Spink

Affirming the strength of the market for the best British milled coins, two exceptional English gold issues were among the top prices of this year’s New York International Numismatic Convention auctions.

A Great War bronze memorial plaque – the ‘Death Penny’ – awarded to Violet Porter, Women’s Royal Air Force, is estimated at £4000- 5000 in the Spink Orders, Medals and Decorations auction in London on November 27-28.

Coinex, the British Numismatic Trade Association’s annual showpiece fair, returns on September 27-28.

Estimated at just £50-80, an Alice Davis Hitchcock medallion sold for £3000 (plus 20% buyer’s premium) at a Spink auction in London on April 10.

To this day every Indian officer swears the ‘Chetwode motto’ as they commission into the army: The safety, honour and welfare of your country come first, always and every time. The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command come next. Your own ease, comfort and safety come last, always and every time.

It is a quarter of a century since ATG’s first overview of London’s numismatic auction market. Here we review the heads and the tails of 2018.

ATG’s selection of 11 coins and medals lots that were among the highlights sold at UK auctions in 2018.

In April this year Spink held an exhibition to mark the centenary of the founding of the RAF, ahead of a dedicated section in its two-day Orders, Decorations and Medals sale the same month.

Bigger could mean better at the UK’s largest coin fair this year. Celebrating its 40th year, Coinex 2018 is in a larger venue and has more exhibitors.

London auction house Dix Noonan Webb is launching a stand-alone banknotes department and expanding into the next-door premises.

“Full steam ahead” is the battle cry of Marcus Budgen, the soon-to-be head of the medals department at Spink. He is due to replace David Erskine-Hill who is leaving that role following an ‘offer he can’t refuse’ – to be the curator of the best collection of Victoria Crosses in the world.

Marcus Budgen is to head the Spink medals department after the departure of David Erskine-Hill.