronation Coins have today been released as part of an exclusive Proof Coin Collection issued by The Royal Mint.
Released today: the UK Silver Coronation Coin
Struck in 925/1000 Sterling Silver to an immaculate proof finish, the £5 Coronation Crown marks the most important Royal event of 2013.
The ‘Crowning’ glory
Emma Noble’s exquisite St Edward’s Crown design recalls the moment almost sixty years ago when the young princess Elizabeth, watched by millions, was officially crowned Queen in Westminster Abbey.
Everyday coins
with a unique finish
Alongside the £5 Silver Coronation Coin, the other eight coins in the new Coronation Jubilee Executive Proof Set – the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2 – are newly dated 2013 coins in their original circulating metal.
That’s not to say these are the exact same coins you’ll find in your change – every single one has been finished to the highest possible proof standard.
New limited edition set features the new £5 Silver Coronation Coin as its centrepiece.
With just 2,013 Silver Coronation Coins released today, demand to own the new Coronation Proof Set is sure to be high.
**This item has now sold out**
Please click here for a selection of Coronation coins available.
Royal Mint abandons Britannia Silver
After 25 years the Royal Mint has abandoned Britannia Silver as a standard for UK coins.
First introduced under the 1696 Coinage Act to combat the melting down of sterling silver coins, the Royal Mint most recently revived the standard in 1987 for the introduction of the £2 Silver Britannia Coin. As a nod to its design, the Royal Mint opted to strike this coin to the Britannia standard – 958/1000 silver (95.8% pure).
Whilst this made the Silver Britannia Britain’s purest silver coin, it created a problem with its international popularity, as the rest of the world does not recognise this uniquely British silver standard.
For quarter of a century, the Mint continued to maintain the Britannia standard but this year they have finally abandoned it in favour of the more internationally accepted 999/1000 purity, bringing the silver Britannia in line with other 1 ounce silver coins, like the US Eagle, Chinese Panda and Canadian Maple Leaf.
For keen-eyed collector, you will notice the diameter and overall weight of the coin has fractionally reduced as less total metal is required from the new purer alloy to give the coin 1 full troy ounce of pure silver.
So what do you think? Is the loss of a long-held silver quality from the UK’s coinage a sad loss to tradition or should the Royal Mint move with the times and ensure that our nation’s coins remain amongst the most popular the world-over?