News & Blog

Don't forget that no sooner are we back after Christmas than the York show will be upon us! The bi-annual event is always extremely popular and this year the first one will be on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 January 2012 - once again in the Knavesmire stand of the York Racecourse. Keep the date free...

Token Publishing is pleased to announce that shortly all our YEARBOOKS will be available as PDF downloads for viewing on PC, Laptop, Smartphone or Tablet. We're trialling the idea with the BANKNOTE YEARBOOK available in four sections (England, Scotland, Ireland - North and South and the...

Whilst not strictly medal related many collectors of medals also know about and collect swords - a recently burglary (December 16th) saw an extensive collection stolen so if any reader is offered any of the following swords please do get in touch with us or Andy Griffin of the Metropolitan Police...

A marked difference? EVER since the first decimal coins appeared, our hobby has lacked a certain something. Modern minting methods and quality control at the huge site in Llantrisant meant that the oddities and rarities that so many of us eagerly sought in our pre-decimal change became few and far...

A metal detecting event in Essex discovered some amazing finds - dozens of Victorian and Edwardian Coins thought to be worth over £70,000 in total. Unfortunately only two of them were actually "declared" on the day and now the organisers of the event are appealing to those who took part to hand in...

A medal conundrum EARLY in November it was announced that at long last the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal has been approved for British servicemen to wear—bringing them on equal terms with their Australian and New Zealand counterparts. This follows a long battle by, and on behalf of, veterans who...

Worth noting BACK in 2009 the Bank of England announced that the next design of the £50 note would feature the Engineers and business partners Matthew Boulton and James Watt. Following the introduction of the somewhat controversial “Adam Smith” £20 it was assumed that the new £50 would follow soon...

The fifth voilume of this incredible series detailing the Silver War Badges of World War I is now available. This latest tome, priced at £20 again, covers all those badges awarded to members of the Cavalry and Yeomanry - it is available from our shop!

To all those who made the last Britannia Medal fair of the Year on Sunday November 20 such a success - we had a fantastic turn out of both dealers and collectors and I think everyone enjoyed themselves! The next one is scheduled for March 18 2012 - watch this space....!!

Please be on the look out for medals stolen in a burglary on November 14 - the group comprises MBE (Military) Iraq Campaign Medal (Engraved Capt AP Nixon RE) Afghanistan OSM (Engraved Mr AP Nixon) NATO Bosnia Medal Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (Engraved Mr AP Nixon) ...

This Sunday sees the second and last Britannia Medal show of 2011 and as ever it promises to be quite an event! The show, held at the Victory Services Club, Seymour Street, London (just off Marble Arch) is always a popular one being the only purist medal fair in the country. Its starts at 9.30am...

It seems that after 6 years of fighting by UK Veterans  for the right to wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal victory is theirs. It was announced in the House of Lords on October 26 that as from November 11 all eligible UK veterans will be allowed to wear the Malaysia Governments decorations - see...

Back in 2009 we were able to preview the "new" £50 featuring Watt and Boulton. The banknote world was very excited about this new design, featuring as it did two of the greats of engineering (not to mention Boulton's contributions to numismatics with the creation of the Soho Mint), but then...

Don't forget Mark Carter's final Aldershot of the Year this Sunday at the Prince's Hall, Prince's Way, Aldershot GU11 1NX As with all of Mark's Fairs the "preview" starts at 9.30am with main entry at 10.30am - but don't be put off  - "preview" is only £1 more than main admission so why not come...

It seems that the British Empire Medal - scrapped by John Major during his 1993 Honours review - is to be reinstated. The award, which was supposed to be replaced by the MBE and awarded by the Monarch herself (as opposed to her representative, the Lord Lieutenant of the recipient's county), was...

The Hollywood effect? THIS month’s Market Scene shows that the South Africa Medal to Rorke’s Drift defender Lance-Sergeant John Key of the 2/24th Foot sold for a whopping £28,800. In Warwick & Warwick’s December sale there are two Isandhlwana casualty medals on offer and they too will undoubtedly...

