The Franklin Mint

Here’s a question – what do you buy for the brother in law that seems to already have everything in multiple quantities? Well, it turned out that the answer was found on the Franklin Mint website in the form of a fine art print I never knew existed.
Thing is, I of course knew he was a die-hard fan of Bruce Springsteen as it’s not like he makes a big secret of it. However, getting hold of decent music memorabilia these days isn’t the easiest thing to say the least as there is so much junk out there and way too many counterfeits doing the rounds. This makes me especially cautious about using the internet, but when I was directed to this particular website by a friend of my wife, there was no cause for concern.
We decided on the Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA - Limited Edition Fine Art Print as something of a combined gift for two special occasions he had coming up and were delighted to find that the real thing was even more impressive than the online listing made out. It’s a limited edition print from his iconic 1985 tour, measures in at 27” corner to corner including the frame and is of pretty flawless quality as far as I could tell.
He seemed to agree as never in my life have I seen a grown man go quite so weak at the knee for a piece of art. He literally couldn’t muster a single coherent word to express his gratitude for it and still to this day cannot believe we found such a thing for him. Its take price of place in the living room of his home, which I’m not 100% sure has gone down too well with his wife, but never mind.
But seriously, the Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA - Limited Edition Fine Art Print really did come as a shocker to all of us in terms of its value both as a product in its own right and as a collector’s piece. Top marks all round.

Pros:
I’m not the biggest fan of the guy, but even I was impressed by the overall package. It’s elegant and refined while at the same time making one hell of a statement. Speaking of packages, delivery was also arranged much quicker than I would have expected.

Cons:
There are no complaints from me about this product -- I love it.

Online or In-Store:
Online

Final Notes:
It wasn’t the first place that came to mind to look for this kind of thing, but next time I swear it will be the only place I turn to.

The item is the Bantam Midget – Silver that I bought a few days ago from the Franklin Mint website. I had been on the lookout for a nice racecar model as a decoration item for my office. Since I am a lover of vintage car models, my search was primarily for miniature cars belonging to the yesteryears. My search soon paid off when I came across the Franklin Mint website and laid my eyes on the Bantam Midget- Silver.

This racecar model was truly breathtaking in appearance. It had a touch of class and elegance about it that attracted it towards me. Everything about this car was excellent. From its magnificent brass and mahogany body parts to its leather seats and replica engine, everything spoke about the skill of the designer who had made this miniature car with such precision and accuracy using hand tools.

I was impressed with this model car that I decided in an instant to buy it and placed an order for it without thinking twice. I did pause a bit after looking at the price, but went through with the purchase because I did not want to let go of this amazing racecar model. The online order placement was not very tricky and I was able to complete the process in less than 5 minutes. Having placed the order, I started waiting eagerly for the item to be shipped to me.

The website had my order delivered to me in a very quick time and I was able to display it on my office table two days after placing the order. I was so happy to see that the racecar looked perfect on the table adding a touch of class to my office decoration. All of my clients that come to my office always notice this car and praise me for my taste in cars.
I am very happy to have bought this model and am thinking about buying another of these for my home. I would like to recommend this miniature car model to all the vintage racecar lovers who are looking for a nice model car to decorate their office or home.

Pros:
The Bantam Midget –Silver is a truly splendid model racecar that has a commanding presence. Its elegant and classy outlook combined with body parts made from polished mahogany and aluminum make it a must have for any vintage racecar lover.

Cons:
I was a little apprehensive about buying this item because of its hefty price tag. However, seeing its immense beauty and my love for vintage racecars prompted me to buy it anyway. I am glad that I bought this model racecar because it has become a great decoration item in my office that keeps me in high spirits throughout the day.

Online or In-Store:
Online

Final Notes:
The Bantam Midget – Silver is a great miniature sized vintage racecar that can prove to be a great collector’s item for racecar lovers. Made solely using hand tooling, this is a work of art that can look fabulous just about anywhere in your house or office.

