H.R. Harmer ~ Heinrich Koehler ~ John Bull ~ Corinphila Amsterdam ~ Corinphila Zurich
Irvine, CA – (BUSINESS WIRE) – April 26, 2010 – Spectrum Group International, Inc., a Fortune 500 company, announced today that it has created a global philatelic network using the resources of its prestigious auction house subsidiaries, H.R. Harmer, Heinrich Koehler, John Bull, Corinphila Amsterdam and Corinphila Zurich. Dieter Michelson, currently the head of the Company’s European Operations, will assume management of SGI’s Worldwide Philatelic Division, and Tom Mills, H.R. Harmer’s Chief Operating Officer, will become its President.
Greg Roberts, President and CEO of Spectrum Group, said, “Currently, our five philatelic companies are operating in five countries and the three most important continents from a philatelic standpoint. We believe that we can better serve our worldwide clients by leveraging on the strength of each of our brands and offering consignors the ability to sell their stamps for the highest price in the market that is best suited for their collectible area.”
Mr. Michelson commented, “I am excited about our new global philatelic network, whose message to its clientele is, ‘sell where your stamps will sell the best.’ Our outstanding customer service will not change, since our customers will continue to consign to our individual auction houses, backed by their history and reputation. As it has done since 1941, H.R. Harmer will continue to offer the greatest selection and unsurpassed marketing of material. What will change is that customers can now be assured that, because we are directing consignments to the best markets worldwide, they will obtain the best return on their investment. No other worldwide philatelic organization has as many active stamp auction houses overseen by the strength and collectibles expertise of a Fortune 500 company.”
About H.R. Harmer
H.R. Harmer was founded in 1940. In 1946, H.R. Harmer Inc. of New York was selected to sell the late President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s stamp collection. This represented the first of many important landmark auctions conducted by the firm. Over the next seven decades, the firm was chosen again and again to sell many of the finest stamp collections ever formed, including the most valuable philatelic collection sold at any U.S. auction -- the famed Louise Boyd Dale and Alfred F. Lichtenstein collections -- through a series of 25 sales beginning in 1968 and ending in May of 2004. H.R. Harmer has also offered many valuable properties including the Princeton University Block of Four of the Inverted U.S. 24¢ Airpost, the Charnley, and Whelan Find.
About Spectrum Group International, Inc.
Spectrum Group is a consolidated global collectibles network. The Company is a leading auctioneer of stamps, coins, rare and fine vintage wine, and arms, armor and militaria, targeting both collectors and dealers. Spectrum is also a merchant/dealer of certain collectibles and trader of precious metals. The Company's collectibles offerings span the modest to ultra high-end price spectrum. Spectrum conducts its operations in two business segments: collectibles and trading.
Spectrum Group’s collectibles companies focused on philately are auction houses H.R. Harmer of Irvine, California, Corinphila Auktionen of Zurich, Switzerland, Heinrich Köhler Auktionshaus of Wiesbaden, Germany, Corninphila Amsterdam of the Netherlands, and John Bull Stamp Auctions of Hong Kong. Spectrum Group’s collectibles companies in the numismatics field include Bowers and Merena Auctions (rare coin and currency auction house), Ponterio & Associates (world and ancient coins and currency auction house), Teletrade (online coin auctions) and Spectrum Numismatics International (wholesale rare coin dealer), all based in Irvine, California. Spectrum Wine Auctions is engaged in the sale by auction of rare and fine vintage wine. Spectrum Group also owns Greg Martin Auctions, which conducts auction sales of antique arms, armor and militaria.
The trading activities of Spectrum Group are conducted through A-Mark Precious Metals, one of the largest private sellers of bullion coins and bullion gold, silver and platinum to the wholesale marketplace. A-Mark’s subsidiary Collateral Finance Corporation, which is the Official Numismatic Lender of the American Numismatic Association, provides financing on a wide array of bullion and numismatic products.
Contact:
Tom Mills
President
H.R. Harmer
800.782.6771, x232