The way forward? EVERY year the numismatic “season” in the UK starts at the end of September/beginning of October with a series of auctions in the big London Houses (and outside the Capital) and the British Numismatic Trade Society’s (BNTA) “Coinex” show held in central London. For the last few...

The next Morton and Eden medal sale will take place on thursday December 1 and NOT November 29 as previously advertised! For further details contact James Morton on 0207 4935144

Between Sunday 1 October and Monday 3 October 2011, a George Medal awarded to W.H. Daysh for ARP services in the Second World War was stolen from the D-Day Museum in Portsmouth . Also stolen was a circular enamel badge from the 1936 Berlin Olympics (about 3cm diameter, off white in colour...

A note of caution LAST month’s comment regarding the recent burglary at the house of a member of the Token Team has encouraged a number of you to write into us with your own experiences of this situation. Many of these letters and emails were rather enlightening and I thought I would make a note...

Collector’s dilemma AS we all know, there are no finer feelings in a medal collector’s life than when he manages to pick up a medal that he has been searching for some time. It might be that the medal had appeared on the market before and had been missed (how often have you cursed yourself for...

Two groups of medals have been stolen from luggage in Zurich airport on 23 Sept 2011.    1945 DFC, 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, War Medal and log book to 186297 Pilot Officer T. C. Shiel, RAF   1945 DFC, 1939-45 Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, France & Germany Star, Defence...

Don't forget the BNTA's COINEX - the showcase event at the Millennium Hotel, Grosvenor Square Mayfair on Friday and Saturday! Friday is for the serious collector with a £50 entry fee in the morning but Saturday is free for all so why not come along and pick up a copy of the brand new COIN...

Are you coming to the Orders and Medals Research Society Medal fair on Sunday September 25 at the British Medical Association Tavsitock Square? We'll be there as we launch our BRAND NEW MEDAL YEARBOOK 2012!!   The books were all delivered yesterday and look fantastic - all pre-ordered copies...

A few years back the Krause catalogues came with some very useful CDs containing Pdfs of the whole book - then suddenly they disappeared - the later versions of the acclaimed volumes no longer had a CD included - much to the chagrin of collectors and dealers who had found the easily searchable -...

Safety First THOSE of you who read COIN NEWS as well as this magazine will already know the subject about which I am writing this month, but I make no apologies for the similar “Comments” as I truly believe this to be extremely important. The catalyst for this Editorial came a few weeks ago when...

The truly excellent "Martini-Henry Notebook" - the story of the legendary Martini Henry rifle has just been reprinted in very limited quantities. We have just a few in stock and already they are selling well! Don't miss out this time - order your copy from our shop today.

Staying safe I MAKE no apologies this month for writing broadly similar “Comments” in both COIN NEWS and MEDAL NEWS and I hope those of you who buy both magazines (and there are a number of you out there) will forgive me and, as you read on, I hope you will agree that the subject is worthy of...

Scoin Shop continue their retail expansion with the opening of their third premises in Westfield, Stratford City, London on September 13. The company have seen an unprecedented demand for gold commemorative coins over recent months with the latest UK £5 for William & Catherine proving extremely...

An employee of the New Zealand National Army museum has been arrested and charged with stealing over 800 medals (395 groups) from the museum over a period of seven years from 1995-2002. So far some 300 medals have been recovered but police are working with Keith John Davies in an attempt to...

It's almost autumn and with it the new numismatic/medal season will get underway. We will, as ever be attending a large number of shows in the forthcoming months including: Birmingham Motorcycle Museum on September 11 The OMRS at the BMA London on September 25 Coinex on September 30/October...

The Medals of Ted Kenna fetched over $1million (Australian) at auction on Thursday (July 28) selling in Melbourne to an unidentified buyer. the group of ten which included one of only 20 VCs awarded to Australians during World War II was in the same sale as the medals to Captain Bligh (of the...

News has reached us that the Bank of England has been in secret talks to print the £5 on polymer paper (as used in Canada, Australia and others) there is no official line on this story but the Australian based new site " The Age" reports that a bribery scandal at the company the Bank of England...

