LONDON.- Newly established but with years of experience, Wilkes & Curtis Ltd, are offering international bidders a fresh approach to buying at auction. In a ground-breaking initiative for a UK numismatic auction house, Wilkes & Curtis will be offering bidders a regular calendar of four online-only auctions a year, with a specific focus on Islamic and Indian coins, and a fixed buyer’s premium of 10%.

This fresh face of the British numismatic scene comes in the form of the natural pairing of two familiar faces, Tim Wilkes and Matt Curtis. A leading global expert in Islamic coins, Tim Wilkes began his career at London-based numismatic dealers and auctioneers A. H. Baldwin & Sons Ltd in 1998 and was appointed director in 2003. He left in 2007 to continue his career as an independent dealer specialising in Islamic, Indian, and Medieval coins.

Having spent a large part of his childhood in and around the numismatic scene, Matthew Curtis joined A.H. Baldwin & Sons Ltd as auction manager in 2005. Over the years he acquired a broad experience managing all aspects of the operations and logistics involved in auction sales, and in particular internet auctions. His interest in the fields of numismatics and technology, combined with his wealth of experience in running online auctions, made it a natural progression to join forces with Tim to create the new firm of Wilkes & Curtis Ltd.

Wilkes & Curtis Ltd Director, Tim Wilkes said: “Both Matt and I are passionate about the numismatic industry and about keeping the traditional values alive, whilst offering our global client base the opportunity to embrace new technologies, and a modern approach to auctioneering. We are keen to share our enthusiasm, and our specialist knowledge, with our clients and to encourage the next generation of numismatists to join the international community.”

The pair will offer both buyers and vendors high-quality printed auction catalogues and the flexibility to bid by email, by post or online, as well as see bidding in real time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Specialised selling services will be combined with simple fixed fees to ensure clients are offered a transparent service, with no hidden extras.

Wilkes & Curtis Ltd Director, Matthew Curtis said: “As members of the IAPN and the BNTA, we recognise that our international buyers and vendors will expect the high standards of traditional service they would receive from any global auction house. We believe our modern approach to keeping costs low will ensure we can offer both new and existing clients a top-quality service, at the best possible price.”

Wilkes & Curtis Ltd will bring their modern approach to traditional numismatic auctions to fruition with their first online auction closing on Monday 16th June. The sale will include more than 500 lots, highlighted by a collection of coins of Morocco , together with other Islamic, Indian, and world coins, and including a Tunisian gold medal presented by the Paris mint to Muhammad al-Habib Bey, which is of the highest rarity and believed to be unique. The catalogue for the auction and details of how to bid online with Wilkes & Curtis Ltd will be available on their website at least four weeks prior to the auction at www.wilkesandcurtis.com.