Shipping silver out of the country?

[CiscoKid]

A good friend of mine has a birthday coming up. I would like to send him a 10 oz. bar of silver bullion, but he lives in Australia. Are there any special rules and regulations I need to be aware of before sending PMs out of the country?

Thanks in advance!

[livtocruz]

Don't know about sending PMs to Australia but, you'd have no problem sending it to me here in the states. I'll be your friend!

[PastTense]

Country Conditions for Mailing — Australia

Prohibitions (130)

Coins; bank notes; currency notes (paper money); securities of any kind payable to bearer; traveler’s checks; platinum, gold, and silver (except for jewelry items meeting the requirement in “Restrictions” below); precious stones (except when contained in jewelry items meeting the requirement in “Restrictions” below); and other valuable articles are prohibited.
...
http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/ab_012.htm

I suggest an Australian dealer. For a Google search:
http://www.google.com/search?num=100...&aqi=&aql=&oq=

[livtocruz]

Country Conditions for Mailing — Australia

Prohibitions (130)

Coins; bank notes; currency notes (paper money); securities of any kind payable to bearer; traveler’s checks; platinum, gold, and silver (except for jewelry items meeting the requirement in “Restrictions” below); precious stones (except when contained in jewelry items meeting the requirement in “Restrictions” below); and other valuable articles are prohibited.
...
http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/ab_012.htm

I suggest an Australian dealer. For a Google search:
http://www.google.com/search?num=100...&aqi=&aql=&oq=

I would agree with PT, buy from an Aussie dealer and have them ship to your friend.

[CiscoKid]

Thanks, PastTense. Anyone know why you can't ship a measly bar of silver out of the country? I mean, I could see if it were a hundred pounds or so, but one bar???

[MISRy]

Don't know about sending PMs to Australia but, you'd have no problem sending it to me here in the states. I'll be your friend!

Heck I'd even give him access to my PM album on Facebook!

[KGMe]

That is a USPS restriction, not an Australian import restriction. Use FedEx.

Bullion is NOT prohibited by Australian import laws.

http://fedex.com/us/international/ir...l?gtmcc=us#C04
http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page4369.asp

[Thin Shadow]

You are much luckier than I. Quite frankly, I don't know of any "friend" I would want to send ten ounces of silver to, unless it would be myself. If he is really your friend, you should have already clued him in, and ten ounces would be nothing more than a slight smattering to his holdings. I can be your friend for only one ounce. Truthfully, we should all have friends like you. Tis the Bordeaux, ya know.

[bcoins]

We ship from US to Australia every day.

FedEx is too expensive. While you can insure with USPS Priority Flat Rate, it cannot be tracked. For $30, use Express Mail Flat Rate Envelope (triple packed) and mark a face value on the Customs Form ie $10 for a 10oz bar. This prevent the duty from kicking in which is the biggest issue.

Also mark as "Other - Numismatic Materials" which keeps it legal, but most people have no idea what it means.

[HistoryStudent]

That is really a funny country to even visit.

We landed there in 2007 for a cruise vacation and they gave us the BUSINESS for even having hard candy when we landed after a 15 hour flight.
I think they thought I was trying to poison their Beagle snoop dog.

"Then I said, do you still DEMAND a LONG criminal record to immigrate here?"

(Historically this was the place they dropped off all their criminals for the British Empire)


Boy, then they really did not like me....


I loved the HUGE Sydney Harbor as one of the best places in the world.

I bought a case of wine in Melbourne and then in New Zealand they stole it.

I asked them if I did not want to pay the $25 exit fee if I could stay in new Zealand...

Boy they had no sense of humor: and my wife told me to shut up or they take me away like Ross Perot!

[silverblood]

I wonder why the USPS claims that it is a country restriction?

Here is the list of restricted items from http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/ab_012.htm

Prohibitions (130)



Coins; bank notes; currency notes (paper money); securities of any kind payable to bearer; traveler’s checks; platinum, gold, and silver (except for jewelry items meeting the requirement in “Restrictions� below); precious stones (except when contained in jewelry items meeting the requirement in “Restrictions� below); and other valuable articles are prohibited.

Fruit cartons (used or new).

Goods bearing the name “Anzac.�

Goods produced wholly or partly in prisons or by convict labor.

Perishable infectious biological substances.

Radioactive materials.

Registered philatelic articles with fictitious addresses.

Seditious literature.

Silencers for firearms.

Used bedding.

And the (130) link points to this:

131.3 Individual Country Prohibitions and Restrictions
131.31 Information Available

Information on articles that are prohibited or restricted to individual countries appears under “Prohibitions and Restrictions� in the Individual Country Listings. These prohibitions and restrictions are based on information furnished by the countries concerned. Customers should inquire at the Post Office facility about specific prohibitions or restrictions.

So the USPS is saying that Australia prohibits these items.

[Argentsum]

It may not be a restriction. Does Australia have a VAT? That could certainly complicate matters.

Once upon a time I sent my girlfriend (now my loving wife) several items of gold while I was in Saudi Arabia. I made the mistake of declaring what it was on the shipment.
There was a tax due upon delivery by the recipient in the U.S.

[Another]

pay pal a dealer in Australia to ship it to the friend.

Or send it to me and I'll ship it to him sooner or later....