Argentum: silver; the 2nd tier of precious metal under gold, but not without its own lustre and appeal.
The Baldwin’s Argentum auctions began at the start of the millennium, and on June 4 this year at The Holiday Inn on Coram Street London, it will be the 42nd time we have held an Argentum auction as part of the London Coin Fair.
Nothing quite beats the thrill of actually being there live, in the room itself. And not just for the obvious excitement of bidding on that particular Gold Solidus you’ve had your eye on for a while – it’s also the buzz of seeing for yourself some of the most significant events in numismatics. Such as when two bidders went head-to-head for a full five minutes for the Lavrillier 1933 Penny at our May auctions and pushed the price to a World Record £72,000. Or the reaction of a standing-room-only packed salesroom when the Victoria Proof Set sold for a cool half million in September last year. Actually being there in person when numismatic history is made is priceless.
As most people are no doubt aware, Baldwin’s holds a number of high-profile auctions around the world every year- currently in Hong Kong, London and New York. Whilst these auctions are invariably fantastic and significant events, we know that it is not always possible (or, let’s face it, financially feasible) for keen collectors to attend in person.
And that’s what the Argentum auction is really all about. A chance for those who perhaps don’t have the odd half million stashed at the back of the wardrobe to experience an auction first-hand. And conducting the auction as part of the London Coin Fair makes it an even better chance to meet and chat with other collectors and dealers over a coffee (or a pint) in a relaxed and more informal environment.
With, of course, the added bonus of the opportunity to purchase some rare, and moreover reasonably priced, numismatic items to add to your collection.
Click here to view highlights from this auction.
Here at Baldwin’s, one of our enduring missions is to make the auction process as simple and accessible as possible to everyone – from the lifelong collector to the first-time buyer. All our major auctions are broadcast live through our website, and our integrated software allows people to bid on those items of interest from the comfort of their own home.
By holding our Argentum auctions as part of the London Coin Fair (the largest of its type in the UK), our goal is to replicate the relaxed environment that comes from bidding at home within the salesroom itself.
The London Coin Fair started back in the late 1960’s, when the advent of decimalisation in the UK prompted people to ‘check their change’ for old silver coins. Today, the show boasts more than 80 UK and international dealers covering all major areas of numismatics, meaning that you are quite likely to find what you are looking for.
As the show’s organisers state: “our aim is to encourage collectors to come and meet with like-minded people, chat to dealers and auctioneers with no pressure to buy, to take the opportunity to look at all the different stick on view and enjoy improving and understanding their own collections.”
So if you’ve always wanted to come to an auction but never had the opportunity, or you’ve always worried that a glamorous location may be a little intimidating to the casual buyer, the Argentum auction represents a perfect opportunity to see for yourself just how easy the whole process is.
And who knows, you might just bag yourself a bargain. And you won’t need £500,000 to do it.
To view the full catalogue for this auction, click here.
