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Numismatics - Coin Collecting - Sealed Parcels


Charles

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Hi Fellows,

 

Happy New Year to all of you, and your loved ones.

 

I have found on a couple of occasions over the years that the collective wisdom of RMWeb

provides me with a method to move forward on troublesome issues.

 

I've had someone suggest to me that he buys SEALED purportedly unopened parcels, of which

he asserts he believes contain coins which must not be exposed to light - hence must remain

forever sealed - so as to preserve their value.

 

As an Australian would say, I'm Scottish in Australia, sounds like to me.

 

Can anyone offer any advice about the legitimacy of the 'must remain unopened' claim (from

a coin collector's point of view) and whether there might exist agreements whereby such items

might be legitimately shipped without inspection ??

 

Thanks for listening.

 

Best regards

Charles

 

 

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Very many thanks to both of you for your responses.

 

Yes, that's precisely where I'm coming from, but my two questions remain -

 

Do coin collectors buy 'undamaged by light' unopened parcels ??

 

My only 'Holy Grail' is some info about the backhead detail of a

Dunalistair III - so who am I to judge ??.

 

The Postal Rules, on the other hand, may well permit this sort of

transaction to take place, and that's what I'm after.

 

Thank you and best regards.

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I've got a very rare Schrödinger's cat coin in a sealed box (let's ignore the source of radiation and detector with some poison, I don't charge for them)

 

Yours for £750 but be warned, the box must stay sealed for as soon as the box is opened the coin turns into a trolley token worth around £1.

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The only things which I am aware of which will affect coins is human finger grease/acid and dust.  If the coin is kept in a closed transparent plastic wallet it should not suffer any tarnishing and hence should remain in good condition - hence, for example, the Royal Mint selling coins and coin sets in plastic boxes or wallets.  (n..b. it needs to be the right kind of plastic although damage from plastic storage wallets sems to be something which happened in teh past and has now been resolved - it was due to chemicals leaching from the plastic).

 

Most coin collectors storage chests I have ever seen have drawers so the coins in them are stored out of sunlight but that is really no more than a consequence of neat storage in a drawer and nothing to do with protecting them from light.

 

If your pal is buying sealed parcels of coins sight unseen perhaps you would be kind enough to forward his address - I have quite a few large washers going spare ;)

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Thank you fellows, all of you.

 

We're getting there, but we need a Numismatist, to confirm the absurdity of the notion (thank you Stationmaster for

your reply).

 

We also need an honest person to confirm the absence or presence of Postal Rules which might allow this trade to

take place.

 

I'm totally Chuffed with all at RMWeb,

Charles 

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Surely that's lost something in translation.  Does you friend mean this type of sealed packaging?

 

http://www.kxclassifieds.com/1968-canada-proof-like-6-coin-i7336574/

Thanks, Gordon,

 

Well clearly neither my 'friend' nor me can ever know, because the value of the item is

destroyed if you should ever look at it.

 

Yes, I know it sounds like total idiocy on my part, but the two points remain; is there

such a belief amongst coin collectors, and are there postal rules which might permit

people to do this sort of thing ??

 

And to more specifically answer question, it looked like the kind of well packaged thing

I might receive from Caley Coaches or Ultrascale - a well bound by - tape, cardboard

construction designed to protect it's contents, with no appeal to aesthetics.

 

Best regards 

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I can't deal with the specifics of your question but can comment from within a similar field. I collect medals, General Service Medals to be precise, and purchase them from a range of sources: private sales, 'physical' auctions and eBay-type sites. I have purchased from all over the world and for probably 20 yrs+. These medals are silver and sometimes of considerable value. I have never, ever, heard of one being damaged by exposure to light. It's a complete nonsense. What does damage these things [and so, by extension, coins] is careless handling, acid contamination [eg. finger grease, cheap paper packaging, the vapour from certain woods used in cabinets] and moisture / exposure to chemicals, etc.. Not light, although the ribbon may fade of course. That can be replaced without any real impact on value.

 

I wouldn't touch anything with a bargepole that came with a requirement that it should not be opened. 

 

On an allied matter, I recently met a Wren collector who told me that he had a number of locos which had never been taken out of their boxes and so were in 'ultimate' mint condition. These items had never been unwrapped and their tissue paper linings were completely undisturbed. This is absolutely true. Quite aside from what would be the point, how would one know that what was in the box was either mint or even what it said on the label ? His answer was 'trust'. Call me a cynic, but...

