| |
| |
 |
| |
After 38 years with Spink, London, I have
decided to start my own business. During my long career with
Spink I have dealt with a very large number of collectors, dealers,
libraries, museums, and the academic community in all parts
of the world. I have travelled extensively in Europe and in
the United States and elsewhere, and have met a vast number
of interesting people, who share an interest in numismatics.
I have always believed in the fundamental importance of personal
contact, trust and good faith in conducting my business. I fully
intend to continue to deal with my customers on that basis.
|
| |
| Over the past 38 years I
have been instrumental in helping to form many exceptional
private libraries of numismatic material. I have also
have been involved in the dispersal of many major libraries,
including that of Sir Edward Robinson (Stanley Robinson,
Keeper of Coins, British Museum) (Spink Coin Auction 13,
1981). Much more recently, we purchased outright the fine
library of Professor Georges Le Rider, Director of the
Cabinet des Medailles at the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris.
I catalogued and offered for sale almost 1000 items in
a fixed price retail catalogue (Numismata Graeca. A large
selection of Numismatic Books from the library of Georges
Le Rider. 2005). |
|
|
| |
We have handled many fascinating and important volumes including,
most recently, perhaps one of the greatest of the numismatic
portrait books – Johann Huttich's Imperatorum Romanorum
Libellus, 1525. The importance of this particular volume was
that it had been owned by perhaps the most famous of all the
humanist bibliophiles, Jean Grolier. We paid, at auction, in
excess of 102,000 euros for it.
Whilst at Spink I edited the Numismatic Circular for almost
20 years, taking over from Howard Linecar, who had worked at
the company since 1935, and from whom I learned so much.
For over 30 years I have also been involved in editing and publishing
all the very many major works of reference that are associated
with Spinks, including works such as the monumental Roman Imperial
Coinage. Titles I have been involved with include all those
originally published by Seaby’s, after Spink purchased
their complete list in 1996 - subsequent editions of Coins of
England and David Sear's great collector handbooks - Roman Coins
and their Values is just one example.
In 2003 Spink co-published (with George Kolbe, Crestline) Christian
Dekesel's tremendously important Bibliography of 17th Century
Numismatic Books, in 3 volumes. Earlier this year (2006) the
International League of Antiquarian Booksellers awarded Christian
joint first prize of its prestigious International Bibliographic
Prize.
Professional Associations
I have served on the Council of the Royal
Numismatic Society.
I have been a member of Council of the British
Numismatic Society.
More recently, I served on the Executive Committee of the International
Association of Professional Numismatists (IAPN), under the
Presidency of Arthur Friedberg. In addition, I served as one
of the three members of that Organisation’s Publications’
Committee, and was responsible for organising the annual Book
Prize of the IAPN.
I am now very pleased to have become a member, in my own right,
of the International Association of Professional Numismatists
(IAPN), having been admitted earlier this year at the Association’s
Annual Congress in Deauville. At the same time, I was also asked
to continue my membership of the Association’s Publications
Committee, and of which I am delighted to be a member.
I am also a member of the Hellenic
Numismatic Society.
I am a member of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society to whose
Journal, The Asylum, I contributed a lengthy article detailing
some of my experiences whilst working at Spinks, between the
years 1969 and 2003. (The Asylum - 25 years of the Numismatic
Bibliomania Society, published in Summer 2004).
I wholeheartedly recommend anyone who has an interest in numismatic
literature to subscribe to the
E-sylum,
an online weekly newsletter edited, maintained and distributed
by Wayne Homren.
My business is based very near Reading, an easy journey from
Heathrow, from Central London and in the M4 corridor, with its
extremely good transport facilities. However, I am pleased to
travel to meet clients. We can arrange to meet visitors at Reading
station or Heathrow, when required. An appointment is absolutely
essential, however, since I am not always in the office. |
| |
|
|
|
