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The Staffordshire Hoard

The Staffordshire Hoard as it's been called show's dedicated antiques collectors that there are many, many items from our history still to be discovered. Archaeologists, historians and enthusiasts will be pouring overe the hoard for decades and museum that finally houses the artefacts will profit from countless exhibitions over the coming years. But, what about Terry Herbert who discovered it....

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Our Guide to Coin Collecting …

Are you interested in coin collecting or looking for information on collectable coins. Use the antique-marks simple guide for the novice and intermediate coin collector. First time collectors will gain valuable basics for a lifetime of enjoyable and successful collecting, while experienced collectors discover new tips to hone their skills.

Latest Antiques News

• The only surviving Union flag from the Battle of Trafalgar sold at auction yesterday for more than 20 times its predicted price. The flag, which was presented by the 540-strong crew to Fife-born Lieutenant James Clephan after the battle of Trafalgar in 1805, was expected to fetch up to £15,000. But it eventually sold for £320,000, at the Trafalgar Day Sale in London. The flag was put up for sale by one of Lt Clephan's descendants, who now lives in Australia. #
• A rare THOMAS Tompion table clock was among the items stolen in a raid on a Cumbrian stately home on Saturday, September 19. Police believe at least two people were involved in the burglary at Levens Hall in Cumbria. At around 5am, at least two thieves used ladders to scale the walls of Levens Hall, near Kendal before climbing to a first floor room. It is understood that the clock was damaged during the burglary and one of its four feet is now missing. A £20,000 reward has been issued for the clock’s safe return by AXA Arts insurance company and South Cumbria CID are pursuing a number of local and national leads. Anyone with information is asked to contact 0845 3300247. Thomas Tompion (1639–1713) was an English master clockmaker and watchmaker known today as the father of English watchmaking. His work includes some of the most important clocks and watches in the world and his work commands huge prices whenever it appears at auction. Thomas Tompion was a founding member of England’s famed Clockmaker’s Guild of the 1630's. His apprentices included George Allett, Edward Banger, Henry Carlowe, Daniel Delander, Ricard Ems, Ambrose Gardner, Obadiah Gardner, William Graham (nephew of George Graham), George Harrison, Whitestone Littlemore, Jerimiah Martin, Charles Molins, William Mourlay, Charles Murray, Robert Pattison, William Sherwood, Richard Street, Charles Sypson, William Thompson, James Tunn and Thomas White many of whom became important clockmakers in their own right. As England's most prominent watchmaker, Tompion built about 5,500 watches and 650 clocks during his career. Tompion's clocks are known for their ingenuity of design and robust construction. His three-train grande sonnerie bracket clocks are masterpieces. Another of his innovations was to create a numbering system for his spring and long-case clocks which is thought to be the first time that a serial numbering system was applied to manufactured goods. Thomas Tompion died on 20 November 1713 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Many of his clocks are still operational today, including two of his one-year clocks housed in Buckingham Palace, London #
• Emperor Qianlong's personal inkstone leaves its $20,000-30,000 estimate in the dust as it sells to a private buyer for $1.2m (£769,250) at Christie’s on September 15. The little 6 1/2in (16cm) carved wood zitan covered box containing a clay inkstone formed as a recumbent tiger, dates to the Wu Xu year of the reign of the Emperor Qianlong (1778) ... more details in The Antiques Trade Gazette #
• An extremely rare golf club by the St Andrews Golf Co of Glasgow and Dunfermline goes up for auction on 22nd Sept. 2009 at Mullocks Specialist Auctioneers & Valuers. The club is noted as the first machine made socket head driver, produced and made on the 3rd November 1923 and comes complete with an engraved face plate which reads... "The first club ever made entirely by machinery and without the use of any hand tools. No Plane, scraper, gouge, chisel, file or brace employed. Head produced 3rd Nov. 1923-shafted 9th April 1924. C Hirst Glasgow." #
• THE price of silver rose sharply over the course of last week, up almost £1 to £7.75 per ounce by Friday. Brighton-based precious metals dealer Michael Bloomstein attributed the rise to the Chinese government’s decision to relax laws that previously restricted the purchase of gold and silver by ordinary citizens. #