Rare Tangible Assets Ltd

20/02/2025

A George V 4½d Registered postal stationery envelope, franked with an additional 1d Scarlet stamp, sent from London SW6 to Philadelphia, USA in January 1927. There are New York transit and Philadelphia arrival marks, as well as Registration and Customs labels - but there is nothing rare or unusual about the stamp, the postmarks or the cover.

What makes this item worthy of note is the sender and the recipient:

The stamp is a perfin, bearing the perforated initials "S & S Ltd" of Spink & Son, the numismatic dealer and auctioneer, established in 1666.

Not surprisingly, the recipient was also a numismatist: Henry Chapman who, along with his brother Samuel Hudson Chapman, was the first career coin dealer in the United States. The brothers held their first coin auction in 1879, and were innovative in the use of photographic plates to illustrate their catalogues.

01/02/2025

The find has been described as a ‘golden ticket’ by a specialist

03/02/2024

Stanley Gibbons Ltd, established in 1856, is the oldest stamp dealer in the world. Having worked at SG for a number of years, I have a particular interest in SG memorabilia. Here are a couple of items of early SG ephemera.

#1 Approvals Sheet: Like many dealers, SG used to send a selection of individually priced stamps to collectors "on approval". The collectors would select the stamps they wished to keep and return the rest to SG, together with the payment.
This approvals sheet dates from 1901 and had a total price of £1 4s 1d.

#2 Samples Sheet: This sheet of stamps was for inspection only, sent as a sample of those available. Collectors were requested to return the sheet intact, and place an order for the stamps they liked.
This sheet is undated (possibly 1920s-30s) and is priced at 5 shillings.

Note that the stamps currently on the sheets may not be the originals.

29/10/2023

Crusader Without Violence, the first biography of Martin Luther King, by African-American historian & professor Lawrence Dunbar Reddick, profusely illustrated with black & white photographs.

First Edition hardback (1959) published by Harper & Brothers, New York - with original dust jacket. Signed "Martin L King Jr" in black ink on the first free endpaper.

Very rare as a signed first edition.

23/10/2023

Vintage Film Posters with Spink in London

https://live.spink.com/auctions/4-B0FWOK/23147-original-vintage-film-posters

14/10/2023

As well as full sized film posters, smaller lobby cards - around 11"x14" (28x36 cm) and featuring scenes from the film - are also popular with collectors.

A selection of lobby card and photographic stills (as well as vintage posters) from iconic films is currently on offer from Spink Auctions. Many are offered professionally framed, and will make ideal gifts for film buffs.

https://live.spink.com/auctions/4-B0FWOK/23147-original-vintage-film-posters

14/10/2023

James Bond is one of the most enduring and popular themes among collectors of vintage film posters.

A selection of 100 rare posters from iconic films (including several James Bonds) is currently on offer from Spink Auctions.

https://live.spink.com/auctions/4-B0FWOK/23147-original-vintage-film-posters

05/09/2023

In 2020, champagne house V***e Clicquot collaborated with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama to mark the new 2012 vintage of La Grande Dame.

Kusama created a new artwork: My Heart That Blooms In The Darkness Of The Night. The sculpture - colourful psychedelic flowers, with the artist’s signature polka dots, entwining a bottle of champagne - is limited to 100 numbered editions. Examples sell for around £120,000 ($150,000) or more.

The 2012 vintage of La Grande Dame was sold in Kusama's specially designed case, also bearing flowers and polka dots.

26/08/2023

Copper Beech Financial Group podcast discussing Rare Tangible Assets (RTAs) and Generational Wealth.

John and Michael Parise speak with Geoff Anandappa, director of Rare Tangible Assets Ltd, about investing in rare assets such as coins, books, art, stamps and other collectibles.

Geoff discusses:
• His background and how he got into RTAs
• How investors are using RTAs to hedge the current worldwide inflation issue
• The size of the market for rare asset collectors and investors
• The risk of forgeries, and what investors can do to avoid them
• New collectibles emerging in the marketplace
• How to invest in RTAs prudently, minimising risk.

The Role of Rare Tangible Assets in a Diversified Portfolio for Generational Wealth with Geoff Anandappa (Ep. 108) August 23, 2023Finance, Financial, Financial Planning, Truth, WealthArt, Asset Class, Coins, Collectibles, Collectors, Copper Beech Financial Group, Diversified Portfolio, Generational....

05/05/2023

The 6th of May 1840 was the first official day of use of the Penny Black, the world's first postage stamp, issued in Great Britain & Ireland.

The Penny Black itself is not rare - around 68 million were printed in one year. However, early usage on original letters from May 1840 is scarce and sought after by collectors.

Illustrated is a Penny Black (plate 1a) cancelled with a red Maltese Cross postmark, used on a small envelope addressed to Piccadilly, London. The red octagonal London datestamp of 6 May 1840 shows that it was used on the first day of issue, making it very rare.

Included with the envelope is the original letter, datelined "St Peter's College, May 6th 1840" in which the writer refers to the newly introduced Penny Black: "The stationers are furious at the Government allowing them so little profit on the new stamps..."

Penny Black first day covers are currently listed in the Stanley Gibbons catalogue at £75,000.

07/02/2023

One of the most popular British stamps was issued almost a hundred years ago - to celebrate a dull international meeting in London...

The Universal Postal Union (UPU) is an agency of the United Nations which coordinates the worldwide postal system. Established in 1874, the UPU holds a meeting or Congress for member nations every four years.

The 9th Postal Union Congress (PUC) took place in London in 1929 - the first and only time it has been held in the UK - and it was decided to issue a set of stamps to commemorate the event. This was only the second set of UK commemorative stamps issued - the first being for the 1924 British Empire Exhibition.

A committee was formed to solicit designs for the £1 high value stamp, and 16 were submitted. The chosen design was one by Harold Nelson, originally proposed for the British Empire Exhibition, featuring St George & the Dragon. The engraving was done by J A C Harrison, who had also engraved the popular Seahorses stamps. The £1 stamps were printed in sheets of 20 by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co.

The £1 stamp was initially unpopular with the philatelic community, who regarded the issue of such a high value stamp as an attempt to raise as much money as possible from collectors and visiting PUC delegates. In time, however, the £1 PUC has come to be regarded as one of the classics of British philately - and it is the favourite stamp of many collectors.

Because of the high face value and the popularity of the design, many collectors believe that the £1 PUC is a sound investment. However, it is by no means rare - even fine used and unmounted mint examples are widely available at under £250 and £500 respectively, and prices have shown little sign of increase. Very much rarer is usage on 10th May 1929, the first day of issue, with examples selling for around £10,000.

Most £1 PUC stamps on cover are philatelic, and genuine commercial usage on cover is scarce. Also scarce are examples of the stamp with red SPECIMEN overprint, sent out as samples to UPU members. Specimens and non-philatelic covers sell for £1,500 to £2,000 - and they probably represent a better long term investment than mint or used £1 PUC stamps.

02/02/2023