I have purchased quite a few dragons from the Franklin Mint collectibles line over the years. As far as the quality of the products is concerned, I was very happy. I was purchasing the dragons from the Michael Whelan collection. The artist is the one who created the covers for many of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragons of Pern series of fantasy books. As mentioned, the quality was great. The dragons look awesome, and are definitely a conversation piece. Someone nearly always remarks on them when they first come to visit. Purchasing my Franklin Mint collectibles from the company itself was my only problem with the entire process. First, at the time I purchased the dragons, I had to sign up for a minimum number to purchase over the years. This was a bit annoying—sometimes I could not afford to spend that much on a collectible item. However, the main problem I had was the fact that I could actually purchase the items cheaper using a secondary site like eBay, just a few years later. Franklin Mint makes it seem as though the items you are purchasing are limited edition and that you are making an investment. In fact, they sell such a large number of the products that it only makes sense that the market is flooded. The purchase process is the only reason I am giving The Franklin Mint a less than stellar review, since I really do love the products. Several lines of the Franklin Mint collectibles interest me. I may start collecting the line of dragon knives one day and additionally I would like to purchase some of the plates and other items that they offer for my mother and other family members come Christmas time. I will most likely be purchasing the items from eBay or a local collectibles shop, instead of from the company itself. On the overall, Franklin Mint is an interesting company with a wide range of offerings. The figurines and plates are very well made, when compared to offerings from other collectibles company. Additionally, there really is something for everyone. When you shop the selection at Franklin Mint, you are more than likely to find something that catches your eye—whether you are a fan of fantasy, science fiction, history, angels, cats, dogs or anything. Despite my misgivings about the pricing of some of their products, I still highly recommend checking out exactly what the company has to offer.

$50 Fortuna Redux Cylindrical 6oz Silver Coin:

I just love the $50 Fortuna Redux Cylindrical 6oz Silver Coin I purchased from The Franklin Mint website. I am a huge collector of coins and I just cannot get over how wonderful this coin is – it is unique! We all know that every coin comes with two sides: Obverse & Reverse, but the $50 Fortuna Redux Cylindrical 6oz Silver Coin comes with a THIRD side! The rim! When I saw this coin on The Franklin Mint website, I just knew that I have GOT TO have this unique coin – my coin collection showcase cabinet will just not be complete without it.

The Mint of Poland came up with the idea of producing the VERY FIRST cylindrical coin on the planet. I learned from The Franklin Mint website that this coin was introduced for the first time at the Berlin World Money Fair. The $50 Fortuna Redux Cylindrical 6oz Silver Coin is definitely an attention getter – people always ask me about this coin each time they see it displayed proudly in the display case. I am so glad to know that the $50 Fortuna Redux Cylindrical 6oz Silver Coin is the planet’s first coin with unmatched spatial proportions of both height and width.

The height of the $50 Fortuna Redux Cylindrical 6oz Silver Coin is around 70 percent. Because of the special shape of the coin, it has around two hundred percent more relief image surface. This beautiful coin is embellished with frosting parts of the picture and careful gilding. The $50 Fortuna Redux Cylindrical 6oz Silver Coin is dedicated to Mercury – Mercury is the Roman god of travelers and tradesmen. Mercury is supposed to help bring good luck in commerce and business. “Fortuna Redux” means “happy coming home a trip or business meeting”. If you believe in making your own luck in business, then investing in this beautiful coin seems to be a great idea.

The $50 Fortuna Redux Cylindrical 6oz Silver Coin has the following specifics:

• Issuing country: Niue Island • Year: 2013 • Face value : $50 • Decoration: Selective gilding • Metal: Ag 999 • Mintage: 2500 pieces • Weight: 6oz • Quality: proof • Height: 22.1mm • Diameter: 32mm

Like I said before, I love collecting coins and the $50 Fortuna Redux Cylindrical 6oz Silver Coin is truly a great find. This coin packaged in a top quality display box and looks just as good as the coin itself. If you are an avid coin collector, then you will be doing something wrong if you do not think that the$50 Fortuna Redux Cylindrical 6oz Silver Coin is worth collecting.

Pros: The $50 Fortuna Redux Cylindrical 6oz Silver Coin is 100 percent unique! This is a coin that comes with THREE noticeable sides! The coin is attractive and is a real keeper! It is made of top quality material – translation: it would last a lifetime!

Cons: There is absolutely nothing wrong with this magnificent coin! This coin is crafted using quality materials and will stand the test of time. I am very happy with my purchase!

