Major General James Cowan was commissioned into The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) in 1987 and in his early years served in Germany, Northern Ireland, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, Lesotho and the United Kingdom.

So why collect?
It’s a waste of time and money!

In partnership with our sponsor Spink, the Philatelic Traders’ Society are delighted to announce that Autumn Stampex will be going ahead in a new concept, look and
feel.

It was Ann Carrington’s slant on stamps and coins that first caught the attention of Spink, for very obvious reasons. The work and construction of each piece, however, is a tale of Ann’s background, her influences and her ever-evolving creative talent.

Even though business is good as existing collectors are adding to their collections at an unprecedented
pace, and new collectors are emerging as never before in my two decades at Spink, giving Spink one of its best first halfs ever, I must say the summer brought me mixed feelings.

This article takes a look at the often under-appreciated paper money of England’s American colonies and the issues of the Continental Congress in the years up to Independence.

Emma Howard interviews Mark Stocker about his forthcoming book, When Britain Went Decimal: The Coinage of 1971, co-published by Spink Books and the Royal Mint.

This impressive list of awards and medals gives the reader some idea of the extent of the honours bestowed upon General Sir James Rupert Everard KCB CBE, who served as NATO’s Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe from 2017-2020.

Many of the medals most sought after by collectors are awards for bravery. Not only are these intrinsically scarcer, they invariably provide a direct link to an act of valour which we can respect, as well as a story to research and share. Those of us whose education is based on British military history and the British military system will be very familiar with a particular way to reward bravery.