Irish Euro Gold and Silver Commemorative coins

scoooby · 08-05-2013 5:20pm

Hi All,

I was too late to get to the Central Bank to buy the Joyce coin. I bought 3 of the Monastic Art coins previously, having failed to buy a Celtic Cross one which sold out. The Monastic Art ones are still on sale, I think. Talk about backing the wrong horse!

Anyway, I'm just wondering if there's any point in ordering coins by phone from the Central Bank. When there were queues round the block for the Joyce coins, were any phone orders accepted? In other words, do I need to join the queue when the next coin is issued, or are the queues simply for those who can't wait for the postman!

BTW, The mail advertisement for the Joyce coin arrived through my door only the day (or perhaps two days) before they went on sale. I didn't look at the date as previously the coin ads have arrived weeks before the sale date and so I was caught out this time. It's a pity the Central Bank doesn't give advance warning on its website of new coin issues (or does it?)

Blade · 08-05-2013 5:37pm

scoooby wrote: »

BTW, The mail advertisement for the Joyce coin arrived through my door only the day (or perhaps two days) before they went on sale.

If you had rung immediately when you got the mail order form, you would have secured a few coins by post. Once you phone them early there's no advantage to queuing up at the CB except to save some money on the postage.

scoooby · 09-05-2013 6:25pm

Thanks for the reply.

Just one other question. I saw coin auctions mentioned somewhere on this thread. Are there particular ones I should look out for with regard to Irish coins? I have no experience at all with auctions or coin fairs for that matter but I'm eager to learn!

Blade · 09-05-2013 6:50pm

scoooby wrote: »

I saw coin auctions mentioned somewhere on this thread. Are there particular ones I should look out for with regard to Irish coins?

You could contact www.hermanwilkinson.ie and ask them to put you on their mailing list for their coin auctions.

scoooby · 09-05-2013 7:35pm

Thanks once again:)

Shelmalier · 27-05-2013 3:19pm

Can I anyone tell me if it's OK to take a CB commemorative coin out of its capsule just to hold it and feel it for real even once. I'm not talking about doing it regularly but only once or maximum twice in say a year. Can they be handled with a glove or polished with a soft cloth or best not to take it out ever? Are the capsules airtight? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

DMcL1971 · 27-05-2013 3:46pm

You will get varying opinions on this. Ideally they should never be removed from their capsules. The surface of the coins are so perfect when they are packaged, that any kind of handling can leave a mark. The oils on your skin, no matter how clean you think your hands are, will leave a mark, which then over time can become more noticable. Polishing even with a soft cloth can damage the coin surface. It is best just never to touch them. There are plenty of buyers who would not dream of buying a coin that had ever been out of its original capsule. On the other hand, in many countries collectors do not bother keeping the box and certificate and would immediately transfer the coin from its original capsule into whatever type of system they use for storing and presenting their collection.

The capsules themselves are not completely airtight but they do offer a lot of protection from outside air and moisture. Silver coins will tarnish with prolonged exposure to the air but will tarnish much more slowly when kept in a capsule. Gold coins don't really tarnish as they are chemically non-reactive. If a coin has been previously handled or has become tarnished it is possible to clean it with special cleaning solutions for gold and silver but an experienced collector will be able to spot this.

In short, I would advise you to never take the coin out of its capsule, if you can't resist the temptation, then at least use a glove. Never touch it with your bare hands.

Shelmalier · 27-05-2013 10:25pm

Thanks DMcL1971,

I can appreciate the reasoning for all of this but it does seem a shame that you should never hold something which was originally designed to be held and touched; which in some ways is the essence of a coin.

hexosan · 27-05-2013 11:11pm

Shelmalier wrote: »

Thanks DMcL1971,

I can appreciate the reasoning for all of this but it does seem a shame that you should never hold something which was originally designed to be held and touched; which in some ways is the essence of a coin.

One could also argue that these collector coins are in fact designed not to be handled.

Blade · 28-05-2013 12:42am

Shelmalier wrote: »

but it does seem a shame that you should never hold something which was originally designed to be held and touched; which in some ways is the essence of a coin.

If you want to reduce the value of a silver proof coin down to scrap silver, by all means have a good feel, otherwise don't touch it and certainly do not put a cloth anywhere near it. If you so much as touch it with a cotton bud you'll leave hundreds of hairline scratches which are visible to the naked eye. No collector in their right mind would buy a proof coin that's been handled like that. As a matter of fact the coin can no longer be described or graded as 'Proof', it will then become an 'Impaired Proof'.

Same goes for uncirculated coins, if there's so much as a fingerprint on one, it's no longer uncirculated. Collector coins are not designed to be held and touched, I really don't understand this urge you have to maul them!

Blade · 28-05-2013 8:07pm

The 2013 €20 Gold Proof and €10 Silver Proof Coins commemorating the 50th Anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s visit to Ireland will be launched on 27 June 2013. The issue limits are 10,000 double units price €130 and 15,000 silver units price €50. The €20 Gold Proof coin weighs 1g with a diameter of 13.92mm. The €10 Silver Proof coin weighs 28.28g with a diameter of 38.61mm.

