COIN OF THE WEEK - 2/7/14
Jul 02 2014

A Roman Aureus, struck in Lugdunum in 46-47 A.D. This scarce gold coin of Claudius celebrates his invasion and partial conquest of Britain. The triumphal arch in Rome, dedicated in 51 A.D.,  bore the inscription DE BRITANN and the Emperor himself was depicted on horseback between trophies of arms. The inscription on the arch stated  'He received the surrender of eleven kings of the Britons, defeated without any loss, and first brought barbarian peoples across the ocean into the dom...

COIN OF THE WEEK - 25/6/2014
Jun 25 2014

An extremely fine Sixpence of the young king Edward VI, the only son of Henry VIII. To his left is the Tudor rose and to the right the value is given in Roman numerals. The legend on the reverse, from Psalm 54, translates as 'I have made God my helper', an appropriate motto for a boy king ruling England during the most turbulent time of the English Reformation.  The coin will be offered at auction at Spink in London on 25 June. 

COIN OF THE WEEK - 19/6/14
Jun 19 2014

An attractive 5-Franchi from the small Italian Duchy of Lucca and Piombino, with a double portrait, this one showing Felice Pascuale Baciocchi Levoy and his wife Elisa, the younger sister of Napoleon, who, thanks to her older brother's largess, delighted in the grand title of Anna Maria Elisa Napoleon Baciocchi Levoy, Princesse Française, Princess of Lucca and Piombino, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, and Countess of Compignano.   The coin will be offered at auction at Spink in London on 25 J...

COIN OF THE WEEK - 11/6/2014
Jun 11 2014

This superb detailed portrait of Alexander the Great is on a silver Tetradrachm from the mint of Kaunos in Turkey. The iconic head of Alexander, with god like features and wearing the lion's skin headdress, is forceful and arresting. If you want a portrait of the most famous ruler of the ancient world, this would be a very good choice.   The coin will be offered at auction at Spink in London on 25 June. It is currently available for viewing in our London showroom.   

D-Day 6th June 1944, The Animal Victoria Cross – THE DICKIN MEDAL
Jun 06 2014

THE ANIMAL VICTORIA CROSS - THE DICKIN MEDAL Awarded to 3 year old pigeon NURP.41.SBS.219 The Duke of Normandy, 21st Army Group, D-Day 6/6/44, AFS, No. 1086, DM No.45. The Dickin Medal is the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, awarded for bravery by the PDSA. During World War II the British forces used some 250,000 homing pigeons in a variety of roles, but primarily for sending messages. During the events leading up to and during the D-Day landings pigeons brought back many messages f...

COIN OF THE WEEK - 4/6/2014
Jun 04 2014

A gold coin of the Gupta king Samudragupta depicting a  4th century horse sacrifice ceremony The early Hindu rulers of India respected the traditional ceremonies passed down to them orally by means of the vedas and the purānas. The Guptas were exemplars of these traditions and it is widely thought that Indian culture and art reached its apogee under their patronage. Attractive as it is, this coin can only be fully appreciated when the rationale behind its choice of subject is...

COIN OF THE WEEK - 28/5/2014
May 28 2014

  Silver Denarius issued by Sextus Pompey, the Commander of the Roman fleet in the Western Mediterranean in the First Century B.C.  After falling out with Octavian and Mark Antony he retreated to Sicily and turned to piracy. With a strong fleet, Pompey was for a time unstoppable, raiding and pillaging up and down the coast of Italy at will. Eventually he was defeated, and was executed on Mark Antony's orders in 35 B.C. The coin will be offered at auction by Spink in London on 26...

COIN OF THE WEEK - 21/5/2014
May 21 2014

  An extremely fine gold Ducat of 1741 from the Swiss city of Bern. The shield shows a bear, the symbol of the city. There is still a bear park in the centre of Bern, the setting for the Mary Plain children's books. The reverse shows the city's Latin motto, dating from the time of the great Religious Wars that followed the Reformation of the 16th century.   The coin will be offered at auction by Spink in London on 26 June 2014. It is currently available for viewing in our London...

COIN OF THE WEEK - 14/5/2014
May 14 2014

  Scotland, James VI, 1567-1625, fourth coinage, Thirty Shillings, 1585, half-length crowned and armoured bust of the young King, rev. Scottish arms crowned, good very fine/  very fine, an attractive portrait.   Son of Mary Queen of Scots, James VI succeeded to the Scottish throne aged 1 in 1567 at a time of political and religious discord.  The Protestant faction took charge of the young king and he was brought as a Protestant.  His rule brought a period of peace...

COIN OF THE WEEK - 7/5/2014
May 07 2014

    Eadred, king of England, 946-55, Penny, south eastern mint, by the moneyer  Burhelm, symmetrical floral device with berries, rev. two line inscription divided by a cross between two anchors, extremely fine,  unique and the first recorded of this type for Eadred, for auction, June 26th 2014.   Eadred, a grandson of Alfred the Great put an end to the Norse kingdom of York and completed the unification of England. The exceptional  ornate design is only recor...

