CoinVery rare
Italy·64–68 CE
Aureus of Nero
A gold aureus from the last years of Nero's reign, struck in Rome as the empire's finances and image were being rebuilt.
Private numismatic & philatelic collection
A Journey ThroughHistory
Two thousand years of empire, art and correspondence — preserved in gold, silver and paper. An invitation to read the world through the objects it left behind.
11
Catalogued objects
6
Coins
5
Stamps
7
Countries & issuers
Curator's selection
Aureus of Nero
Private collection · EuropeCenturies represented · 6
Curator's selection
Objects of distinction
Pieces chosen for their rarity, their condition and the stories they carry.
Recently catalogued
New to the collection
The latest acquisitions, researched and photographed in detail.
CoinRare
Italy·37–41 CE
Sestertius of Caligula
A large bronze sestertius whose reverse commemorates the emperor's rescue of the citizens.
StampVery rare
United Kingdom·1840
The Penny Black
The world's first adhesive postage stamp, issued on 1 May 1840 and used from 6 May.
CoinExtremely rare
Greece·454–404 BCE
Athenian Owl Tetradrachm
The silver coin of Athens: Athena in a crested helmet, and her owl, the city's most recognisable emblem.
CoinUncommon
France·1925
French Indochina 1 Piastre, 1925
A silver trade dollar of French Indochina, struck in Paris for circulation across Southeast Asia.
From the journal
Notes on collecting
Essays on history, craftsmanship and the quiet discipline of assembling a collection.
2 min readPaper Ambassadors
A postage stamp is the smallest official artwork a nation produces — and one of the most revealing.
Read essay2 min readThe Emperor in Your Palm
Roman coins were never merely money. They were portable portraits of power, carried into every province the legions reached.
Read essay2 min readThe Quiet Art of Grading
How do you describe a coin without restoring it? Condition, toning and wear are the collector's most honest vocabulary.
Read essayThe collector
Every object is a document
ABDO COLL began with a single worn coin and a question: who held this before me? Today it is a private archive of coins and stamps, assembled with patience and studied with care.
Read the collector's story