On 15th February 1971, ‘D-Day’, the UK went decimal. The pound stayed the same, but the number of pennies in the £ was now 100, from 240 previously, a ratio that had been fixed for more than a millennium. Decimalisation remains the biggest single adjustment to sterling in its history.
The Battle of Jutland was one of the greatest naval battles in history. On the afternoon of 31st May 1916 Great Britain’s Grand Fleet – 151 warships under the command of Admiral Sir John Jellicoe – encountered the Kaiser’s fleet of 99 ships in the eastern North Sea, off the coast of Denmark’s Jutland province.
The Dig is a new film by Netflix, based on the novel of the same title by John Preston. But do you know the true story of the excavation of the Great Ship Burial at Sutton Hoo? Read on to discover more. The Dig (released on 29th January) is a film by Netflix exploring the story of the excavation of the Great Ship Burial at Sutton Hoo in 1939. The film is based on a novel, also titled The Dig, written by John Preston. Many of the events and characters depicted in both the film and the novel are inspired by real events and real people. Read on to discover the incredible true story, and meet some of the characters involved with one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time.
DIGGING THE DIRT: THE TRUE STORY BEHIND THE DIG Read Article »
Many of you will have seen the recent Netflix film The Dig about the discovery of Sutton Hoo. There is one notable scene on the excavation when Charles Phillips exclaims that Saxon England “was no longer in the Dark Ages”.
BYZANTINE COPPER COINS IN DARK AGE BRITAIN Read Article »
Under continued difficult circumstances as the UK went into its third lockdown in January this year, I am proud to say that Spink held an incredible total of 23 auctions during the first month of the year, all of course safely conducted behind closed doors by our dedicated teams. I am truly proud to say that the show really does go on no matter how arduous the task may seem, and we will always find a way of bringing fresh material to sale for the enjoyment of our collecting family.
A WORD FROM OUR CHAIRMAN Read Article »
To coincide with the 50th anniversary of decimalisation on 15th February 2021, Spink Books are delighted to announce the release of Tom Hockenhull’s Making Change in collaboration with The British Museum.
MAKING CHANGE: THE DECIMALISATION OF BRITAIN’S CURRENCY Read Article »
Towards the end of 1647 and the first English civil war, Oliver Cromwell moved his family to King Street in Westminster o ‘an old wooden house lying between the Blue Boar’s Head Yard and Ram’s Mews’.
OLIVER CROMWELL’S WATCH Read Article »
Since the creation of the first wristwatch in 1868 for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary, Swiss watch manufacturers like Patek Philippe, Omega and Vacheron Constantin have been creating unique watches to meet demand from the ever-growing market.
TIME FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF COLLECTORS Read Article »
Insider readers may remember that we promised to let you know more about the incredible Second World War escape stories of John Humphreys OBE DL, who featured in our Chelsea Pensioners article in Issue 37.
JOHN HUMPHREYS OBE DL – THE GREAT ESCAPIST Read Article »
Waterloo Uncovered founders Mark Evans and Charlie Foinette have a shared history, as well as a deep friendship. They studied archaeology together at University College London before joining the army. Both chose the Coldstream Guards, the British regiment that played a vital role in the allied victory at Waterloo and continues to see
active service across the world today.
WATERLOO UNCOVERED Read Article »
