Products
A trusted stamp and coin dealer in Perth
PHILATELICS
Early Australian stamps have been modestly but steadily rising in value for the past 10 years or more. ‘Modest’ and ‘steady’ are key terms when applied to sure investments. When you see rapid increase over an historically short time-frame, then invariably there will be a correction, often severe and protracted.
Since the advent of the global financial crisis, momentum in the philatelic market has increased, experienced collectors having recognised that such items are still relatively under-valued. So, if there are gaps in your collection that you’d like to fill, it’s worthwhile consulting Mickel. He can also help with issues from more recent years; these are proving difficult to find, since many stamp dealers could not afford to buy them for posterity.
Aside from Australian stamps, Smits stocks first-day covers, stamp packs, booklets, annual albums and PNCs, while specialist collectors will delight in the postal history, flight and commemorative covers, postcards, varieties and West Australian postmarks.
Smits also carries Australian Antarctic Territory, Cocos, Christmas and Norfolk Islands, Nauru, PNG, New Zealand, Great Britain, Pre-1970 British Commonwealth and classic world stamps and covers.
Beginners and general collectors can choose from a selection of basic collections sold album by album, as is, from $10, along with a range of packets and cheap sets.
NEW ISSUES OF THE WORLD
Want to keep your favourite country or theme collection up to date? If so, Smits can supply all the latest releases. (Please note: thematic orders are restricted to bona fide issuing authorities.) A standing order ensures that you don’t miss anything and reduces hassles and risk, as well as handling and transaction costs. Standing orders can be collected from Smits in person; alternatively, items can be mailed to you on a regular basis.
NUMISMATICS
Smits began trading in coins and banknotes in the mid ‘70s. Since then, the market has experienced some remarkable ebbs and flows, along with milestone changes to the Australian currency, including collectable issues. Following the change from pounds and pence to dollars and cents in 1966, the numismatic market flourished into the ‘70s, as collectors sought to formulate collections of the old currency. Coincidentally, the Royal Australian Mint began issuing annual proof and uncirculated coin sets, opening up a new era in modern coin collecting. In 1970 the first of many different commemorative fifty-cent coins was released into circulation, inspiring a whole new group of collectors. In 1974 Gough Whitlam’s government brought about a significant change for banknote collectors by reducing the legend at the top of our banknotes from ‘Commonwealth of Australia’ to simply ‘Australia’. The ‘80s heralded the introduction of special- and commemorative-edition gold and silver coins from the Canberra Mint, which likely inspired and motivated the West Australian government to elevate the state-owned Perth Mint from simply a gold and silver refiner and distributor to a producer of collectors’ coins – first gold in 1986 and then silver in 1988. Issues from both mints have proliferated ever since.
Another monumental change to Australia’s banknotes was the deletion of the one- and two-dollar notes in 1984 and 1988 respectively. Then, even more significantly, plastic (or polymer) notes progressively replaced the paper notes from 1992 through to ‘96. This initiated a surge in the collecting of the defunct paper issues. In part, the new enthusiasm for banknote collecting led to an unprecedented increase in the value of rare Australian banknotes, aided and abetted by private super funds. These new speculators/investors, seeking an alternative to traditional investments, initiated a boom in the value of rarities, which then flowed on to rare coins. Those who heeded Smits’ advice and capitalised a few years ago did very well; those who did not sell would do well to consult Mickel. Presently, gold and silver coins available at prices akin to their bullion value are in vogue with speculators.
The path a collector chooses can potentially involve myriad complexities, requiring technical knowledge and understanding. Any dealer worth his salt not only possesses such knowledge and understanding but also imparts it by nurturing collectors and helping them develop their collections. Smits assists collectors from beginner level to advanced and the success of the business is testament to this ethos.
STAMP AND COIN ALBUMS, CATALOGUES AND ACCESSORIES
Smits supplies all leading brands, including Prinz, Lighthouse, Stanley Gibbons, Seven Seas, PW, VST, Hagner, Cumberland, Renniks, Krause, McDonald and Dansco, among others. Mail orders are welcomed.