Lunchtime shopping at Spink

Wonderfully old fashioned experience. Have to call down for the Coin Tray Expert to serve me. Added up in his head, no register. My first Abafil tray, and the books look great.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Must be nice to have shops like that in your city! Looking forward to seeing the tray with some coins . The books like very interesting too.

 

What a great way to spend your lunchtime

 

Wait, no pictures of the coins in their trays!

Talk about a tease!

I have not been to Spink since 1987.

 

That is a great experience - I have been dealing with Spink at least since the early 80's and attended a few of their sales in London back in the day when Glendinings, Sotheby's and Spinks were the major numismatics or auction houses in London.

 

I once spent about an hour in London trying to find Spinks (the numbering wasn't odds on one side of the street and evens on the other like in the US, so spent most f that time going in the wrong direction -pre-gps obviously), only to finally get there after they had closed. I did go to Baldwin's last summer, but didn't buy anything (my wife was hovering over my shoulder so I had to behave... she did like the look of a £700 Anglo-Saxon coin, so maybe there's hope for her yet...)

 

And here it is with the coins. I like it a lot. Much nicer than the cheap trays I'd been using. I agonised for a long time and read a few threads here, but not regretting it despite painful price.

 

I love Abafil cases -- the look, the quality of construction -- they're one of the best ways to display your coins.

 

What a great way to spend lunch.
I have moved most of my RR silver to trays that fit in my bank vault.



I try to put them in date order using Crawford (tho some of his dates are contested). It is interesting how designs changed subtly over the two centuries of RR denarii. From 1859 to 1869 Count De Salis organized the British Museum RR collection in date and mint order. Before him RR coins were organized by name.

 

That's a beautiful way to display coins, Nerva but the empty compartments would drive me mad.

 

I see it as an excuse and opportunity to buy more coins. Think of it as the glass half full instead of half empty.

 

Yes, they won't be empty forever! I think about how the trays will look as I collect. 25ish coins is enough to start a new 77-space tray, in my view. Fewer than that looks too empty. 25 starts to look like a coherent group.

 

Those are nice trays!

 

Nice shopping, on that subject I would like advice if possible. next week I will be in London for four days before I start a month tour of UK and Ireland and will be staying in the Kensington area, I am after a LRB in nice condition minted London what are the best and cheapest dealers to visit if you know of any?

 

very nice.. trays... what a concept...

 

There aren't any shops. The main monthly fair was last weekend. There's a small fair at Charing Cross on a Saturday that you could try - out of station onto Villiers St and look diagonally ahead to the left and it's in an underground car park. Otherwise best bet might be to order online and have sent to your hotel?

 

Thanks is that the case for the whole London area as I will be covering most of it starting Westminster and British Museum area?

 

Yes. There are some shops - one opposite the BM. But they tend to be expensive. Coincraft, opposite the BM, has limited and pricey stock. Fairs or auctions are the way to go on my opinion. You could also view the Naville auction in person.

 

Thanks very much, I will look at other options, it's more that I am after souvenirs on my visit, can't think of any better than a coin that was minted there 1700 years ago. It will probably be cheaper than what my missus wants Irish gold ring......