Amount Paid: $899.00

Purchase Date: April 1, 2013

Online or In-Store: Online

Final Notes: The $50 Fortuna Redux Cylindrical 6oz Silver Coin is an AWESOME collector’s item. It would definitely stand out from your other coin collections. If you are a coin collector, then investing in the $50 Fortuna Redux Cylindrical 6oz Silver Coin is money well spent!

Recommended: Yes Overall Rating: 5 Stars

Review Title: $5 Canada Gold Maple Leaf By The Franklin Mint

Title: $5 Canada Gold Maple Leaf

Review Body: Here is another great buy from the Franklin Mint - $5 Canadian gold Maple Leaf. Going for less than what I bought them for last month. I put about half my retirement into some of these Maple Leafs last week – I am just too worried about the banking and world situations to leave everything in paper money. So, I did convert some of it to gold. There are many economists in the world that say we are heading for a worldwide financial collapse and any paper dollars you have won’t be worth anything.

I believe they are probably right – in another year our paper dollars will not be worth anything, but at last I have some gold coins that hopefully will get me through. Almost anything from the Franklin Mint is a good investment as they have some of the best collectibles that I have ever seen. Anything from the Franklin Mint over the long run will only go up in value.

The gold Maple Leaf coin from Canada is the authorized gold bullion of that country and is often documented as one of the gold coins in circulation that is made of the purest gold. They are minted by the Mint of Royal Canada; the one side of the coin displays one of the legendary symbols of Canada, the Maple Leaf and the other side has the image of Queen Elizabeth II engraved. This coin is 1/10 oz. fine gold and is 99.99 percent pure. They come sealed and preserved in a clear acrylic holder. The Mint really knows how to display their items. There is also a Certificate of Authenticity with each coin and they are also selling for a bargain rate.

These coins are quality of brilliance, uncirculated as well, so they are worth every penny anyone pays. I have many coins that I purchased from the Franklin Mint.

One of my uncles had a huge collection from the Franklin Mint – I bet that collection was worth a million dollars when he died. The problem was that when he died no one in the family could find the coin collection. No one has any idea what happened to it. When I was little and would visit Uncle Mike he would get that collection out and wow some of the coins he had were mint condition and not a blemish on them. They looked like they just came off the mint. He also got many of his coins from the Franklin Mint.

The Franklin Mint is mostly known for its fine coins, but they also have DieCast collectibles of all type. I had another Uncle who collected those DieCast cars. He has a massive collection.

Pros: Mint condition, uncirculated, 1/10 oz. fine gold 99.99 percent pure, maple leaf engraved on one side and the other is an image of Queen Elizabeth; beautiful coin. Gold usually appreciates in value – like right now gold is priced at almost $2000 per ounce.

Cons: None

Website Experience: The Franklin Mint has a very refined website – no cluttered pages, lots of white space, good product descriptions. Their navigation is menu driven, but they only have a single menu over the top of pages with maybe 8 items listed. That menu bar has drop down menus in each category. The product pages offer great photography of the products with product descriptions being very brief, but including all necessary information. Shopping at the Franklin Mint website is pleasant – it is like shopping in a fine store where few people shop because of its elegance. It is truly a pleasure to shop at this website.

Amount Paid: $259.00 per coin

Purchase Date: March 15, 2013

Online or In-Store: Online

Final Notes: Anyone who shops for collectibles or coins at the Franklin Mint are making a very sound business decision as products from the Franklin Mint only go up in value as the years go by. Whether it is DieCast cars you are looking for or fine coins, the Franklin Mint will sell you something of true value that is showcased well and will only go up in value.

Recommended: Yes

Overall Rating: 5 stars

Review Title: Another Wonderful Find from the Franklin Mint

Title: Navigator's Terrestrial Globe

Review Body: This item is a small Navigator's Terrestrial Globe that I purchased for my son for a Christmas present. Since he was a young boy he has always collected globes and I could not pass up this one from the Franklin Mint. This globe is from the 16th century and is referred to as the Mercator globe. This is what explorers believed the world looked like at that period of world history. Welcome to the age of exploration because a lot of the exploration of our globe was done during this time in history. This globe is rich in handcrafted details as well as design as ameticulous reproduction of the 16th century Mercator Globe. The stand is very ornate, hand-turned wood with finish made of walnut – an excellent way to create the atmosphere of high-stakes adventure for home or the office. My son is an attorney so this looked great in his office.

