Rogues Gallery & Gold
Regency Coins Limited
Regency Coins (UK) Limited of Essex seem to have taken over from Investors in Time
, with similar dodgy sales techniques. Unauthorised Credit Card Charge for Unsolicited Goods
The first we time we became aware of Regency Coins was in June 2009, when we were contacted by a concerned member of the public. His octogenarian friend had been sent a "coin" by Regency Coins, and had £3,500 debited from his credit card or bank account. he had contacted us because of our page about Investors in Time.We decided to investigate... The Essex Connection
It almost seems as though any coin dealer from Essex is either a crook, or at least uses dubious business practices, although hopefully there are at least a few honest dealers in Essex. (In fact those listed on Coin Dealers Directory South East page
are all sound, to the best of our knowledge).It started with Gold & Silver Bureau
, run by John Coppin, which seems to have spawned a number of "wannabee" professional numismatists. These also included Coin Connection, three ex-Coppin employees, who appeared to have been trying to make an honest living, although they did lack in knowledge and expertise. The Jigsaw
At present, we are trying to piece together the parts of the jigsaw. Firstly, the information we currently have is all third party hearsay, so there may be some inaccuracies, and we will continue to edit this page as appropriate.We are told that Regency Coins was run by the same people as previously ran Investors in Time. It may be that Regency Coins, or its owners, have bought part of the Investors in Time business. In one sense, there is nothing untoward in this, except the risk of getting tarred with the same brush as Investors in Time. Would a reputable company or investor want to buy parts of a dishonest precursor? Dodgy?
We have seen and heard enough about Regency to guess that they are using similar dodgy and dishonest sales and business practices as Investors in Time did, so unless we learn to the contrary, we would advise any potential coin collectors to avoid doing business with Regency.The "coin" we referred to above is only an unofficial fantasy "pattern", and suspect they as often, it has been sold as a real official pattern coin. Even if it has been correctly described, which we doubt, it has been hugely overpriced. We have a similar piece on our website with an asking price of £750! (at the time of writing). Regency have charged nearly 5 times this amount.See *Valuation below. Regency Coins Rip Off
Don't get ripped off by this company.Doing some quick check on the web, including Companies House, revealed the following: Regency Coins (UK) Limited
Name & Registered Office: REGENCY COINS (UK) LIMITED1 ROYAL TERRACE, SOUTHEND ON SEA, ESSEX, SS1 1EACompany No. 06009383Status: ActiveDate of Incorporation: 24/11/2006Country of Origin: United KingdomCompany Type: Private Limited CompanyNature of Business (SIC(03)):7487 - Other business activitiesAccounting Reference Date: 30/11Last Accounts Made Up To: 30/11/2007 (TOTAL EXEMPTION SMALL)Next Accounts Due: 30/09/2009Last Return Made Up To: 24/11/2008Next Return Due: 22/12/2009Last Members List: 24/11/2008Previous Names:No previous name information has been recorded over the last 20 years. Address
30, Hainault RoadPostcode: RM6 6BJTenure:Internal area: 123 square metres (approx)Year built:Bedrooms:Plot area: 63 square metresFree valuation estimate:£218,000Value range: £196,200 to £239,800(Alan Worby's home address) Domain Name
Domain name: regencycoins.co.ukRegistrant: Regency CoinsRegistrant type: UK PartnershipRegistrant's address:30 hainault roadchadwell heathessexromfordRM6 6BJGBRegistrar:Daily Internet Services Limited t/a Daily.co.uk [Tag = DAILY]URL: http://www.daily.co.ukRelevant dates:Registered on: 02-Apr-2008Renewal date: 02-Apr-2010Last updated: 18-Mar-2009 New Owners
The owner or principal of IIT was Steven Lawson, assisted by his father Alan Lawson. The new owner of Regency appears also to be called Alan, but with a different surname, Alan James Worby. Are We Sure? - Copyright Thieves
As we have dealt with incomplete evidence, the discerning reader of this page may wonder how sure we are of the honesty and integrity of Regency Coins and its owners.
