in 1974 - 1977, I was living in Huntingdon, England, I used to visit London on Saturdays with the express intention of visiting The Arches to buy/sell/trade coins. I really liked rummaging through their "junk" boxes looking for foreign coins. Found many early U.S. colonial coins and a lot of 19th century U.S. My question is: Does anyone know if The Arches is still there? The dealers knew me and they helped me a lot. I'm planning (within the next couple of years) to revisit London and The Arches.
I found listings for coin shops in London. But no place called The Arches besides a restaurant with that name. https://www.yell.com/ucs/UcsSearchAction.do?find=Y&selectedClassification=Coin and Medal Dealers&keywords=coin and medal dealers&location=london
The "Arches" may have been a nickname. It was close to Charing Cross. It was a covered garage that would get cleaned on Friday night so the tables could be placed and made ready for the dealers to set up. I went there on Saturday morning. I'd go through the "junk" boxes and then walk to McDonalds for lunch, I'd sit there going through my reference books and placing my finds in 2X2's. Then I'd go back and trade my finds with other dealers for the coins I wanted
Thanks, will send that description to a friend of mine who is a taxi driver in London(black cab with "the knowledge"), see what he can find out. For those of you who don't know, "the knowledge" was a test that all taxi drivers had to pass, It meant memorising every street in London, so that in the event of road closures, accidents etc, alternative routes could be taken with the least delay and costs to their customers.
The Arches are still there (under Charing Cross Station) but not the coin market. It moved to London Bridge Station and is now back under Charing Cross Station in a parking garage. The entrance is immediately opposite the northern exit of Embankment tube station. Now called the Charing Cross collectors market, it isn't as big as it used to be but is still interesting, also has sellers of stamps and postcards. Before the Covid-19 lockdown it was open Saturdays from about 8 AM to about 2 PM Philip Mernick, London
"The Arches" were/are the railway arches underneath Charing Cross Station. I think the Saturday coin market must have finished years ago.
There was a weekly market near the Charing Cross Station, at least in 2019. In fact, I tried to attend early last year on a visit to the UK but negligently showed up on a Sunday rather than Saturday morning. I entered from the Embankment below the Hungerford Bridge. https://en.numista.com/outings/charing-cross-collectors-fair-london-115.html