 

Tony

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Thank you fellows, all of you.

 

We're getting there, but we need a Numismatist, to confirm the absurdity of the notion (thank you Stationmaster for

your reply).

 

We also need an honest person to confirm the absence or presence of Postal Rules which might allow this trade to

take place.

 

I'm totally Chuffed with all at RMWeb,

Charles 

The only relevance of UK postal rules is declaration of contents and their value - the latter being particularly relevant in the event of a claim for loss.  You can send through the post anything which the postal system legally allows you to send and many dealers in ephemera, stamps and (I believe) coins use the ordinary postal service or a courier.  I have seen packages worth several hundred £s (or more) sent via Royal Mail with no trouble - that is common practice for auction houses for example.  But it is worth remembering that you do not necessarily need to make an accurate assessment of value to Royal Mail - but you would have to provide evidence to support any claim you make.

 

The only coin collectors I have seen in action have been at auctions - and they generally make very sure they have a good look at what they are buying (assuming they are present in the room, those bidding on commission or over the 'net usually ask for photos before bidding).  Auctioneers of course have certain legal duties in respect of description and providing information; 'ordinary sellers', such as me with my washers or Beast with his Schrodinger's Cat coin, are not bound by such restraints although no doubt Ebay might get a bit heavy with us if we made too many sales producing very negative feedback.

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...no doubt Ebay might get a bit heavy with us if we made too many sales producing very negative feedback.

Since we have moved toward thought experiment. Being of an enquiring nature, I have been tempted by - but never carried through on - the thought of a Wrenby-Trublo whatever, 'mint in box'. Should the incautious purchaser actually open the box and discover the contents to be a truly mint item of the Glacier, Polo, Trebor etc. class, would Ebay uphold a complaint of misrepresentation?

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I expect they would. ]

 

Certainly Amazon did when I bought a used Macbook Pro which listed decent spec in bold at the top of the page, but then right at the bottom in tiny print was something like (I can't remember the exact wording) "actual item is not as above but..." and then listed a much lower spec.

 

Of course I did not scroll right down to the bottom of the screen when deciding to purchase as the big banner description at the top had led me to believe I had found just what I was looking for.

 

The fact that, when challenged the seller remarked that it was my responsibility to look at the entire description, didn't wash with Amazon.

 

Therefore I doubt that something advertised as a Wrenn Duchess followed by "mint in box", and was actually a mint in a box, would escape the attention of Ebay, and indeed trading standards, if the buyer rightly kicked up a stink.

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This is complete and utter nonsense, who is going to mint a coin which would be so badly damaged at a moments exposure to light as to be worthless? Are they the coins of Dracula?

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Thanks, Gordon,

 

Well clearly neither my 'friend' nor me can ever know, because the value of the item is

destroyed if you should ever look at it.

 

Best regards 

Sounds like the Dr Who 'Weeping Angels', except in reverse!

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This is complete and utter nonsense, who is going to mint a coin which would be so badly damaged at a moments exposure to light as to be worthless? Are they the coins of Dracula?

 

I have a lot of coins which, when exposed to the Mrs, disappear.

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Thanks to all who replied, and who took the trouble to confirm the patently obvious.

 

I do particularly like 'mint' in box. 

 

My concern, of course, is whether the tactic might be used as a means of avoiding 

Customs or Quarantine inspection; although I would like to think the use of such a

tactic would invite even closer scrutiny by the authorities.

 

I have good reason to think along those lines which is what prompted my question here.

 

The fellow concerned isn't an idiot by any means, and seemed a little put out when I

I said 'I know what you'll be getting for Christmas'.

 

The exchange took place a number of years ago and I subsequently received as

gifts 'mint in box' coins minted in celebration of Australia's first railways, much as

a commemoration stamp might be issued.   And yes, I've looked at them of course.

 

Must away for another day.

 

Best regards

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You've answered your own question, the postal, and most certainly customs authorities, would be able to examine any packet or parcel which they saw fit.

 

Any materials which should not be opened for good reason, safety for example, would only be accepted under certain conditions and from certain bodies. Such materials would not pass through the postal service anyway and would probably go with an escort or courier.

 

Joe Average sending a parcel marked 'Do Not Open' is just inviting closer scrutiny.

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