General News

Are you coming to the LCF tomorrow? Once again, at its usual home of the Holiday Inn (Coram Street, Bloomsbury), the show starts at 9:30am and we will be at our usual table.  Pre-registration is advised but not essential.  We are looking forward to seeing you there! 

STOLEN MEDALS The following two groups of medals were stolen recently in the Bristol area: Medals to Lt Col Tim Hope, 10 Hussars and Royal Hussars Defence Medal 1939/45 War Medal GSM with 2 clasps – Palestine 1945-48 and Malaya Queen’s Korea UN Korea CSM with 2...

STOLEN MEDALS On August 19 a group of seven medals was stolen in a burglary from a rural property near Leominster, Herefordshire. The medals are named to 24135164 S D HOLDER SAS and include the South Atlantic Medal and the two clasp General Service Medal ( Dhofar/Northern Ireland) Anyone...

It's with much pleasure that we learn of the return of Eddie Smith's Wakefield show in October, except it's not Eddie's and it won't be Wakefield (at least not yet!).  The show, now rechristened "The Yorkshire Coin Show" will still be held on the last Sunday of the month, but for October,...

The 1943 immediate Military Medal awarded to LCpl R. J. Holmes SBS Raiding Forces was sold by Warwick and Warwick in their August 18 sale for the very impressive sum of £74,000 (hammer). The MM was awarded for the raid on Peza fuel dumps in Crete on July 4 1943. Holmes later went on to serve...

Don't forget the first Yate (Bristol) medal fair of the year (the first in 18 months of course) takes place this on Sunday, August 15 - it's our "local" fair so we will definitely be there at the Yate Leisure Centre, Kennedy Way BS37 4DQ from 9.30am! We'll have all our standard stock plus a...

The most recent MEDAL NEWS features the splendid 1891 Thobal VC group which we state is a "British Auction Record" but, of course, it isn't! It's a record for an army VC but not a record overall.  Apologies must go to Morton & Eden who actually hold the record having sold the "Q ship" VC DSO**...

The important Battle of Britain fighter ace’s CVO, DSO, DFC* group of eleven awarded to Group Captain Peter Townsend (1914-1995) of the Royal Air Force, who was also known for his romance with the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, hammered at a very impressive £260,000 at DNW's Wednesday, July 21...

The Battle of Britain fighter ace’s CVO, DSO  DFC* group of eleven awarded to Group Captain Peter Townsend (1914-1995) of the Royal Air Force, better known, perhaps for his controversial romance with the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret will be offered by Dix Noonan Webb in their live/ online...

It's here! The 11th edition of the Banknote Yearbook -is with us now (thanks to our exceptionally efficient printers!). There's still time to order your copy and get it POST FREE, just click here for details

The organisers are happy to be able to announce that they are now in a position to start running these two popular fairs again. Bowburn / Durham will take place on Sunday, July 25 at Bowburn Community centre, Bowburn Village, Durham DH6 5AT from 8.30 am to 1.00 pm. With more fairs to follow in...

Back in May of last year, we reported on Lord Ashcroft's proposal to award the National Health Service a collective George Cross akin to that awarded to Malta in World War II and to The Royal Ulster Constabulary (later the Police Service of Northern Ireland) in 2000. Well, now that has come to...

With the announcement that York has been cancelled, it's more important than ever to support the London Coin Fair this Saturday (July 3) and the Midland Coin Fair the week after (Sunday 11). If you are planning to attend you must pre-register so please visit the organisers' website ...

It's with a real sense of sadness that we have to announce that the York Coin show has been cancelled. Due to take place on July 16/17 the ongoing Coronovirus restrictions have meant that the organisers have found it impossible to comply with Government requirements and have been forced to call...

Very sadly we have just heard that because of the extension to the Coronavirus restrictions announced on Monday the Britannia Medal Fair, due to be held on Sunday, July 11 has been cancelled.  Let's hope that by November things are a little different and that show can go ahead. We'll keep you...

We have just received this message from the organisers of the London, Midland and York Coin Fairs. "Further to the Government's decision to delay the removal of Covid 19 restrictions, we have spoken to the venues and can now confirm that both the London Coin Fair on the 3rd July, and the...

