I'm confused. Having tried to find the answer via Google search and the Royal Mint website I'm even more confused. So I thought I'd seek the advice of the sage folks over at CoinTalk. I own a few 1951 Festival of Britain crowns and have noticed the cases come in different colors. Why is this? Last week I bought a 1984 UK proof set in a very classy looking red leather case. When trying to get an approximate value I wasn't able to find a single example in such a case, just "blue leatherette" ones. Is the difference in color just a cheap marketing gimmick by the Royal Mint syhsters - "OWN THE SUPER DELUXE ELITE LIMITED EDITION!!!" - or does it signify the silver content of the set? Any help would be gratefully appreciated and my thanks is tendered in anticipation. As an aside note, I have to say I was really dismayed at the low qualiity of the Royal Mint's website. It has such a "low rent" feel to it. 90% of the content is devoted to hustling cheap, contrived commeroratives the other 10% was a mixture of dead links or pages completely empty of content. It could easily be confused with the site of one of the private mints. I mean, come on guys - this is the ROYAL MINT we're talking about, a name going back generations, the producers of the most consistently beautiful coinage in the world, not the ordering department of a TV coin show.
I suspect the former, but I do not "know" that to be true. Back in the 80's and 90's the US Mint used to produce a certain number of "sets" that were packaged in very handsome, and very pricey, cherry wood boxes. But the coins were exactly the same as those sold in plain old plastic cases. Those kind of things just appeal to some people. To others they are meaningless. Here for example is a picture an original 1911 British Proof Set that I used to own - It was a handsome red leather case lined with purple velvet. But at the same time there were also other versions of this set that contained 8 coins and another that contained 12. To my knowledge they were similarly packaged. But as the years progressed it became possible to buy individual coins as you liked, or buy entire sets. Marketing has always been marketing because the nature of people does not change.
Yeah, I'll take blue over red and cherry wood every time...... Oh, and shinny too..... I'll go stand in the corner.
you right about the royal mint website , just like tv show ads pushing all that junk!!! their a fellow who works for the royal mint on cointalk, i wish he would be able to tell you??? :yes:
I was just reorganizing my British proof coin collection last night, so here are some immediate observations: There are some color schemes to British coin sets. Proof sets issued from 1970-1982 were placed loose in hard cases inside colorful folded cardstock envelope wrappings. The 1970 and 1971 sets were on very heavy paperboard stock, but envelope-wrapped the proof set in the same way. Beginning in 1983, the teal blue leatherette-cased proof set was introduced which folded out with a fold-down latch. The hard case containing the proof set was hinged to the case and could be displayed as a trifold. The Royal Mint also began offering a leather case, I believe they were all in red. I never bought leather-cased proof sets in the days when I purchased directly from the Royal Mint since it was something in the realm of either $10 or 10 pounds more in price for the exact same coins. The special 1996 silver proof set in which all coins from one pence to one pound are .925 fine silver comes in a velvet plush inside and outside dark red jewelry-style case with the proof coin case removable with a silk ribbon pull-up. My 2000 base metal proof set is in a flat box with an ovaled hard case which could be opened. The box was plushly-lined and allowed for the set to stand upright in the box for display. I recently purchased a 2008 proof set, but I have noted that the leather case option had changed the case color to black with a very, very soft plushy feel. Quite nice. As an aside, I particularly enjoy collecting the one pound silver proof coins which come in light blue cases. My favorites are the one pound silver piedforts which come in red cases beginning in 1987. The piedforts were cased in different colors each year from 1983-1986. All of the other single proof coins, piedforts and special sets were issued cases with lots of different colors, dark red, dark green, dark blue, royal blue, cream and brown. The five-pound .925 silver crowns I have purchased are often in velvet-plush cases.
Hello all. I would have to check with one of our experts on the specifics of the 1951 example, but as of today, case and presentation colours do not correspond to metal content in any formal fashion. Yes, more expensive coins come in more expensive packaging but we don't colour code based on metal or quality. Is it possible that your coins were switched into a different case by a previous owner? To answer the packaging questions...it's a tough one. It may be seen as simply a 'cheap marketing gimmick', but to some people the choice of case is as important as the coins! This is, after all, a complete product that is intended to be kept in its packaging. We do understand that some collectors only want the coins, and that the packaging is secondary...but we are prepared to bet that if you order coins from us you will be delighted by the packaging and you will quite possibly begin to see that standard as a benchmark. We are always seeking to improve our products and service...as we know there is room for us to do so. Quality costs, so if we have to increase the price, we will, but we will also try to deliver value in the form of better coins, better service, better packaging and...yes...a better website
the 1951 crown is usually seen in either the blue or green boxes, the green boxed coin is a silver issue whilst the blue boxed coin is cupro-nickel. by the way the green variety is far rarer than the blue.
I have an update from someone much better informed than myself! "We had a variety of colour cases in 70s, 80s, 90s - onecenter member seems to be familiar with the variations. For the base proof sets, the 83 set was housed in a blue leatherette case which allowed the coins to be displayed. The red leather case version (Deluxe Proof Set) contained the same base Proof coins: yes, it was marketing (they were more expensive - a metal Royal Mint badge on the top of the case as well) but also customer service - we offered both blue and red (customer choice) as some customers wanted quality packaging for permanent display of coins and some just wanted the coins each year as an annual record although I can't confirm if any focus groups were originally involved. Can't answer the question re the 1951 Festival Crown but I do know that the Royal Mint had a stand there and commemorative crowns (cupro-nickel) were struck on the spot - more than a million at the Festival - so moneyer12 may well be correct!" I hope that helps! We may have some of the older boxes here if anyone wants me to dig them out.
Your finger stuttered on the key. I fixed it edit - and James, I also have a question for you. It's about Maundy Sets, and their cases. I have seen the more modern pouches, both in red and some in white if memory serves. But my primary interest regards the older cases, the long, thin, hard cases that had a hinged top and a clasp. The cases were lined with velvet and came in various colors. My question - were those cases issued by the Royal Mint or by somebody else ? I have heard and read that those cases were issued by banks, but I do not know if that is true or not and would like confirmation or correction if possible. Thanks in advance
