History Category

• Omega Speedmaster and Apollo 13

  November 22, 2019 | History, Omega Watches | Jim Tannahill | Comments Off on Omega Speedmaster and Apollo 13

  When it comes to events in history, many of us learn the facts from the film rather than the real event. As such, most of our facts about “Apollo 13” and the failed Moon

• The rise of the London Pawnbroker

  October 11, 2019 | History, Loans, Pawnbroking, The History of Pawnbroking | Jim Tannahill | Comments Off on The rise of the London Pawnbroker

  In the 18th and 19th century, the most common loan written was of low value. An asset-backed loan was what most people could access, not a bank loan, thus when you need to get a

• History of Pawnbroking in London

  June 25, 2019 | History, The History of Pawnbroking | Jim Tannahill | Comments Off on History of Pawnbroking in London

  Lending money against your goods has been a practice in many ancient countries, such as China, ancient Greece and Europe. It helped many bank families of Italy gain dominance and

• WWII Rolex storms at auction

  March 9, 2018 | History, Rolex Watches | Jim Tannahill | Comments Off on WWII Rolex storms at auction

  Little could a German frogman know – as he swam away from the Nijmegen bridge after setting an explosive charge in 1944 – that he was about to be parted from his Rolex AND

• George Rowson Rolex

  January 29, 2018 | History, Rolex Watches | Jim Tannahill | Comments Off on George Rowson Rolex

  Central London pawnbrokers, Hopkins & Jones, are watching the auction of a Rolex with interest. Due to take place in the Midlands, at the end of January 2018, the Rolex was

• Montes Pietatis

  July 7, 2014 | History, The History of Pawnbroking | Jim Tannahill | Comments Off on Montes Pietatis

  The Montes Pietatis, or Mount of piety, was an establishment pawnbroker, which was run charity in from later Middle Ages right up to the 20th century. Although the Montes Pietatis

• The House of Medici in a nutshell

  June 19, 2014 | History, The History of Pawnbroking | Jim Tannahill | Comments Off on The House of Medici in a nutshell

  The House of Medici is one of the great houses of old Italy. Like the Borgias, we usually have an understanding of what went along with being a Medici, but only a few of us would

• Just what does Lombard mean?

  June 19, 2014 | History, The History of Pawnbroking | Jim Tannahill | Comments Off on Just what does Lombard mean?

  The term, Lombard banking, dates right back to the Middles Ages when it referred to a type of pawnshop. Lombard takes its name from the well-to-do region of Lombardy, in North