With our specialist gold sale taking place in early August and zero vendors’ fees on all gold lots consigned for sale up to the 30th June 2021, we had a chat to resident gold expert, Dave Eglington, about why now is such a great time to cash in on your gold…
What makes gold such a great investment?
“If we look back over the last 21 years from the turn of the millennium, gold was at around £173 per ounce. We can track its rise to the record in August 2020 of £1,578 an ounce – not a bad investment, I’d say.”
Any tips for identifying gold items?
“Hallmarking is key. Is set by law to protect buyers and whilst this is never a guarantee, it’s a good place to start.”
How do you value a gold item?
“Well, the ‘scrap price’ is a good base line, but this is only a starting point. A gold sovereign is a good example; it is – after all – just 8g-ish of 22ct gold; worth around £290 scrap. However, even a modern 1989 Anniversary sovereign can fetch over £1,000 at auction! And gold in the form of jewellery can fetch even higher prices; for example Georgian mourning rings are much sought after at the moment.”
What are the top gold lots you’ve sold during your career?
“My favourite has to be a two gold coins out of a private collection – one was an Oliver Cromwell gold ‘Broad of Twenty Shillings’ from 1656 that sold for £22,000 and the very next lot was a Charles II example from 1662 that sold for £11,000.”
What gold items would you most like to see come through the saleroom door?
“For me, I like holding a piece of history – so a metal detecting find of an ancient gold coin or perhaps a medieval gold ring would be exciting!”