Guide Lines THE 2012 edition of the much acclaimed MEDAL YEARBOOK will be launched, as ever, at the OMRS convention in September (September 24–25 at the British Medical Association, London) and once again we hope it will be a book to treasure. We’ve added in as many of the new medals as we know...

Whatever next? THE recent sale at Bonhams of Alderney’s one off gold “John Lennon” coin for £60,000 (see news and views page 10) had echoes of a similar sale at Stacks-Bowers of an Australian $30,000 gold 10 kilo coin (see COIN NEWS, May 2011) and indeed other sales before that, where coins with...

The date of the next Bushey Coin Auction is now Thursday September 15 not Saturday August 27 - the venue has also been changed to Bushey Golf and Country Club not Watford Football Club! For further details see their website

According to various people we saw at the York Fair Paul Dawson (of Spink York) is, thankfully, on the mend following the dreadful car crash back in June. He's still in hospital in Nottingham and will have to undergo further medical procedures but he is getting better! We wish him all the very...

With uncertainty still surrounding the global financial markets Gold (and silver) continue their upward trend with the yellow metal reaching over $1600 on Tuesday July 19. For the full story see the BBC website

An incredible 30,000 coins, all minted in the auspicious numismatic year of 1933 (think 33 penny, 33 double eagle...) are being auctioned off on eBay by their owner Jim Jacobs who has been collecting for most of his life. Jim, who was born in 1933 reckons that his collection represents some...

Whilst we try to bring a good selection of products to all the fairs we attend we simply can't carry everything; so if there is something specific you'd like bringing to a show then please give us a call on 01404 44166 and we'll make sure we pack it for you!

  BONHAMS Memorabilia sale on June 29 drew gasps of amazement and a round of applause when the unique John Lennon gold coin struck for Alderney as part of the Great Britons series sold for a staggering £60,000 (pre-sale estimate £2,000). Issued in 2010, the coin originally issued in both...

  A British Empire Medal awarded to Richard Frank Barnes has recently been stolen from an address in Petersfield, Hants - if anyone has any information regarding this please contact  PC 24215 Richard Jones on 01962 875059 or richard.jones@hampshire.pnn.police.uk . Quoting crime...

The long awaited design of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal has been released. Sporting a "diamond" design on the reverse and a ribbon in keeping with other "Royal event" awards the medal, designed by Timothy Noad, will be awarded  along similar lines to the QGJM - i.e. to those members of the...

It is with great sadness that we learn of the death, after a short illness, of coin dealer Peter Ireland of Blackpool. Peter was a founder member of the BNTA and has been a stalwart of the numismatic world for many many years. Our condolences and thoughts go out to his family.

Fair chance THE London Coin Fair at the beginning of June, held as ever in the Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury, was a great success—a large number of people eagerly queued in the foyer before the 9.30am opening and throughout the day a steady stream of visitors ensured that the event felt busy right...

A new medal has been announced for those civilians serving in Afghanistan. Similar in intent to the Iraq Reconstruction service Medal (MYB 204C) this new award recognises service by civilians and others involved in the transition to democracy in Afghanistan. It will be awarded to all those who...

Many of you will know Paul, formerly of B J Dawson Coins and now of Spink (he runs the York Shop in the Shambles in York). On Thursday evening he and his girlfriend Heather Hardcastle were involved in an accident with a lorry on the M1 in Nottinghamshire. Both were taken to the Queen's Medical...

A Corporal from the 1st Gurkha Rifles has been awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for his gallant defence of his post in Afghanistan. In the best traditions of Gurkha soldiering Cpl Dipprasad Pun manged to fight off over a dozen Taliban insurgents - even resorting to using his machine gun...

We're about to start work on the next edition of the acclaimed MEDAL YEARBOOK - which will be launched at the OMRS convention in September. If you have any corrections, additions or amendments now is the time to let us know - please email phil@tokenpublihing.com and we promise to look carefully...

