Services
Five disciplines.
One uncompromising standard.
Each discipline is led by a senior specialist with decades of trade experience. Items are graded by two independents and reconciled by a third — a system we have used unchanged since 2014. The grade, the certificate and the holder are unified under one house standard.
Department Head
Augustus Veil, FRNS
Director of Numismatics · 28 years at Spink and Heritage
Plate 01 · Numismatics
Coins
From Greek staters to British proofs and modern commemoratives. Our numismatists hold collective experience of over 120 years across ancient, world and modern issues, including hammered gold, Renaissance medallions and decimal-era patterns.
Specialisms
- ·Ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine gold and silver
- ·British hammered, milled and proof coinage
- ·United States type and key-date issues
- ·Continental and world gold (1600 onwards)
- ·Modern commemoratives, proofs and patterns
- ·Errors, varieties and die marriages
Methods
- ◇70-point Sheldon grading scale, with strike, lustre and eye-appeal notes
- ◇Comparative die analysis on key dates and varieties
- ◇XRF spectroscopy for metallurgical composition
- ◇Cleaning, tooling and altered-surface detection
- ◇Archival, UV-stable encapsulation with embedded NFC
Department Head
Sophie Aldhurst
Senior Notaphilist · formerly British Museum Department of Coins and Medals
Plate 02 · Notaphily
Bank Notes
Historic paper currency, specimen, proof and error notes from every continent. We are recognised by major auction houses for our work on early Bank of England issues, Imperial Russian notes, and the entire run of British Empire colonial issues.
Specialisms
- ·Bank of England (white notes through to polymer)
- ·Imperial Russia, Soviet, Russian Federation
- ·British Empire and Commonwealth colonial issues
- ·United States large size, small size and Fractional
- ·Specimen, proof and error notes worldwide
- ·Emergency, military and prisoner-of-war issues
Methods
- ◇PMG-compatible 70-point grading
- ◇Substrate, watermark and security thread verification
- ◇Pressing, washing and restoration detection
- ◇Climate-stable sleeve with archival board
- ◇Detailed pedigree and provenance ledger
Department Head
Marcus Brent
Director of Cartophily · 18 years at Heritage and Goldin
Plate 03 · Cartophily
Trading Cards
Vintage sport, non-sport and modern TCG. From T206 tobacco-era issues to modern parallels and one-of-one inserts. Sealed product authentication, factory resealing detection and trimming detection are core competencies of the department.
Specialisms
- ·Pre-war tobacco, candy and gum (1880–1941)
- ·Post-war baseball, basketball, football and hockey
- ·Modern parallels, inserts and 1-of-1s
- ·Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh!
- ·Sealed boxes, packs and wax — factory and reseal detection
- ·Autograph and patch authentication, paired with JSA where requested
Methods
- ◇Centring, corners, edges and surface — graded to 0.5 increments
- ◇Print-line and registration analysis under raking light
- ◇Trimming detection via micron-scale edge profiling
- ◇Sealed product authentication (wrappers, factory seals, hologram)
- ◇Tamper-evident slab with security NFC tag
Department Head
Henrietta Maule, FRPSL
Director of Philately · formerly British Postal Museum
Plate 04 · Philately
Stamps
Classics, covers, errors and rarities. Our philatelic team includes a former curator of the British Postal Museum and a Royal Philatelic Society of London member. Particular strength in Great Britain, Empire and pre-1900 world.
Specialisms
- ·Great Britain — line-engraved, surface-printed and KGV
- ·British Empire — Commonwealth and colonial issues
- ·Classic Europe — France, German States, Italy, Russia
- ·Classic United States
- ·Postal history — covers, postmarks and routes
- ·Errors, varieties and pre-stamp postage
Methods
- ◇Centring, gum, perforation and freshness, each graded
- ◇Watermark, paper and cancellation expertisation
- ◇Reperforation, regumming and repair detection
- ◇Archival mount with inert film barrier
- ◇Optional R.P.S.L. cross-certification
Department Head
Dr Iris Carrow
Director of Bibliography · former Sotheby's Books cataloguer
Plate 05 · Bibliography
Rare Books & Manuscripts
First editions, signed copies, incunabula and modern firsts. We do not encapsulate volumes; instead we issue a sealed dossier and supply a museum-grade clamshell box with a tamper-evident foil-stamped seal.
Specialisms
- ·Incunabula and early printing (pre-1501)
- ·English literature firsts (1600–present)
- ·Continental literature and philosophy firsts
- ·Scientific and exploration firsts
- ·Signed and inscribed copies, association copies
- ·Modern firsts — including fantasy, science fiction and children's
Methods
- ◇Collation against established bibliographies (Wing, ESTC, etc.)
- ◇Signature, inscription and provenance authentication
- ◇Condition graded on the IOBA scale, with conservation notes
- ◇Custom clamshell box, optional condition photography
- ◇Reference library access for clients on request
House Standard
Tooled for one purpose.
Every specialist works from a Xene bench, fitted with our own loupe, calibrated brass weights, anti-static tweezers and a dedicated handheld XRF spectrometer. Tools are inventoried twice daily; calibration is logged and certified quarterly.
Each item passes the same bench, the same lights, the same eyes and the same lens. The result is a grade you can trust to mean the same thing today as in a decade's time.
Service Tiers
Pricing & turnaround
All tiers include the Xene holder, certificate, public registry entry and lifetime guarantee. Volume rebates of 12% apply to submissions of 25 items or more, and 18% above 100 items.
| Tier | Declared value | Turnaround | From | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | Up to £1,000 | 60 days | £28 / item | For modern items, bulk submissions and circulated material. |
| Standard | Up to £5,000 | 30 days | £60 / item | Our default tier — suitable for most collector submissions. |
| Express | Up to £25,000 | 10 days | £180 / item | Priority handling and dedicated specialist. |
| Specialist | Up to £100,000 | 5 days | £480 / item | Reserved for high-value single items requiring senior attention. |
| Private Office | Above £100,000 | Bespoke | On request | Estates, museum collections and on-site visits worldwide. |
Add-ons
Optional services
Variety attribution
£15
Identification of die marriages, mintmark varieties and known errors.
XRF metallurgical assay
£40
Non-destructive elemental analysis with full report.
Photographic record
£25
High-resolution archival photography of both faces.
Reholder request
£20
Upgrade or replacement of an existing Xene holder.
Pedigree label
£35
Notable provenance recorded on the certificate and label.
Insured return courier (UK)
£18
Royal Mail Special Delivery with full declared cover.
Insured return courier (intl.)
From £85
FedEx Priority or appointed armoured carrier.
Ready to submit
Speak with the department head, before you ship.
Every submission begins with a brief written conversation with the lead specialist for your discipline. We will tell you what tier to choose, how to pack, and how to insure.