News & Blog

Headline act THE weekly newspaper for the antiques trade, the Antiques Trade Gazette (ATG) of June 20 had what I consider to be a rather curious headline. Reporting the discovery of an organised medal forging “factory” in Derbyshire (see News & Views, page 6), the headline, on their front page,...

The biggies (ANA and Coinex) have fallen foul of Covid measures but, as things slowly get back to normal, so there is light at the end of the tunnel and we are hopeful that we will see a return to coin fairs before the end of the year.  The Government has announced that conferences and...

What’s next? SO it’s month three of “lockdown”? Or is it month four? I’m losing track I’m afraid. I know I need a haircut and know that I’d quite like somebody else to do the cooking and washing up but apart from that my life, and I suspect the lives of many of us, hasn’t changed dramatically....

Cashing out ONE of the knock on effects of the Coronavirus pandemic has been the reduction in cash use. Those shops that have stayed open have either discouraged people spending notes and coins or banned them completely. Ostensibly this aversion to cash has been to help “stop the spread” of the...

In the flesh THE news that the Orders and Medals Society of America (OMSA) annual Convention due to be held in Orlando in August has been cancelled (see News and Views) should come as no surprise considering what’s happening in the world at the moment. Whilst we all fervently hope the pandemic...

This too shall pass IT WAS, perhaps, inevitable, but we now learn that the York Coin Fair, scheduled for July 17 and 18, has been cancelled. We all fervently hope that this current crisis is well behind us by then but, realistically, we must expect there to be still be some restrictions and...

Then and now. Remembering Victory in Europe AS we go to press we learn that the UK wide lockdown is due to carry on for at least another three weeks. This will take us to the first week in May, a week when the country, indeed much of Europe should have been celebrating the 75th anniversary of...

Standing strong together FIRST thing’s first—I hope you are all well and that this current crisis hasn’t impacted on you too much. I am aware that many of our readers are over 70 and I hope that you will be taking whatever precautions you feel necessary to stay safe. We are, in a way,...

Standing strong together FIRST things first—I hope you are all well and that this current crisis hasn’t impacted on you too much. I am aware that many of our readers are over 70 and I hope that you will be taking whatever precautions you feel necessary to stay safe. We are, in a way, amongst...

Those were the days THIS month we learn that the Bexley Coin Club, the last numismatic society in Kent, is to close its doors after over half a century. Falling membership has, inevitably, led to its demise; it wasn’t the first victim of those circumstances and unfortunately we doubt it will be...

Then and now ONE of the most fascinating things about medal collecting is, of course, the history behind them. We most likely wouldn’t be medal collectors if we didn’t have an interest in the past, but the news this month that the British Red Cross is going to stop issuing the Voluntary Medical...

Worth a look THE end of January saw one thing dominate the news in the UK—that was, of course, Brexit and, from our point of view, the Brexit 50p. The COIN NEWS team (well Phil anyway) was called on to do numerous radio interviews and asked by various websites and newspapers to give a viewpoint...

Today's the day! Yes on 20/02/2020 (see what they did there) the new £20 featuring JMW Turner, the "Painter of Light" and his famous painting " The Fighting Temeraire ". The new polymer note (made of the same material as the Churchill £5 and the Austen £10) has a number of new security features...

Stolen in a burglary at Haverhill, Suffolk earlier this year Family group stolen in a burglary earlier this year. 1) Basil Oliver Bradley, RA: 1939-1945 star, Africa Star, Burma Star, Defence & War, Territorial Efficiency, Police long service and the Dunkirk medal. 2) 1343 (later...

Stolen during a burglary in Hertfordshire recently:   Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers’ Renter Warden’s Badge Inscribed on reverse ‘ ‘Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers’ and ‘Renter Warden’ on a shield Waterloo medal issued to John Hamilton of the First Regiment...