Once again the COIN YEARBOOK has completely sold out! 12,000 yearbooks delivered to us in October have all gone and whilst our warehouse isn't empty (we sell an awful lot of other numismatic and medal related titles) there is definitely more space than there was! The next edition - 2012 - will...

Don't forget the London Coin Fair this Saturday....! As always this show is at the Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury, starting at 9.30am we will, of course, be there with our full range of books and magazines including the BRAND NEW Roman Coins and their Values IV and all the Krause titles...See you...

Dangerous ground WE REPORTED in the April issue of MEDAL NEWS that the Australian Government was planning to set up an inquiry to look at the issue of retrospective awards—particularly the Victoria Cross—for certain individuals. It appears that on April 16 an “independent Defence Honours and...

Stretching the limits? AT COIN NEWS we pride ourselves on being reasonably broad in our Editorial stance—yes, we have to cover the coins that fetch over £3 million at auction, to ignore them would be silly, but we also try to ensure that we include a range of stories, features and articles on...

It's been a while coming but it's here at last - the latest Volume in David Sears' wonderful ROMAN COINS AND THEIR VALUES series This latest volume contains a comprehensive listing of the Roman coinage of the period AD 284-337 together with background information on the history of each reign....

No easy answer THIS month DNW have not one but two big collections going under the hammer with the Bill and Angela Strong collection and the Alan and Janet Woodliffe Collection of items related to the Sudan. Big “named” collections such as these have always been popular at auction (not just medal...

Whther you feel there is a place for an Arctic Convoy medal or not there is no denying that this emotive subject continues to make waves (if you'll excuse the pun) as this story from the Portsmouth News demonstrates

It is with great sadness that we learn of the death, on Maundy Thursday, of Leicestershire dealer Martin Hewitt, stalwart of the "fair" scene and known to many after years in the trade. Martin was taken ill at the Harrogate show and admitted to hospital there, although he was later transferred...

Who are we…? THIS month’s cover features the new Royal Wedding Crown, and within the pages of the magazine you will find an interview with the designer of that Crown, Mark Richards. For those of you who collect new issues such an interview will be of great interest—to those of you who aren’t...

Congratulations go to Morton and Eden whose recent sale saw an Islamic coin fetch a staggering new record - the Umayyad dinar, dated 105h (723AD) was struck from gold mined at a location owned by the Caliph himself - known on the coins as the “Mine of the Commander of the Faithful”. An...

Yes it's that time of year again - time for the "Maastricht" papermoney show (actually held in the town hall in Valkenburg - a lovely little market town to the east of Maastricht).   The Token team are making the long journey down there (the journey from Devon to Dover is, in reality, far...

Pictures of the following medals are required to bring the MEDAL YEARBOOK up to date. If you are able to help with a high resolution picture (or indeed anb original medal) please do let us know by emailing phil@tokenpublishing.com or calling 01404 46972 - thanks!   27 Distinguished Service...

Missed Chances? WITH the sad but inevitable news that Frank Buckles, last of the US Veterans of World War I passed away aged 110 on February 27, there are now only two people who served in the “War to End Wars” left alive and only one with any medallic entitlement from that conflict. These...

Designed To Matter THE Royal Mint has announced that there will indeed be a “Royal Wedding” £5 crown to celebrate the marriage of Prince William and Kate (sorry Catherine) Middleton on April 29. It was perhaps inevitable that such a crown would be minted, after all the Prince’s parents had their...

The latest Operational Honours list has just been announced by the MOD (April -September 2010) and includes three Conspicuous Gallantry Crosses and 13 MCs including one to a feamle medic - for more details check the MOD's Website

It's official more of the little blue notes are to be put in Britain's "hole in the wall" cash machines. Currently most "ATMs" only dispense £10 or £20 notes and £5 notes don't enter circulation that readily meaning those that are out there are grubby, dirty or torn. Look forward to getting some...

The largest hoard of coins ever found in Britain is to stay in the County where it was discovered Thanks mainly to a National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) grant of £294,000 the Museum of Somerset has raised a total of £320,250 to keep the Frome Hoard, found last year by metal detectorist Dave...