Shelmalier · 29-05-2013 6:52am

Thanks everyone for the very clear advice. I guess I won't be touching them so.

Spocker · 29-05-2013 8:27am

Blade wrote: »

The 2013 €20 Gold Proof and €10 Silver Proof Coins commemorating the 50th Anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s visit to Ireland will be launched on 27 June 2013. The issue limits are 10,000 double units price €130 and 15,000 silver units price €50. The €20 Gold Proof coin weighs 1g with a diameter of 13.92mm. The €10 Silver Proof coin weighs 28.28g with a diameter of 38.61mm.

My first impression: that's a terrible looking coin

hexosan · 29-05-2013 8:35am

Spocker wrote: »

My first impression: that's a terrible looking coin

I think I'd have to agree with you on that one.

Blade · 30-05-2013 12:13pm

Here's the gold 20 Euro, considering the only way to get this one is by buying the double set, I'd expect those to sell out quickly. In total there's only 10,000 golds as part of the double sets, but 25,000 silvers.

The Collins coins had a total of 18,000 golds and 14,000 silvers and we all know what happened with them. But will JFK be as popular as Michael Collins? What happened with the Joyce's could probably be put down to the publicity over the so called "error". Thoughts?

MasterSun · 01-06-2013 12:06pm

This would be the 1st Irish modern coin featuring a foreigner & dead president.

robert2000 · 01-06-2013 3:20pm

So any thoughts on which JFK to go for, The gold and silver set or just the silver on it's own?

hexosan · 01-06-2013 4:01pm

robert2000 wrote: »

So any thoughts on which JFK to go for, The gold and silver set or just the silver on it's own?

Since there are less gold and its only available in the double set I'd imagine they will be more popular than the single silver. How much more popular they will be is anyone guess.

Shelmalier · 03-06-2013 12:49pm

Just for curiosity how come there are already images of the JFK silver and gold coins about? Does the CB issue photos in advance of the official launch? I also noticed someone on eBay in Germany already selling the silver coins at €63.00 with the proper picture. Anyone know how this can be? Thanks

Blade · 06-06-2013 1:38pm

Shelmalier wrote: »

Just for curiosity how come there are already images of the JFK silver and gold coins about? Does the CB issue photos in advance of the official launch?

Yes.

Shelmalier wrote: »

I also noticed someone on eBay in Germany already selling the silver coins at €63.00 with the proper picture. Anyone know how this can be? Thanks

You should find that they are pre-selling them, but the listings will say that delivery won't be till the end of June.

fritzelly · 13-06-2013 1:17am

Has anyone get the brochure yet for the JFK coins, normally I get the letters about a month before launch

pawrick · 13-06-2013 2:22am

fritzelly wrote: »

Has anyone get the brochure yet for the JFK coins, normally I get the letters about a month before launch

I didn't get it yet either, was beginning to wonder myself

Blade · 13-06-2013 3:14am

pawrick wrote: »

I didn't get it yet either, was beginning to wonder myself

No, they haven't been sent out yet. The official launch is in New Ross on the 27th during their celebrations there. You should get your order forms soon.

fritzelly · 13-06-2013 3:37am

Ok thanks, so long as is isn't me. What's taking them so long to send them out...

Blade · 14-06-2013 4:24pm

fritzelly wrote: »

Ok thanks, so long as is isn't me. What's taking them so long to send them out...

The order forms will start going out from this Monday 17th. Should be a write up about the coins in tomorrow's Indo.

fritzelly · 14-06-2013 4:29pm

Grand, phoned them and they said the end of this week but still didn't get anything. Leaving it a bit late aren't they

Blade · 14-06-2013 4:42pm

fritzelly wrote: »

Grand, phoned them and they said the end of this week but still didn't get anything. Leaving it a bit late aren't they

All the more reason to make sure you send your order in as soon as you get the form as they may well sell out on launch day. As has always been the case, you may not receive your mail order for a couple of weeks, but at least you'll be sure to get it and won't have to queue up at the CB. There'll probably be limits of two double sets per customer.

DMcL1971 · 14-06-2013 7:22pm

I rang them at the end of May and they said the mailshot would go out in the first week of June, which was last week. I then rang them last Friday and they said the mailshot was going out at the start of this week, which obviously hasn't happened either. Now they are saying next week. It might be my imagination but it seems the length of time between the brochures going out and the release dates of the coins seems to be getting shorter each time.

Anyway, I will definitely be ordering coins as soon as the mailshot arrives. I predict that they are going to sell out very quickly indeed, so I won't be hanging around.

DMcL1971 · 17-06-2013 10:13am

I received the mailshot in the post this morning. Orders are limited to two items per person.

fritzelly · 17-06-2013 1:05pm

Got mine as well, seems to be popular, lady said they were very busy with orders. Bit miffed it's only 2 coins/sets, cannot order 2 sets and a silver, one of each or two of one of them.

Irish Euro Gold and Silver Commemorative coins

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