Hi all! About a month ago, I (UK) sent a small lot of about 13 coins to Austria to consign in a Numismatik Naumann auction. However, the tracking hasn't updated since the 2nd of June, where it remains stuck at "1000 Wein" (which I assume is customs processing). Has anyone else had delays or other issues when posting to Austria? I made sure to send my coins tracked and signed for through Royal Mail, with additional compensation for loss of up to £250. Thanks!
1000 Wien is the generic postcode of Vienna. Your coins are probably stuck at custom clearing, which takes ages everywhere also due to covid. That’s why I, living within the EU, I’m not buying anything more from outside.
I live in Canada, I've never sent coins outside of North America, but even getting mail from the USA is very slow with the covid virus going around I've been waiting for a coin I purchased from Ohio through regular mail service since the beginning of June still not here I live in BC. When purchasing over seas sometime it takes up to 3-4 weeks to get the coin and other times 10 days. I guess a lot things can happen that we don't see or hear about in the mail service for making things late in arrivals
Could this be a factor? "As of 1 June 2021, all Royal Mail shipping systems will require mandatory electronic customs data, to ship items internationally." "Failure to comply is likely to result in delays, having items returned or even destroyed." https://www.royalmail.com/business/international/guide/electronic-customs-data?cid=RM0520_TAR_DM_01
Since you mentioned consigning Austrian coins over there, what led you to that decision vs. somewhere here, in US/Canada...? Am not very familiar or savvy...can one generally get more for them over there, vs. here...? Or just easier over there than finding a market for them here...? I have a bunch of nice ones of early-mid-century dates/issues...raw but all silver in MS/MS+...and trying to decide.
Thanks for your response! I sent it via Post Office, so I only needed a customs declaration (which I filled out) Tbh they were the auction house that would take the coins lol. I would have preferred a local UK auction house (like Roma), but Naumann responded first, and I decided to go with them. I've actually consigned a different coin to Roma (estimated at £200, so more valuable than the coins I sent to Naumann
Isn't the "post office" in the UK the same as "Royal Mail"? It's interesting that your last status was posted on June 2nd...the first day after the "electronic custom form" requirement went into effect. It sounds like this new process addresses some post-BREXIT "EU" requirement...not something the UK initiated on their own. "New requirements when sending international items Electronic customs data is now required when sending items abroad"
