Spink

The highlight of the inaugural handbag auction held by Spink in Hong Kong was a sterling silver Hermès Kelly handbag.

Coins, banknotes and stamps specialist Spink has expanded its sales programme into the growing auction sector of luxury handbags.

The British Museum is to hold an exhibition on money and medals in a tie-up with specialist London coin and stamp auction Spink.

Victoria Crosses are not exactly that rare at auction, despite being the highest British award for gallantry. However, the unique tales of bravery ensure demand is always high, as evident from the auction record just set at London saleroom Morton & Eden.

He was famous for film roles such as Dracula in Hammer Horror movies, Scaramanga in The Man With The Golden Gun, Lord Summerisle in The Wicker Man, Saruman in Lord of the Rings and Count Dooku in Star Wars. But Sir Christopher Lee’s role in the Second World War is also highlighted in a collection of his awards on offer at Spink on November 1.

The popular image of Queen Victoria in the latter days is of a sombre, dressed in mourning black, unsmiling monarch who was definitely not amused. However, an intriguing item coming up at auction shows her compassionate, caring side.

One of the earliest coins in American history is coming to auction at Spink in New York.

Plastic money has been a bone of contention recently thanks to the strange revelation that the new UK £5 notes include animal fat. But one day the polymer notes will surely be as normal and accepted as the existing paper examples, assuming physical money has not all but disappeared anyway by then.

Medals specialist David Erskine-Hill has left Dix Noonan Webb to rejoin former employer Spink.

The excitement around the new polymer fivers, which were launched by the Bank of England last month, helped boost interest in new and old £5 notes for philatelic and numismatic specialists Spink.