SUNRISE IN THE EAST: THE NOVELTY OF EARLY WAR MEDALS
Dec 12 2016

The medal awarded for the Waterloo campaign of 1815 is generally regarded as "the first British war medal" - granted to all those present in a designated area at a designated time and given to all in the same format (a circular silver medal suspended from a coloured ribbon) regardless of rank or achievement. But its issue was far more a reflection of the importance of the event rather than the sign of any desire on the part of the British authorities to start issuing campaign medals for soldier...

THE SOUTH ASIAN COINS OF DR. PHILLIPE TAUGOURDEAU
Dec 06 2016

Professor Dr. Philippe Taugourdeau was a French geologist who specialised in the study of microfossils. He started collecting coins at a very young age. His first collection focused on the Roman Emperors and the sale of this enabled him to buy his first microscope.  His decision to focus on Indian numismatics came while participating in a geology congress in India in 1977 with his wife who was also a geologist. For more than 25 years after that first visit he built up his collection throu...

The East Harptree Hoard
Nov 28 2016

East Harptree is a small village some 16 miles south-west of Bath and it was the site of the discovery of about 1500 largely mint-condition Roman silver coins all dating from the 4th century which is known as the 'Harptree Hoard'. It was discovered on the land of Mr William Kettlewell of Harptree Court - used as the filming location for Series 3 and 4 ofThe Great British Bake-Off. During the dry summer of 1887 the water supply to the village of East Harptree had run very low and it was decided...

Sweden and Europe's First Banknote
Nov 21 2016

The earliest European banknote most collectors will ever see was issued in Sweden in 1666, a happy coincidence given the anniversary we are now celebrating. The story of Europe's first banknote actually goes back even earlier and Sweden can make a technical claim to being the first country in the world to issue bank notes, on the grounds that the paper money issued in China from the 11th to 13th centuries was issued not by a bank but by the Emperor's treasury, as a substitute for cumbersome qua...

SPINK: FOUNDED IN A TIME OF WAR
Nov 18 2016

At the time when John Spink was just beginning his business in London in the mid-1660s, the capital had just gone through the horror of the Great Plague, followed by the destruction wrought by the Great Fire and was in the depth of a military crisis which had already been running for over a decade. Hardly inspiring times to set up a new business! John Spink founded his goldsmith's and pawnbroker's business near Lombard Street in London around 1666 (though the actual date is not certain). The Gr...