Shipping bullion to Great Britain - question

pendragon1998

What would be involved in shipping say 35-40 bullion coins to the UK from the US? How much would it run and what forms are involved? How cheaply could it be done?

Thanks!

satootoko

According to the USPS website, restrictions on mailing to the UK include:

<< <i>Coins; banknotes; currency notes (paper money); securities payable to bearer; traveler’s checks; manufactured and unmanufactured platinum, gold, silver; precious stones; jewelry; and other valuable articles, may only be sent in registered First-Class Mail International shipments or insured Priority Mail International parcels. >>



Postage for a 1 pound 1st Class Registered package would be $20.10. A Priority Mail International parcel insured for the maximum allowed - $650.00 - would cost $33.05.

A customs declaration would be required, and with thousands of dollars worth of bullion and only $650 of insurance, it would be very wise to use the large form inside the package with an outer label that doesn't show the contents or value instead of the small form listing the full contents on the outside! There are also special restrictions on how a registered package must be sealed, which you can find at the USPS website.

wybrit

Registered post is probably your best bet. The postal staff recommended this option to me: I've sent very pricey coins to the UK using that method and never lost one. The package is shipped under lock and key. The downside to registered post is twofold: (1) it is a painfully slow method because there are security measures and (2) all you have is proof you sent the package. Once the package leaves US airspace you rarely if ever see the status updated on USPS.com. The insurance option is probably useless once it leaves US airspace and the package would not be under lock and key.

pendragon1998

The reason I asked is that I was considering picking up a big britannia order from the Royal Mint, but if they get here in crappy shape, I want to be able to return them. The BRM apparently doesn't have a US returns address, so I'm left figuring out how I would return $1000+ worth of britannias to the RM and how much that would cost me. I don't want to make that order if I wouldn't be protected if I needed to return it.

silvereaglecoins

Good luck with the 2008 Britannias. Last year, I bought 500 2007 Britannias from the BRM and over 200 of them had severe scuffing on the queen's cheek due to the "loose fit" plastic dimple sheets where the coins rattle around during shipping which causes scuffing on the high points (i.e. the queen's cheek). Here is a 'typical" 2007 Brit as advertised on a national dealer's website:



Previous year Brits did not have this problem -- either due to better packaging or perhaps the coin rims were slightly higher than the queen's image.

I took a bath on the scuffed 2007 coins and sold many at cost or below. For this reason, I do not carry the 2008 Brits.

pendragon1998

The shoddy packaging used by the BRM makes me absolutely sick. They're asking high prices for coins they can't be bothered to package in an even remotely acceptable manner.