The Man Behind the Medal
Sep 20 2019

William Arthur Bawden was born in 1867 at Truro, Cornwall, the second son of William Bawden and Amelia Moyle of Chacewater, Kenwyn. The family were of means, having lineage with interests in min- ing and fishing, and William senior is described as a Gentleman upon records of the period. Ed- ucated at Truro College, Bawden soon thereafter took employment as a cashier with the Devon & Cornwall Bank and was posted to their branch at Redruth.

Plate 77 Feature
Sep 20 2019

The Plate 77 Penny Red is a stamp that young collectors of British stamps dream about. Along with the British Guiana one cent Magenta, it is one of those stamps that every budding philatelist hopes to find in a dealer’s box or a book of “approvals”. Unlike the British Guiana though, Penny Reds are everywhere – hundreds and thousands of them, sold by the bundle and even used to wallpaper pubs! Surely someone somewhere is bound to find another Plate 77?

Philanthropy in the Himalayas
Sep 20 2019

Of all the grand buildings left from the British Raj, few are more incongruous than Kalimpong’s Macfarlane Memorial Church. This crenelated neo-Gothic edifice looms over the Himalayan town, once a remote outpost of Empire. Its builder, the Very Reverend JA ‘Daddy’ Graham D.D., was an exceptional man whose medals Spink sold on 24th July, alongside those of his equally remarkable wife. John and Katherine Graham dedicated their lives to alleviating poverty in the Himalayan foothills, and are credited with starting Kalimpong’s first hospital. They founded a school, Dr. Graham’s Homes, which now ranks among India’s most successful. Their philanthropic work continues to this day. Here is their story.

Interview with Anthony Spink
Sep 20 2019

Many of our long-term customers will know Anthony Spink, Non-Executive Director and previously Chairman in the days when the company was still family-owned. Anthony is the last family member to be involved in the company, and has worked at Spink for 54 consecutive years, being recalled to his position there in 1965 by then Chairman David Spink (his uncle). After a brief stint in the silver department between 1959 and 1960, he was called up for Na- tional Service in the Royal Scots Greys which he spent in Germany, Aden and Bahrain. He much enjoyed his five years in the army, ending up with the rank of Captain, as Assistant Adjutant to the then Adjutant HRH The Duke of Kent.

Collector's Corner
Sep 20 2019

Collecting film posters is highly evocative, taking the collector back in time to their childhood and those films that impacted their lives. I bought my first film poster, for The African Queen(1951)starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, back in 1987.I fell in love with this piece, as it was a film that I grew up watching with my parents, and which I had always loved. I purchased the poster for £300 and today the same piece is worth several thousand pounds.The market in the 80s was in its infancy, as opposed to today, where there are thousands of collectors worldwide. Some of these collectors are fanatical, and others may only buy one or two specially chosen pieces to display in their homes.

Behind the Scenes on Auction Day
Sep 20 2019

September – Following my jest about chocolate coins in the Summer Insider the Roy- al Philatelic Society commission chocolate stamps for Stampex. Thinking nothing of it I happily agree to assist our new specialist Josh with two pallets for the show. “Careful.” He says. “Fragile?” I reply. “No. They’re melting.” Huh? As icebreakers go a taxi ride with two life-size chocolate Penny Blacks is hard to beat. Welcome to Spink, Josh! January - Having barely caught breath following the mammoth Hermione auction of French rarities and the final bumper Medals sale of the year, 2019 begins with a smorgasbord of collectable delights spread across the globe. New York sees the Ibrahim Salem Collection of South American banknotes whilst Hong Kong enjoys a plethora of philatelic gems from Chinese postal history. Meanwhile in London it is the small matter of the final part of the exceptional Williams Collection and the ‘Pegasus’ Collection of Classic New Zealand. All this and the launch of the brand new Spink Live – is it still only January?