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Aust. 1988 Bicentenary - Leather boxed set of 25 Gold Stamp Ingots - $1,500 under cost!!

A perfect opportunity for you to own a collection of Australian stamps, gleaming proof struck in solid silver and plated with 24 carat gold known as “the Australian Collection”.

Some of the following photos are taken from the advertising brochure - the copy from my Archive files - that Australia Post mailed to all those on the Bulletin mailing list back then.

The Australia Post Philatelic Manager fully endorsed and approved this set by mail, and waxed lyrical in a letter to collectors on what an lovely item it all was etc. See his letter below from my files.



The Spirit of a Nation - Two Centuries of Achievement.

The Australian Collection - Issued under the authority of Australia Post, to commemorate Australia's Bicentenary in 1988, by Hallmark Diemasters & Engravers Pty. Limited, is limited
to 10,000 sets, of which this is set number 3425.

My info is that nothing LIKE 10,000 sets were sold. In fact I don't recall ever seeing a number as high as 3425 before.



The set comprises of 25 gold plated solid silver replica Australian stamps featuring 25 iconic Australian stamps issued over the past 140 years.

It is a VERY large and impressive coffee table centre-piece.



Each ingot is identical in exterior size to its original stamp but MUCH thicker of course. Highly polished Proof quality, hand struck in solid sterling silver, plated with 24 carat gold, and each is a substantial 2.2 mm thick as you can see in photo.

Comes with Certificate of Authenticity, and in a handmade green soft quilted leather Presentation Case with gold embossing, and highlights.

Rear of all stamps are stamped with 'The Australian Collection' and '.925 silver HF' to authenticate them.

Stamps vary in size and weight, and are the same outer size as their original paper counterparts, but much thicker. Some as you can see are massive.

Set I have includes the box, the large A4 colour card sheet of the stamps in place, 25 x twenty-four carat gold plated solid silver stamps, original Certificate of Authenticity, brass key and a real hand-made bone/horn spatula "lifter" for the stamps to stop fingerprints etc.

You ALSO get the huge matching book as shown, with leather bound hard cover.

The set of 25 Gold stamps comprises:

1854 West Australia Black Swan 1d
1860 South Australia 2/-
1882 Queensland Chalon Head £1
1888 NSW Centennial "Carrington" 20/-
1900 Victoria Boer War 1d
1913 £2 Kangaroo and Map
1927 Parliament House 1½d
1931 Charles Kingsford Smith 6d
1932 Sydney Harbour Bridge 5/-
1934 Macarthur’s Centenary 9d
1940 Australian Imperial Forces 6d
1949 £1 Pound Coat Of Arms
1949 Henry Lawson 2½d
1951 Foundation of the Commonwealth - 2 X 3d joined pair
1953 Coronation 2/-
1955 Cobb & Co Coaches 2/-
1956 Melbourne Olympics 7½d
1957 7d Flying Doctor
1960 5d Melbourne Cup
1961 Melba Centenary, 5d
1964 10/- Matthew Flinders
1964 Captain Cook 7/6d
1965 Anzac Landing 2/3d
1986 America's Cup 36c
1988 Australian Bicentenary 37c

In 1988 this set cost subscribers over $A2,465 - exactly $A98.60 an ingot. True! See original order form scanned below.

I bought it off someone who paid the $2,465 issue price

Aust. Leather set of 25 Gold Stamp Ingots - $1,500 under cost!! I am selling for $1,500 UNDER the price he paid. $A965

This is pricey, and lay-by/layaway is perfectly OK.

All the ingots are in as new, polished proof grade shiny condition. The leather box is also in great shape.

Many sets I have seen have had scratched and tatty ingots, and badly knocked about and scratched and torn/scuffed boxes as kids have taken it to schoolyard "show and tell" sessions etc.

Most sets are missing the brass key. This one is "as new" - truly. And as such worth TWICE what some in the market should fetch.

The real photos of it below just do not do this beautiful set justice. They look simply stunning. All are full stamp sized.

GOLD right now is at an all time record price .. TWICE what it was when these were issued at $A2,465 a box.

















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Remember, adding another lot of mine (posted by either Admin or GlenStephens or Global Administrator, or ozstamps) - here (or on my website) for sale in general adds ZERO to your shipping cost, so have a good look at what is on offer here in case something else appeals:

http://www.stampboards.com/viewforum.php?f=27

All payment details are on - http://www.glenstephens.com/payment.html

Call it "Gold ingot leather box" and please order via:

http://www.glenstephens.com/order.html

For overseas members, to find out the approx cost in YOUR currency, click here - http://www.xe.com

MONEY BACK GUARANTEE - don't like it - mail it back within 48 hours of receiving it. No-one ever has yet.

- and "lay-by/layaway" is always possible - email me with any queries to glen [at] glenstephens.com - OR "trade-ins" always possible! If you have a pile of surplus stuff I may well be happy to offset that against this item - see http://www.glenstephens.com/buying.html

And many similar mouth watering NETT price offers are being loaded weekly onto -

http://www.glenstephens.com/rarity.html and http://www.glenstephens.com/specials.html

For members who make a BANK TRANSFER or PayPal payment you WILL generally get your goods faster as it saves me some hassle.
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Hi Glen,

First of all, don't panic. I would never ask to put something this expensive on layby. But what I would like to ask is..

1. Would you, as someone in the know, consider these as a very good investment?

2. If so, how long do you reckon you would have to hang on to them before you would make a worthwhile profit?

3. Who would you resell them to when the time come?

Thanks Glen
Arlene

'Who Knows' ... to all 3.

I added a ton more scans to the write up just now, so you can see the AP letter etc. And pages of the sales book/brochure that comes with it.

Glen

Just a private observation, and not reflective of the product or present offer price:

1. Original owner buys the set in 1988 for A$2,465.

2. Item is offered 20 years later (2008), for A$965.

In hindsight, the original investment certainly was a disaster.

The price premium is typical of many of the 'Franklin Mint' type products of the time.

If only the original purchaser has bought premium quality 'Roos or KGV Heads instead!

Unlike Franklin Mint stuff THIS one had the full blessing of AP!

It certainly is an attractive product.

Lovely indeed, just not for my budget right now...

All members please remember, on pricey lots like this, layby/layaway over several months is always fine.

Hi Arlene,
These are something to buy for your pleasure & enjoyment.

My mother doesn't collect stamps but saw them in an auction catalogue that my father had and she asked him to bid on them. I saw them and liked them so I purchased another set at a later auction. Mum's are locked away, mine are displayed as per below on the wall at home so I can see them and enjoy them. It's a very good conversation piece.

Don't like the layout all that much (it's not balanced), but that is what the framer did. They are attached with a special inert adhesive. I personally would not see them as a financial investment. The original buyers lost over $2K on each.

I actually received an extra 10/- Matthew Flinders gold stamp with my lot and then sold this with a copy of the original stamp for $100. I believe that you could make it profitable by doing something like that with all of them.

Thank you for the explanation Darren. They are way above what I could ever afford,
but the reason I asked was out of curiosity. I wondered if they were of more value as
"Stamps" or as "Gold". Is seems odd to me that they would depreciate in value. ie.
Most stamps and gold (to my limited knowledge) usually increases in value.

Appeciate the information
Arlene

Have another set of these just to hand.