1666 - 350 in 66 items

SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY PRIVATE SALE CATALOGUE
In this view, c. 1720, painted in 1837 by Edward Ward, there is evidence of the early
trading premises of Elmes Spink at the Grasshopper in Lombard Street (at left of the
illustration is a pawnbroker and jeweller).
Dear Collectors and Friends,
Welcome to this celebratory private sale catalogue,
curated to celebrate the 350th anniversary of
Spink. Every item here has been carefully selected
by the heads of all the specialist departments at
Spink to represent, in the broadest sense, the
essence of what we do at Spink. We handle items
that speak of and reflect history, and all our
specialists share a love of the objects they see on a
daily basis.
In this special offering of 66 items spanning 350
years, you will find everything from rare port and
whisky to Fabergé, from a cheque written by
Charles Dickens to rare stamps, from submarines
to railways, from a 17th century post bag to a
silver dhow, as well as the specially designed and
minted 350th Anniversary Spink medals. I hope
you enjoy the unique range of interesting and
important items presented here as much as we
have enjoyed selecting them.
Spink was born in a tumultuous year in British
history. Our founder, John Spink, as with so
many others in the aftermath of the Great Fire of
London in 1666, had to build his business from
the ashes. We continue that process of building
today as we embrace new technologies and
globalisation with fully fledged offices in
London, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and
Switzerland. But, we never lose sight of our
passion for history, the items we offer and you,
our valued customers.
The thrill of the chase to find older things that
have personality, character and a great story
behind them is an obsession we all share. If you
collect, then your collection becomes a reflection
of who you are. Each handpicked object in this
catalogue has been enormous fun to track down
and acquire and each, in its own way, tells a
story. Together they are a reflection of Spink.
In all probability I shall not be here for Spink’s
400th year celebrations, but, I together with all
the totally committed staff in all our locations
worldwide, work tirelessly to ensure that an even
more vibrant, inspired and professional Spink will
be there to celebrate 400 years in business in
2066! After all we are all dedicated custodians of
the most amazing franchise in the world of
collecting.
Olivier D. Stocker, CFA
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
chairmanoffice@spink.com
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