Specialist Expert Team

Core Senior Management

Olivier D. Stocker, CFA, FRPSL

Position: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Spink Group, Chief Consultant of Authentication Centre

Specialties: Strategic review of global philatelic and numismatic collection systems, final authentication of top-tier auction items

Qualifications: Senior Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London; led the development of Spink’s global authentication standards

Tim Hirsch, FRPSL

Position: Global Director of Authentication Centre, Head of Philatelic and Manuscripts Department

Specialties: Authentication and dating of world rare stamps, postal history, and autograph manuscripts

Qualifications: Certified Authenticator by the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP); lead authenticator for Spink London

I. Numismatics & Precious Metals Authentication Team

Gregory Edmund

Position: Chief Numismatic Authenticator and Senior Auctioneer, Global Numismatics Department

Specialties: Authentication of world ancient coins, gold and silver ingots, modern machine-made coins, and banknotes

Qualifications: Senior Member of the British Numismatic Society; handled over 150,000 rare numismatic items worldwide

Paul Pei Po Chow

Position: Chief Specialist for Asian Numismatics

Specialties: Authentication of ancient Chinese coins, Qing and Republican period machine-made coins, silver ingots, and numismatic charms

Qualifications: Over 30 years of deep experience in the Asian numismatic market; lead authenticator for Spink Hong Kong numismatic auctions

Zhang Jianqiang, Li Gangben

Position: Senior Numismatic Researchers & Authenticators, Asian Numismatics

Specialties: Authentication of ancient Chinese cash coins, border region issues, and modern and contemporary silver coins

II. Philately & Postal History Authentication Team

Joshua Barber

Position: Head of Philately and Historical Manuscripts, Chief Authenticator

Specialties: Authentication of world rare stamps, postal covers, Qing and Republican period stamps, and postal historical materials

Qualifications: Certified Specialist of the Royal Philatelic Society London; core authenticator for Spink philatelic auctions

Alan Ho

Position: Senior Asian Stamp Authenticator

Specialties: Authentication of China Large Dragon stamps, Republican period stamps, Liberated Area stamps, and rare stamps from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan

Qualifications: Renowned authority in Asian philately; responsible for final authentication of Spink Asian stamp auctions

Neill Granger, FRPSL; Thomas Fell

Position: Specialists for European and American Stamps

Specialties: Authentication of rare British and Commonwealth stamps, classic stamps, and celebrity postal covers

III. Orders, Decorations & Military Medals Authentication Team

David Erskine-Hill

Position: Chief Authenticator, Orders and Medals Department

Specialties: Authentication and historical dating of global military medals, orders of chivalry, and royal commemorative medals

Qualifications: Senior Member of the Orders and Medals Research Society; world-renowned authority on orders and decorations

Zhu Kangming

Position: Special Consultant for Asian Orders and Medals

Specialties: Authentication of modern and contemporary Chinese orders and commemorative medals

Qualifications: Author of Order of Blue Sky and White Sun; invited specialist for Spink Asian orders and medals authentication

IV. Jewellery, Jade & Luxury Goods Authentication Team

All team members hold dual certifications as Graduate Gemologists (GIA) and Fellow of the Gemmological Association (FGA)

Specialties: Coloured gemstones, diamonds, antique jewellery, jadeite, jade, and oriental jewellery

Services cover authentication of Western royal jewellery and Asian jade markets, including material testing and craftsmanship dating

V. Antique Works of Art & Historical Manuscripts Team

Ian Shapiro; George Yue (Special Consultant)

Position: Consultants for Oriental Antiques and Historical Documents

Specialties: Authentication of rare books, celebrity letters, Chinese porcelain, scholarly antiques, and Buddhist statues

Emma Howard

Position: Specialist for Rare Books and Manuscripts

Specialties: Dating and authentication of Western classical books, early printed materials, and manuscript documents

VI. Scientific Authentication & Technical Support Team

James Tam and Scientific Authentication Specialists

Specialties: X‑ray Fluorescence (XRF) compositional analysis, thermoluminescence dating, paper and ink analysis, metal provenance testing

Qualifications: Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry; provides scientific data for expert authentication and issues official certification reports

Core Authentication Advantages of the Team

  • Dual Regional Expertise: Collaborative expertise between the London headquarters and Hong Kong Asia office, covering global collectible categories
  • Authoritative Qualifications: All specialists hold certifications from top international collectors’ societies, with decades of frontline auction and authentication experience
  • Dual Verification System: Traditional expert eye authentication combined with modern scientific testing for precise and authoritative conclusions
  • Industry‑Recognized Validity: Authentication results recognized by global collectors, auction houses and institutions, possessing both market and judicial credibility