Shipping Help to Australia

cosmicdebris

Country Conditions for Mailing - Australia

Prohibitions (130)

Coins; bank notes; currency notes (paper money); securities of any kind payable to bearer; traveler's checks; platinum, gold, and silver (manufactured or not); precious stones; jewelry; and other valuable articles are prohibited.


So can numismatic coins be shipped to Australia? If so how?

mrpotatoheadd

An Australian poster on RCC claimed that he asked the customs department in his country about that USPS restriction and was told that none such existed for importing numismatic items into Australia. I have sent dozens of coins to Australia with no problems whatsoever.

RCC post

And (as I suspect you know) I have on hand emails from Aussie Customs, Aussie Post
and USPS.

Aussie Post: "Not our problem. Don't care. Ask Customs."


Aussie Customs: "There is no such prohibition." (No indication where USPS got the
nutty idea.


USPS: "We can't/won't change the notice on our site until Aussie Customs officially
nofies us otherwise. No, your email doesn't count."


Sigghhhhh.

ajaan

I have never had any problems sending numismatic items to Australia.

1960NYGiants

I've sent only one package to Australia with no problems. I called the item a "token". Buyer received it in less than 10 days, as I recall.

OnlyBuffalos

Identify the item as a medal or token and there should be no problem.

mrpotatoheadd

If you want to be truthful, you can always label the package as "processed planchet", and chances are, nobody will even think to ask you what that is.

Stork

Processed Planchet!! That's a good one! I've been know to use "obsolete numismatic token/medal/item". But processed planchet...I may have to borrow that one. I've got a small package going to Australia this week.

Cathy

Aethelred

On the customs form write "Group of protons, neutrons and electrons."

Aethelred

I will often just write "copper disc" "metal disc" et cetera.

AuldFartte

<< <i>On the customs form write "Group of protons, neutrons and electrons." >>



Wonder if I can get away with that ...

MrEureka

On the customs form write "Group of protons, neutrons and electrons."

Don't do it. Some postal employee will think it's a bomb.

ksteelheader

I shipped to Australia a few weeks ago. I asked the bidder about the prohibition and they said they get coins from the US all the time. So, I shipped with the item listed as "numismatic."

djluster

I have shipped coins there a number of time. Last time which was a week ago. I put Metal samples went no problem. another time put hobby supplies as well no problem, plus both time I recieved something form australia that is what it said as well.

mrpotatoheadd

What seems silliest about all this is that most of the coins I've sent to Australia were made there. I'm not sure why the USPS thinks that Australian customs doesn't want them to come home.

Cruzi

Bought plenty of items (coins and diamonds) from the US, never even had a package opened, restrictions only really apply to very large(ie commercial) amounts.
Have also bought reasonably expensive coins from places like Steinbergs and NEN and the Customs Declaration says "Numismatic Item", no problem getting here.

Only real restriction is items with ANZAC on them, ANZAC items can only be made in Australia and New Zealand.

Edited to add:

ANZAC is "Australia and New Zealand Army Corps", google Gallipoli to see why it is restricted.

The use of the term is so restricted that a law was needed to allow a traditional biscuit we make be called ANZAC biscuit.

291fifth

I ran into the same problem about a year ago. One of the clerks at my post office wouldn't accept the package since it contained a coin (Australian, at that!)

I drove to the post office and mailed it with no problem. It was received in Australia with no difficulty.

sinin1

I wolud guess it is for USPS covering themselves for insurance claims