The Royal Mint held its annual Trial of the Pyx ceremony at Goldsmiths Hall in the City of London on Friday June 11. The Trial of the Pyx is the UK’s oldest legal ceremony which aims to uphold the quality of the nation’s coinage produced by The Royal Mint. The event, first publicly carried out...

The legendary 1933 Double Eagle - the only one of its kind that can be legally held in private hands, sold for a stunning $18.9m at Sotheby's in New York on Tuesday June 8. The sale marks the second time it has broken the auction record for a coin, having last done so in 2002, when it fetched...

Have you got a spare $15m or so? If you have then you too are in with a chance of owning the famous 1933 Double Eagle which is coming up for sale on June 8 in Sotheby's of New York, It's one of just three lots in a sale entitled "Three Treasures-collected by Stuart Weitzman", the other two...

Already well established as one of the world's premier medal dealers, the London Medal Company is now offering their customers the chance to buy at auction too. In a new venture, the company has introduced a timed auction service on their website and an initial glance shows some superb items at...

The Brand New GOLD SOVERIGN SERIES by Michael Marsh and Steve Hill is available NOW and it looks fantastic! For the very first time, ALL coins in the sovereign series are covered - from the five sovereign piece to the quarter that made its appearance just a few years ago,  making this the most...

Banknote News carried the design of the new £50 some months ago but now the notes themselves have been revealed, as has the date of their release, which will be June 23, exactly 109 years after Alan Turing, who features on the new polymer £50, was born! For more information on the new note take...

  Unfortunately it seems that the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Coronavirus measures and the obvious fear that despite the “roadmap to recovery” that should see us restriction free in June the UK may yet see another lockdown, the Orders and Medals Research Society (OMRS) have decided that the...

It is with great regret that the organisers of the Maastricht (Valkenburg) Paper money fair (originally due to be held on April 17-18) have decided to cancel the spring event due to the ongoing coronavirus situation. Whilst we are all hoping things will get "back to normal" soon April might be a...

With the recent announcement regarding lockdowns in England, and the "roadmap to recovery", the organisers of coin and medal fairs are tentatively releasing dates which we all fervently hope they'll be able to stick to: The London Coin Fair in Bloomsbury is now scheduled for July 3 The...

Ahead of International Tooth Fairy Day on February 28 (yes that's a thing apparently), new research from The Royal Mint – the official supplier of the Tooth Fairy – shows the growing public desire to keep childhood traditions alive, with almost two thirds (60%) saying they should be protected...

It is with great sadness that we learn of the death, age just 56, of Paul Dawson a well-known, respected, and liked coin dealer of many years experience, who many of us had the privilege of calling a friend. First working in the family business with his father (who also sadly passed away this...

The extremely important George Cross from the Korean War from the ‘Battle of Imjin River’ – awarded posthumously to Lieutenant T. E. Waters of the West Yorkshire Regiment, which was attached to 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment - sold for a staggering world record price of  £280,000 at DNW...

Whilst it wasn't due to take place until April, the organisers of the Harrogate Coin Fair have taken the (probably wise) decision to cancel the show now and look forward to 2022. With the recent announcement that lockdown (in England at least) is to carry on until March 8 at the earliest, it is...

The New York-style 1787 Brasher doubloon is arguably the world's most famous numismatic rarity, and the Stickney-Ellsworth-Garrett-Partrick example is the finest of the mere seven known specimens. Acquired by pioneer numismatist Matthew Stickney in 1848, the present coin has been offered...

Thomas Simon's beautiful 1656 Gold "Pattern Broad" 50 shillings hammered at a staggering £380,000 (£471,200 total) at DNW's January 21 sale. The coin, which was part of the Marvin Lessen North Yorkshire Moors collection, is thought to be one of only 12 in existence and the price fetched is a...

The Year of the Ox Coins for the Chinese Lunar New Year are celebrated in the February issue of COIN NEWS - we also look at some of the rarities that have been discovered recently. Plus you get a chance to win your very own SILVER PROOF version of the numismatically fascinating "50th...

The Royal Mint has, today, announced its designs for 2021 they include: The 95th Birthday of Her Majesty the Queen on a £5 250th Anniversary of the birth of Sir. Walter Scott on a £2 The life and work of John Logie Baird on a 50p The 50th Anniversary of Decimal Day 2021 on a 50p ...