London & Wales

Numis Travel with Numismatic News, World Coin News and Bank Note Reporter strives to operate according to our published itinerary.  However, in the event of unforeseen circumstances beyond our control or opportunities that would enhance the itinerary, adjustments may be necessary.

At A Glance

September 3, Wednesday – Arrival at London Heathrow and the Hilton Heathrow Hotel

September 4, Thursday - Coincraft coin shop, The British Museum, Kensington Palace

September 5, Friday - Bank of England Museum, Portobello Road Market

September 6, Saturday -  London Coin Fair with free time in London for Charing Cross Collectors Market, Victoria&Albert Museum, Harrods and Buckingham Palace

September 7, Sunday - Ashmolean Museum, traveling to Wales, Carleon Roman Legion Museum, tour by Numismatic volunteer

September 8, Monday - Royal Mint tour with private curator and 2-course lunch, free time in Cardiff

September 9, Tuesday - National Museum Cardiff and traveling back to London Heathrow

September 10, Wednesday – Depart or continue travels

Details

Day 1, Wednesday, September 3:  ARRIVAL

Tour members arrange their own transportation to London and to the Hilton Heathrow Hotel, where a reservation has been made for them.

We will gather for a welcome dinner this evening (included in tour price).

Day 2, Thursday, September 4:  BRITISH MUSEUM, COINCRAFT COIN SHOP, KENSINGTON PALACE

We will start our week together by paying a visit to Coincraft, a London-based, family-owned coin gallery that has been in existence since 1955. The perfect place to grab a souvenir or an addition to your own collection, the shop offers British coins, world and ancient coins, bank notes, checks and bonds, medals and
medallions, antiquities, and books.

Following our Coincraft visit, we will stroll across the street to the British Museum, where we’ll get to see the history of Europe and beyond encapsulated in more than 60 galleries. Stopping by the collection of money is a must, of course. The collection boasts coins, bank notes, and more dating back over 4,000 years from all around the world. You also won’t want to miss the Sutton Hoo gallery. Spanning from 300-1100 A.D., Europe was undergoing major changes, becoming what it is today. At the center of this gallery is the famous Anglo-Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo. And of course, no trip to the British Museum is complete without taking a look at the famous Rosetta Stone.

Rounding out our day will be a tour of iconic Kensington Palace. Have you truly visited London if you don’t check out a castle or two? Kensington Palace offers an inside look into the lives of monarchs dating back to the 1600s. Both the King and Queen’s State Apartments are open to the public, as well as exhibits telling the forgotten stories of the palace staff. The birthplace of Queen Victoria is a fascinating way to end our day.

Day 3, Friday, September 5:  BANK OF ENGLAND,
PORTOBELLO ROAD MARKET

The Bank of England was founded in 1694 as a private bank. Today, the institution is the UK’s central bank, and its long and proud history is encapsulated in the Bank of England Museum. We’ll spend the morning exploring this history and how money has evolved over the years. With a collection containing tens of thousands of items spanning 1,500 years, you’ll be fascinated from the time we enter to when we exit. The museum is also featuring an exhibit on the future of money, something that just about everyone in the hobby has been talking about. What would it mean to go cashless, and how sustainable are crypto-assets? On your visit, you’ll explore the history of the Bank of England and what it does today. Learn about why people started using paper money and discover the secrets of why banknotes are so difficult to copy. Test your strength by picking up a gold bar, and discover why our building is on top of one the world's largest stores of gold!

Collecting coins is a treasure hunt in and of itself. You’re sure to discover countless treasures as we take a trip over to the world’s largest antiques market: the Portobello Road Market. It’s a full mile of hustle, haggle, color and energy, and Saturday is the day to be there! From antiques and fashion to food stalls and street performers, there is so much to see! We’d recommend spending time in the antiques section near Notting Hill tub station where you’ll find a wide array of items dating from BC to the 1960s. Perhaps we can discover a few unexpected coins among the nearly endless selection. We’ve heard the food is pretty great, too!

Day 4, Saturday, September 6:  LONDON COIN FAIR AND FREE TIME TO EXPLORE LONDON FOR: VICTORIA&ALBERT MUSEUM, HARRODS, CHARING CROSS COLLECTORS MARKET AND BUCKINGHAM PALACE

We will begin our Saturday with a stop at the largest international coin fair in the UK, the London Coin Fair.  Held four times per year, this fair is staged over 2 floors and features more than 75 specialist British and international dealers in ancient and modern coins, paper money, medals, tokens, books and antiquities.   

