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 The Coinage of Alexander the Great
Alexander III, son of Philip II, king of Macedonia and Olympias,
was born in Pella in 356 B.C. One of the greatest conquerors
in history, he dominated much of what was then the civilized
world, driven by an endless ambition. After Philip’s
death, in 336 B.C., the Macedonian state had reached hegemony
over Greece, but yet the great enemy of the Greeks, Persia,
remained strong and dangerous in the East. With the death
of the Persian king Artaxerxes III in 338 B.C., and the succession
of a much weaker Darius II in 336 B.C., the opportunity was
ready for the young king to begin his incredible triumphal
march of conquest. In the following thirteen years, through
memorable campaigns, he fought, pacified and then unified
a wide area stretching across... click
here to read the full
article
Introduction to Coin Collecting
If you are thinking about becoming
a coin collector and have 15 minutes to spare, these pages
are for you. It answers the question Why
collect? Although
every coin tells a story and a nation’s coinage tells
its history, there is far more to coins. They are an art
form, a portrait gallery of past rulers and key to opening
doors of discovery ranging from engineering to politics.
The What to
collect? section
explores the different approaches you can make to collecting
and features some real collector
profiles. The How
much is a coin worth? pages look at the
main factors that determine a coin’s value, while the Finding
out more section
points you in the right direction if you want to learn more
and meet existing collectors. Finally
the Q&A pages
cover everything from financial aspects to displaying and
storing
a collection. Click here for the full story.
  Coins of Olympia
The sanctuary of Olympia, dedicated primarily to Olympian
Zeus, King of the Gods, and Hera, his consort, was a complex
of temples and treasuries, including the twelve metre-high
ivory and gold statue of Zeus which numbered among the wonders
of the world. At the peak of its wealth and influence in
the fifth century BC, the prestige of Olympia was demonstrated
by the rich gifts laid on the temple altars by visiting dignitaries
and foreign kings. Such pilgrimages took place in particular
every four years, when the religious and political significance
of the site reached its zenith at the Olympic Games, held
to honour Zeus. Click here to read the full article.
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The Legend of Troy and The Trojan War
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 The
story of Troy and the Trojan War is a well-known legend. According
to tradition, the conflict began after Paris, the son of King
Priam of Troy, was given
Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, by Aphrodite.
Helen, the half-mortal daughter of Zeus, was already married
to Menelaus, the brother
of Agamemnon and the King of Sparta... click here to read the
full article
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The Numismatic Circular During World War II
The 1940s were difficult times, with the United Kingdom
facing a turning point in its history as the Battle of
Britain commenced. This article takes an in-depth look
at the wartime Circulars from which Mr. Marshall built
up his collection.
Click here to read the full article
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The Numismatic Circular 50 years ago:
1. "SALUTE TO A PENNY" (from
the June Numismatic Circular, 1954)
Click here to read the full article
2. Nazi War Badges of 1939-45: Part I (Army)
(from the March Numismatic Circular, 1954)
Click here to read
the full article
Stamp Boxes
With the advent of the first stamp, the penny black, it
was inevitable that something in which to keep them safely
and easily available should follow. Stamp boxes arrived in
the 1860’s, and like stamps their production has never
stopped with old and new still to be found, as also are forgeries.
They came in all manner of shapes, sizes and materials:
wood, brass, silver plate, papier mache, ivory, silver and
gold to name a few, and many took on a novelty form such
as coal scuttles, books, wheelbarrows, desks, letterboxes
and many other guises and combinations. Britain led the world
in their design and the world followed suit.
Today collecting stamp boxes has become a very popular hobby
for philatelists and non philatelists alike, with boxes ranging
from a couple of pounds for a humble holiday souvenir box,
to tens of thousands for lavish boxes by the likes of Fabergé (see
illustration above).
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