New Issues
Interest in Iron Lady memorabilia soars
Whether you loved or loathed her, the fact of the matter is that since her death, demand for Baroness Thatcher memorabilia has rocketed.
A huge amount appeared online just 24 hours after the announcement. Ranging from the downright bizarre to the slightly comical such as toby jugs, key rings and coasters, more genuinely sought-after items such as signed copies of her memoirs, photographs and Christmas cards are also proving popular.
The Margaret Thatcher NumisProof
Incredibly sought-after
Political memorabilia has always been in high demand and none more so than for Lady Thatcher, Britain’s first and only female PM.
Even before her death, her Northern Ireland “Battle Bus” sold for $26,000 in February this year. Last September, Christie’s sold her one of her trademark jade green wool business suits for £25,000 (they had also sold her famous, if rather unflattering, Spitting Image puppet for just over £2,000 in December 2007).
Special one-day-only commemorative cover postmarked 17th April, the day of Lady Thatcher’s funeral
Divided opinion
And if you’re thinking the Iron Lady’s unpopularity among certain factions means less interest and less demand, you couldn’t be more wrong.
The fact she was so controversial during her three consecutive terms as PM at No 10 – due largely to the poll tax, trade unions and the miner’s strike – has only fuelled interest further.
Available while stocks last, a selection of commemoratives, issued to mark the life of Baroness Thatcher, is now available exclusively from The Westminster Collection.
Ground-breaking new coin reveals Ancient Egyptian secret
Ninety years since Howard Carter discovered Tutankhumun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings, a unique 5oz Silver Coin uncovers its very own hidden treasures of Ancient Egypt.
Reveal the hidden treasures of the Ancient Egypt Silver 5oz Coin
Struck from pure Sterling Silver to the finest proof finish, this incredible coin is richly evocative of Ancient Egypt.
Notice the beautiful 24 Carat Gold centrepiece – Pyramid-shaped, naturally – beautifully engraved with symbols and hieroglyphics from Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus in which the teenage king’s body lay undisturbed for nearly three thousand years.
When is a coin not a coin? A beautiful 24 Carat Gold Pyramid sits at its centrepiece
Triangular it may be but it’s still a coin. To prove it, Ian Rank-Broadley’s portrait of the Queen appears on the obverse – alongside the Egyptian gods Hathor and Anubis.
Remove the Pyramid altogether and you’ll uncover another numismatic gem – Tutankhamun’s burial mask in glorious technicolour.
Remove the Gold Pyramid to reveal Tutankhamun’s burial mask
And I should of course mention the size of the Ancient Egypt 5oz Coin. With a 65mm diameter, this mesmerising coin fills the palm of your hand.
Just 450 Ancient Egypt 5oz Coins were struck worldwide to mark the 90th anniversary of the most exciting archaeological discovery of the last century.
News from the World Money Fair – sell outs, baby coins, nano technology and much, much more…
9.00am. Friday 1 February 2013. Over 500 people are queuing in the lobby area of Berlin’s Hotel Estrel. All keen to be among the very first collectors to gain entry to the World Money Fair in search of a collector’s bargain, long sought-after coin or a glimpse at the latest issues from the world’s leading national mints.
There is no coin show quite like the World Fair of Money. That is why each year our team of buyers attend, meeting the Mint Masters and Sales Directors of the leading mints, like the Royal Mint, Royal Canadian Mint and the Royal Australian Mint as well as some of the most well-connected secondary market coin dealers.
Here are a few of the highlights from this year’s show that I can share with you.
Royal Mint at the World Money Fair
The Royal Canadian Mint will be issuing more $20 silver coins during 2013, continuing its trend as the world’s most popular silver coin. However, I also heard mention of something that I am pretty sure this could create even more of a storm than the $20 coins. I’m afraid I can’t say more until later this year!
I would also suggest that you look out for some very exciting and collectable issues to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Silver Maple.
I was excited to hear the Coronation Anniversary coins are also in the pipeline for Australia and New Zealand, which will prove historic issues with some serious collector demand.
New Zealand were also able to share with us the immense popularity of their Hobbit coins – guaranteeing that they will remain a collector favourite over the next 2 years of films.
Exciting Innovation
Elsewhere, continued innovation excited. Perhaps my favourite was the ability to in-bed a nano chip into a coin, containing detailed information, visible only under a microscope. There is already talk of how to use such technology to include the works of Shakespeare in a nano chip on a coin to commemorate the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth in 2014.
Looking further ahead…
With almost 80% of you wanting a coin for a royal baby, there is some encouraging news. A number of the major national mints are having discussions with the Palace about issuing a coin with the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge’s baby this summer.
Looking further forward, I spent a considerable amount of time discussing plans to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of World War I. I think it is safe to say that this will be the major collecting theme of 2014 and beyond with coins expected from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and even many of the occupied countries.
We look forward to being able to tell you more about these and many more important issues over the coming months.