After a lunch on your own, you’ll have some before we end our day.  We’ll be let loose to discover a spot or two that isn’t on the itinerary. Perhaps you’ll choose to visit Buckingham Palace where you might catch a glimpse of the royal family at work while strolling the gardens, or visit the stables, which are still in use today, and take a peek at the famous Gold State Coach that is on display. Of course, there is also the throne room, the ballroom and watching the changing of the
guard.  The Victoria & Albert Museum has art in numerous forms from different eras and areas across the globe. Modernism, illustration, photography and fashion, the museum has more than 5,000 years of creativity housed under one roof. If you are on the adventurous side, you may find your way to the Charing Cross Collectors Market where you’ll be delighted and intrigued by all the coins, stamps postcards, militaria and more that you find.

Day 5, Sunday, September 7:  ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM, CARLEON ROMAN LEGION MUSEUM

In the morning, we will visit the University of Oxford’s museum of art and archaeology, the Ashmolean Museum, which was founded in 1683. Among their many exhibits is the Money Gallery, which displays how money has evolved from ingots and cowries to today’s electronic currencies. Their collection boasts more than 38,000 coin-related items from countries around the globe. The Ashmolean also includes paintings, sculptures and other artifacts from all over the world.

After we visit the Ashmolean Museum, we will travel via coach bus to Wales, with a stop for lunch along the way. Upon our arrival in Wales, we will spend the afternoon exploring the Caerleon Roman Legion Museum led by a numismatic volunteer. In 75 A.D., the Roman Empire built a fortress in far-flung Wales. They would go on to guard the area for over 200 years. The Ruins include the most complete amphitheater in Britain and the only remains of a Roman Legionary barracks on view anywhere in Europe. The Caerleon Roman Legion Museum brings this bit of history to life. The collections include one of the oldest recorded pieces of writing in Wales, one of the largest gemstone collections found anywhere in the Roman Empire, and the contents of the Bathstone Coffin.

Day 6, Monday, September 8:  ROYAL MINT VIP TOUR WITH PRIVATE CURATOR

 We couldn’t possibly go to England on a numismatic tour and not take a visit to The Royal Mint in Cardiff, Wales. The mint has been operating for well over 1,000 years and displays its history in its very own museum. While there, we have the exciting privilege of a VIP tour with a private curator to take us around and satisfy our burning coin curiosities at The Royal Mint Museum. Our tour also includes a visit to the commemorative coin production line where you can see the blank metal planchets being transformed into coins in the blink of an eye. There’s just so much to see!

When the tour is completed, we will be treated to a 2-course lunch at the Royal Mint before embarking out and exploring Cardiff on your own. If the weather is nice, you might consider taking a stroll around Bute Park and Arboretum, or perhaps you’d want to tackle Cardiff Bay Trail, either walking or perhaps a bike rental to enjoy the beautiful bay scenery. Llandaff Cathedral is another fascinating option if you think of yourself as a history buff and want to get more of a taste of the long history of Wales. The Cardiff Market is a historical spot in its own right and will have you perusing stalls of fresh produce to cafes to clothes and jewelry. Interested in castles?  Don’t miss visiting the Cardiff Castle!

Day 7, Tuesday, September 9:  NATIONAL MUSEUM CARDIFF

Before we head back to London, we will visit National Museum Cardiff. In operation since 1948, this museum’s numismatic collection comprises coins, tokens, medals and related objects from ancient times to the present.  The collection focuses on Celtic coins, Greek and Roman coins, coins of England and the British Isles, tokens, banknotes and 'paranumismatica', primarily Welsh, and commemorative medals and awards, especially relating to Wales and the exploits of Welsh people. There are also small comparative collections of European, British Colonial and World coins. Occasional Welsh finds of treasure, such as the English Civil War hoard from Tregwynt, Pembrokeshire (buried around 1648 and rediscovered in 1996), provide spectacular individual acquisitions. And of course, no visit would be complete without a photograph of their newest acquisition, a 14,000 to 14,500-year-old woolly mammoth that was found in Britain in 1986.

After our visit to the National Museum Cardiff, we will travel back to London Heathrow, stopping for lunch along the way.

Day 8, Wednesday, September 10:  DEPARTURE

Our time together has ended, but numismatists and history aficionados always find relics to study and appreciate wherever they are.  Tour members can choose to return home or carry on the adventure.