Twice a year, Baldwin’s produces a Fixed Price List (FPL) – a catalogue containing some of the finest numismatic material available anywhere in the world. The release is always a highly anticipated event, and so far the digital version has been browsed almost 10,000 times.

We always get asked a great deal of questions about our FPL, so we felt that the time was right to now ‘lift the lid’ and answer as many of those queries as we can.

If you have a question that we haven’t yet addressed, feel free to ask it below and we’l feature the best in our next newsletter.

So where does all this material come from?

Our team of world-class experts begin collecting items for the FPL months (and often more) well in advance of publication. We quite literally scour the globe in pursuit of top-quality items to feature. We attend all the major fairs and conventions, from Berlin to Tokyo to New York to Hong Kong.

We also monitor and attend coin auctions all over the world, and if we do manage to grab a bargain it enables us to offer items at very attractive prices.

Do you own all the items on the Fixed Price List?

We certainly do. Whilst we do sometimes sell on behalf of clients, every item featured on our FPL is owned by A H Baldwin & Sons Ltd.

Items that are consigned to us are generally sold at our numerous auctions around the world. For those looking to consign, click the ‘auctions’ tab above to see why our auction processes consistently get the best results for our consignors.

How are the items selected?

When it comes to our FPL, we take great pains to ensure that there is truly something for everyone.

We understand that the numismatic world is a richly varied and often eclectic one. For every high-level collector willing to spend six or seven figures each year on their collection, we know that there are a dozen equally committed collectors who perhaps operate on a more modest budget.

Our goal is to make this bi-annual catalogue as inclusive as possible – that’s not to say that there are not some highly exclusive items on the list.

In every category we feature a number of these exclusive items, but we also include a number of others that can add significant value to a collection without having to sell the car or re-mortgage the house.

I’ve seen that coin cheaper on another website…

If you happen to find a bargain, then after your own due diligence, by all means go for it!

As we all know, numismatics is not a precise science, and the bars and restuarants surrounding every fair and convention anywhere in the world are always awash with stories of burned fingers and bargains that turned out not-to-be.

Much of the stock that we feature on our FPL is high quality and highly specialised, and the prices we set are what our specialists feel are both realistic and reasonable for that ‘specific’ item rather than any other items in that series.

So just how are the prices calculated?

A large number of factors are taken into consideration when setting the prices, including (but not limited to) current market trends, popularity, provenance and rarity, combined with our specialists’ unrivalled knowledge of the numismatic world.

A very considerable amount of research is also conducted for each and every item to make sure we get it 100% right.

The prices that we set are commensurate with market value – we monitor Prices Realised and trends from all over the world on a constant basis.

Over the past 142 years plus, we have built a significant reputation of being one of the most respected numismatic dealing houses in the world – its a reputation that we want to keep. And the best way to do that? To offer you the best possible prices that we can.

These prices – are they really ‘fixed’?

This one we get asked a lot – and the short answer is: Yes, they are.

That being said, once the FPL has been current for a month, we are often willing to entertain sensible offers, and we will always reply.

Why do you only produce Fixed Price Lists twice a year?

The compilation of these catalogues takes a huge amount of time and some considerable effort – work often begins as much as six to eight months ahead of publication. By limiting the number of releases to only two a year, it enables us to present only the very best that the numismatic world can offer and retains that level of exclusivity that so many of you have come to expect from Baldwin’s.

My area of interest isn’t featured this time. Why not?

There are a number of reasons why this could be the case. It could be that we were unable to source items of sufficient quality to include, or that space limitations meant that we had to omit certain sections this time around.

Its worth noting that any items that don’t quite make it onto our FPL (for whatever reason) are always available through the website. Simply click on the ‘buy’ tab above to start browsing.

Got a question that isn’t featured here? Let us know below and we’ll get back to you!

The best questions will be featured on our next newsletter.