Despite being left out of the Britannia double page feature in the March edition of Medal News, Baldwins will most definately be in attendance on March 20. As at previous shows, David Kirk of Baldwins will have on offer an interesting range of orders and medals as well as discuss consignment...

As predicted (and hoped for) by COIN NEWS the Royal Mint have announced that there is to be an official Royal Wedding Crown for the marriage of Kate Middleton and Prince William on April 29. The £5 Crown, which features the profiles of the couple facing each other, the wedding date and the names...

Medal not metal AS we go to press in the last weeks of February 2011 the “FTSE” is almost back at pre-credit crunch levels, hovering around the 6,000 mark and the commodities market continues to go from strength to strength, particularly for precious metals. Gold is being a little bit “jumpy” but...

Smiths Newent Auctions are offering the medals of a former Director General of the Army Medical Services at their sale of March 4   The group of 22 to Sir Arthur Sloggett, which includes the KCMG, KCVO, KCB Egypt Medal, Queens South Africa Medal, Kings South Africa Medal, 1914 Star and bar...

One of the highlights at Lockdales' next auction of collectables (Sunday March 27 2011), is the the medals and ephemera of balloon pilot George Ernest Long. The group comprises the AFM (GV) named 2nd Coxswain G E Long HMA R33, 1914 Star Trio mounted as worn to J.5952 G E Long AM. IGR RNAS, a...

Fair comment On Sunday, February 6, the Token Team (well, Phil anyway) took a rather pleasant dawn drive across the New Forest to attend Rick Coleman’s brand new South Coast Coin and Medal show at Wide Lane Sports Centre, Eastleigh. We always like to support new ventures and, as we have known Rick...

For months now we've been saying that the "Cash for Gold" companies aren't giving their customers a fair deal - it seems that the Office of fair Trading (OFT) agrees with us. See the BBC's article . As always we would urge anyone who has gold coins to go to a bona fide coin dealer to sell and...

There's a BRAND NEW show on in Southampton this weekend (Sunday 6 Feb to be precise) - it's the SOUTH COAST COIN AND MEDAL SHOW and is taking place at the Pavilion, Southampton University Wide Lane Sports Ground, Wide Lane in Eastleigh, Hants (SO50 5PE for all you with Sat Navs!) It's a brand...

Please not ethe Houghton Militaria Fair is on March 6 not February 6 - the advert in this month's MEDAL NEWS is correct, the diary date isn't   Sorry for the confusion!

Opening a can of worms The subject of who gets what medal and why has always been a thorny one—from how long someone has to serve with an exemplary record to get an LS&GC, through to why an MC is awarded rather than a CGC. There are always those with differing opinions, and never more so than when...

Rise or fall? AS we enter 2011 so the stock market volatility that has marred the past two years is abating somewhat and the “FTSE” is almost back at pre-credit crunch levels. However, this return to “stability” has not been reflected by the commodities market which is still seeing record prices...

Corporol Ben Roberts-Smith was awarded the second "Victoria Cross of Australia" on Sunday (23 January) for single handedly taking on (and taking out) no fewer than three Taliban machine gun posts in Afghanistan's Shah Wali Kot Region in October 2010. His Citation reads as follows: For the most...

LOST IN THE POST: between UK and Australia: Death Plaque to Ralph Blackwell (L/26599 Pte R. Blackwell RFA). Any information to Philip Blackwell at phil@colourpatch.com  

The debate over whether Veterans of the Arctic Convoys should get their own separate medals (as opposed to "just" the Atlantic Star which they are currently entitled to) has raged for decades and with the introduction of the Arctic Emblem (lapel badge) in 2006 it had been thought that the...

Stolen during a house burglary at Epsom, Surrey on 15 December 2010:   Nato Service Medal with Clasp 'ISAF' ( Afghanistan ); Operational Service Medal with bar, ' Afghanistan ' Named to Act.Lt.Cmdr.:T.R.W.LAPAGE-NORRIS, RNR.; Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal; ...