There are very few companies in the whole world that has touched lives of as many people as the Franklin Mint. For over 45 years, this private mint considered to be the world’s leader in works of fine arts, make magnificent works of art and collectibles that are treasured and not only bring us and others enjoyment but boost our lives and environment as we share the significance and beauty of each item with family and friends.

Gerard Mercator published fine atlases and maps but he also distributed these two globes – the celestial globe of 1551 and the terrestrial globe of 1541. The globes were an immediate commercial achievement and were the largest that had been produced at that time. There is an online exhibit that allows viewers to study the images in greater details for each of the two globes. The globes are currently in permanent exhibit outside the entrance to the Map Collection in the Pusey Library as part of Harvard University’s Map Collection.

This exhibition offers a unique approach to viewing each globe online. The part of the demonstration that features the Terrestrial Globe makes use of a “Globe Navigator”, which is a function providing a view close-up of any sought after location on the globe’s surface. Additional, selected images of the Terrestrial Globe are available on a separate page and may be viewed in great detail. Several other items that the Franklin Mint have for a collection that go along with this Terrestrial Globe include: Classic Anchor Lamp; Old World Globe; Globe Stand 'Paris 1745'; Library Globe; and the Terrestrial Armillary Sphere.

The Franklin Mint not only has collectable works of art but a vast assortment of collectable gold and silver coins as well as many other items that are for collections. Just browsing their website was a learning experience.

Pros: Anything from the Franklin Mint is considered a collector’s item due to the remarkable craftsmanship. Over the years these items will only increase in value. The Franklin Mint takes great pains to re-create exactly the many items that the Franklin Mint has for sell for collections. The Franklin Mint is full of many collectables all handcrafted to the exact specifications of the item that the Mint has recreated.

Cons: The only problem that I had was the Franklin Mint ships by UPS and it took forever for this item to get to me. An item of this value should have been shipped some other way and I would have been glad to pay for the extra shipping charges.

Website Experience: Their website is easy to navigate and the pages are not all cluttered up as there is plenty of white space on the pages for different items. This is a very user-friendly website – and easy to pay for your purchase and be on your way. The checkout page is secure so your information like credit card number is secure when you make your purchase.

Amount Paid:$170.00

Purchase Date: November 18, 2012

Online or In-Store: Online

Final Notes:This is an excellent work of art for sale at a very fair price and I was very proud to give this as a gift. The Franklin Mint is known for its fine collectables, especially fine works of art and gold and silver coin collections.

Recommended:Yes

Overall Rating:5 stars

To show see what kind of range of products the Franklin Mint offers, you should check out the Misty Memory Pendant on the Franklin Mint website. This is not a piece associated with any part of American pop culture. This is a beautiful piece of jewelry that stands on its own as a creation of art. The blue gem in the center of this pendant has a unique cabochon cut that makes it stand out in any crowd. It is set in sterling silver and hung on a delicate silver rope. The intricate designs on the pendant look like tribal etchings, but they are designed to be beautiful as opposed to ceremonial. This is not the kind of piece you would expect from the Franklin Mint, which is what makes the Misty Memory Pendant so special.

Celebrate a child's birthday with the help of a unique, special and thoughtful gift of a personalized Birthday book from The Franklin Mint. The Franklin Mint is notorious for offering customers a wide range of unique, customizable gifts, and the child's birthday book is just one of them. The customizable birthday book features the birthday girl or boy in their own unique story. The story is 20 pages long and filled with lots of excitement and adventure that only can be enjoyed on the child's birthday. This unique birthday gift is ideal for children ages 1-10 and makes a memorable birthday gift that the child will love for years to come. The unique birthday book retails for approximately $34.00, and can be customized with any name.

The Franklin Mint is an amazing site when an incredible selection. Highly recommended.

There are some gifts that are token gestures alone, while there are others that represent life-long investments in treasures that only ever gain favor and value as time moves forward. Needless to say, Collectible Coinsrepresent excellent examples of the latter and this is precisely why the Franklin Mint represents a truly unique gift resource for anyone looking to give something extraordinary. Whether looking to spend a few dollars or thousands, why not invest in something that lasts?