COIN OF THE WEEK - 30/4/2014
Apr 30 2014

  Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, 1653-58, Gold Broad, 1656, laureate head right, rev. crowned arms of the Protectorate, extremely fine, for auction June 26th 2014, a warts and all portrait by Thomas Simon, the finest engraver of the time.   Oliver Cromwell, leader of the victorious Parliamentary armies in the English Civil War, signed the death warrant of Charles I in 1649 and became Lord Protector of England in 1653. Offered the crown in 1657 he turned it down and d...

Coins of the Ancient Silk Road Issued at Chach and Khwarezm (9)
Feb 04 2014

Written by Barbara Wears It is always exciting to see something new. For me, the biggest thrill of collecting is finding that mystery coin, puzzling over its attribution then finally placing it in its historical context. Following the success of the Rhodes Tibet auction, Spink Hong Kong  are offering another one-off collection of intriguing coins, this time from the pre-Islamic Silk Road states of Chach and Khwarezm (Choresm). Khwarezm, Bivarsar (c. late 3rd -4th century AD), Tetradrac...

Important Indian coins to be offered at the March 27th Sale at Spink
Feb 20 2013

Lot 105: Vijayanagara, Krishnadevaraya(1509-30), AV presentation Double-Pagoda, 7.79g, Venkateshwara standing facing under arch ornamented withmakaras,rev.  Devanagari legend sri krishna raya. This coin is unusual firstly because of its weight, double that of a normal pagoda orvarahacoin, and secondly on account of its obverse image. Krishnadevaraya identified strongly with the Vaishnava deity Krishna, and went to some lengths to promote himself as the representative of this god on...

A collection of Durrani Mohurs, property of an Indian Prince
Oct 30 2012

A collection of Durrani Mohurs, property of an Indian Prince   On December 5th Spink is to auction the most extensive collection of Durrani gold Mohurs ever offered. The Durrani dynasty was to Afghanistan what the Mughals were to India, uniting the Pashtun tribes for a generation; long enough to mould Afghanistan into the form it takes today. The coins themselves speak of the extent of the empire, with mints as far flung as Shahjahanabad (Delhi) in the east and the holy city of Mashhad,...

National Treasure: Barnaby Faull
Jul 31 2012

Country Gentleman's Association Magazine Feature:   A Gentleman of Note Established in 1666 Spink of London have long been associated with the trade in ancient and rare coins. They also deal in the world's most desirable banknotes under the knowledgeable eye of Barnaby Faull If you should come across an eighteenth century Bank of England banknote in the back of an old drawer somewhere, you will be pleased to hear that the Bank will still give you the note's face value in return...

Coins of England & the United Kingdom
Jul 16 2012

Coins of England & The United Kingdom was first published in 1929 by B.A. Seaby Ltd. and was issued as a paper cover booklet with a cover price of 6d and was entitled Catalogue of Coins of Great Britain and Ireland. It later became the Standard Catalogue of the Coins of Great Britain and Ireland in 1945 which was written by H.A. Seaby between air raids, whilst in Air Raid Precautions Control Room in North London. So popular was this edition that it ran to three impressions, reprinted in 194...

The David Kirch Collection
May 01 2012

Of English Provincial Banknotes By Roger Outing English provincial banknotes offer a unique and fascinating insight into the historical development of the English banking system. The early days of the London goldsmith-bankers during the 1650's; the explosive expansion of provincial private bankers during the early 1800's; the establishment of the first joint stock banks in the 1830s'; the final consolidation of the "Big Five" banks in the 1920's, these can all be recorded in the wide range ba...

RMS Titanic
Apr 20 2012

RMS Titanic By Stephen Goldsmith Historical objects often strike chords that resonate within the hearts of collectors. This is especially true of objects that relate to the 1912 sinking of RMS Titanic, arguably the most compelling maritime disaster of all time. At Spink, three extraordinary Titanic-related items have recently come to light. The first relates to the early part of the Titanic's story, conveying the excitement and optimism that surrounded the debut of world's largest and most l...

Coinage and Currency in Eighteenth Century Britain: The Provincial Coinage
Apr 17 2012

By David Dykes  Written by an expert in the field and drawing on recent research, this book aims to put Britain's 18th-century provincial token coinage into the context of the currency problems of the time. On the basis of a wide range of both documentary and secondary sources, it examines its major manufacturers and their intentions, and through profiles of many of the issuers involved it sets out to give a living dimension to a bygone monetary phenomenon. Contains extensive photographs...

Banknotes of British Malaya: The Frank Goon Collection
Apr 17 2012

Including the Straits Settlements, Malaya, British North Borneo, Sarawak, Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore Spink is proud to announce the publication of this sumptuous new book; a celebration of a unique collection of banknotes, assembled over a period of 20 years by Mr. Frank Goon, a prominent Malaysian businessman. It is the most comprehensive collection of its type, spanning many eras of change within the lower area of South East Asia. The collection includes many unique notes, never before...