Will the Somali Elephant Coin Cause a Silver Stampede?
I’m often looking for bullion bargains online, and frankly Atkinson’s the Jewellers have some of the cheapest prices around in the UK.
Indeed, right now they have some 1oz Surinames going for £20.27 including VAT which I think is very reasonable.
If you are just looking to increase your silver stack, a cheap and cheerful 1oz coin like the 2013 Suriname may well suffice.
However, in my opinion they are not the most attractive coin in Atkinson’s shop window.
Indeed, my eye was drawn instead to this Somali Elephant offering, currently available for £20.99.
They were minted in Bavaria, but have found their way to Atkinson’s showroom in Sutton Coldfield.
From Somalia, to Bavaria to Birmingham – what a journey.
Check out Atkinson’s yourself, they have a nice selection of stock and you may well find one of their special offers agreeable to both eye and wallet.
The Duck Billed Platypus 1/2 Oz Silver Proof Coin
Here in West Wales, spring is well and truly in bloom, so my apologies for the low post rate of late.
I’ve been out and about hiking the Pembrokeshire coastal path and enjoying this rare patch of lovely weather.
While perusing the latest silver coin releases from the cobbers over at the Perth Mint in Australia, I stumbled across this cute as a button Duck Billed Platypus half ounce proof from their Bush Babies II series.
If you fancy grabbing a few of these you may have to act quickly as this issue has a limited mintage of only 10,000 coins.
If you are ordering from the UK the Perth Mint offer free shipping wordwide on any order over $400 Australian dollars.
Their next release in this series is the Wombat, which I imagine will be just as cute as this one.
The Meteoric Rise of Bitcoin – Silver Collectors Ask Should I Buy Any?
Bitcoin is a digital currency that has garnered a lot of press of late….Both positive and negative.
Back in february the price of bitcoin was hovering around the $30 mark.
Today after a meteoric 2 month rise the price topped $260, before swiftly crashing below $180.
That kind of volatility is not for the faint hearted, and is a reason I believe, most silver coin collectors will probably avoid buying any…..For now at least.
However, shelling out your hard earned cash is not the only way to acquire bitcoins, indeed, many people are busy mining bitcoins instead on their laptops and PCs – powered by custom ASIC chips that mine bitcoin 50 times faster!
As I write this post the price has just dropped below $150, although that price plunge is being attributed to a DDOS (Denial-of-service attack) by some.
Lets see how quickly the price recovers…..Will it bounce back by the end of the week?
Will the bitcoin story end in a stratospheric rise with the price going vertical, or a blow off top and knee knocking crash?
These are questions I’m currently unable to answer.
I and others will watch patiently from the sidelines, fascinated as the bitcoin story unfolds, while keeping one eye on auctions listing dedicated bitcoin mining rigs on ebay 
Of Knights and Castles – A Coin Dedicated to Kaunas Castle in Lithuania
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always loved tales about knights and castles.
Here in Pembrokeshire I’m blessed to be surrounded by beautiful, historic castles.
Indeed just the other day I took a stroll around Pembroke castle, which offers commanding views over the River Cleddau and was built shortly after the Norman invasion of 1066 in 1093.
While on coin surfing duties, researching new posts for this blog, I stumbled across this beautiful 50 Litas proof, designed by Giedrius Paulauskis for the Lithuanian Mint.
Researching the history of the mint, it seems they have been minting half groats and groats since the reign of Grand Duke Algirdas in 1345.
The obverse of the coin is dedicated to the newly restored Kaunas castle.
The reverse offers a fetching depiction of the coat of arms of Lithuania, a warrior riding a War Horse, wielding a sword and shield which you can see in the picture to the left.
Now that they’ve popped up on my coin radar, I’ll be keeping my beady eye on this mint, as they have a number of interesting releases that I’d like to share here in the near future.
