My experience is with the purchase of Krugerrands. Many years ago it was a simple matter to buy over the counter from a number of dealers including Spink, and the spread was very low. More recently as the spread increased, I used Baird & Co. at Hatton Garden. That has all changed now. It is difficult to find anyone selling over the counter and the spreads are all unreasonable. The Royal Mail is now completely untrustworthy, as I have found to my cost recently.

     Baird & Co. only trade wholesale at Hatton Garden. Their retail is now in docklands, way over to the east of London, near Beckton. My last order was collect and it was a memorable James Bond sort of experience. Huge warehouses and masses of high protective fencing. No humans to be seen, a voice booming out instructions for entry over the Tannoy. As the automatic gates rolled behind me I wondered whether I should get out alive.

     The current Baird price on their website for a 1oz. Krugerrand is £1177.75. which is just over $1800