We took one look at their website, and recognised at least 3 out of the 6 images on its homepage as our own copyright coin photographs. As copyright infringement is dishonest, we have no doubts that we have reached the correct conclusion about Regency Coins.
We are more than happy to believe the evidence of our own eyes!
More Addresses
Regency Coins UK LtdWe're listed under Coin & Medal DealersTel: 01268 289574Unit 1, First Floor, Capricorn Centre, Cranes Farm Rd, Basildon, Essex SS14 3JJ, Tel 0871 - 4238871 (Premium rate number) Lee Connors, Sales Assistant,61 Clayburn Circle, Basildon, Essex, SS14 1PX
Mark Colin Hall, Director31 Hornsland Road, Canvey Island, Essex, SS8 8LX
Matthew David Barber, Director (Aug 2009)
Update - 12th Aug 2009
Today we received a letter from solicitors Barnett Alexander Conway Ingram LLP, stating that they act for Regency Coins, accusing us of libellous statements and innuendos in (presumably) the contents of this page. Having re-checked this page, we have made a few minor editsWe intend to send a formal reply to BACI denying and refuting their claims and comments. The original and current content of this page is true and accurate to the best of our knowledge, and is in the public interest. We will also bring to their notice the infringement of our Intellectual Property Rights, and ask for certain undertakings from their client. * Valuation
All valuations are, to some extent, a matter of opinion. It remains our opinion that the coin reported above was overpriced. While we did not originally have a link to our "similar" coin from this page, in case any reader should wrongly think we had created this page as an attempt to appear "holier than thou", or whose prime purpose was to harshly trash a competitor for our own benefit. BACI have asked us to identify our "coin", and we therefore have added a link here to our 1901 Hibernian Victoria Fantasy Pattern Four Shillings in Gold.
New Home Page
We also note that Regency have now changed the index or home page of their website, removing all six of their previous coin images (there were apparently seven, but one looks like a variant of another of the six). These have now been replaced by four images of noticeably lower quality. Our guess is that the other three original images were also copies found on other websites, and probably used without the copyright owners permission.We note there was no credit to other owners, and we believe the 1826 sovereign images were those to be found on the excellent website of cruzis-coins, and we could probably identify the source of the sixth image with a little research. October / December 2009
Since creating this page, we have been contacted by a number of other individuals who were having problems with Regency: - One gentleman bought a number of rare sovereigns from Regency, only to find that some of them were not what they were purported to be. When he brought this to their attention, he was told that they had sent out the wrong coin by mistake, but when he returned the coin, Regency could no longer find the correct one. We advised this gentleman to sue them in the County Court, and also to make formal complaints to Trading Standards, and to the Police.
- Another caller told us he sent them 16 gold sovereigns as agreed by telephone, and was still chasing payment for them of £2,540 two months later. At one stage, they sent him, unsolicited, an early Victoria sovereign, which they invoiced at £2,500. He returned it as unwanted and unrequested.
Another "Website":
The domain www.regencycoinsuk.com displays a single page site, with a few "larger image" pages, listing two Victoria sovereigns, and a tatty looking William and Mary Five Guineas (or 5 Guineau according to Regency), for sale, with an invitation to contact a-t-pearson@blueyonder.co.uk if interested. There is no indication on this page that Regency Coins is a limited company. A Whois Domain Search Shows:
Domain Name: REGENCYCOINSUK.COM
Created on..............: 2008-07-25 10:38:33 GMT
Expires on..............: 2010-07-25 10:38:33 GMT
Last modified on........: 2009-11-02 13:02:00 GMT
Registrant Info: (FAST-12785240)
Attn: regencycoinsuk.com
BlueHost.com- INC
1958 South 950 East
** FREE DOMAIN REGISTRATION **
Hosting plans starting at ONLY $6.95 per month -
Provo, Utah 84606
United States
Phone: +1.8017659400
Fax..: +1.8017651992
Email:
Last modified: 2009-04-10 18:18:13 GMT
whois@bluehost.com is associated with about 750,631 domains
Which is singularly uninformative, but we have seen a number of domain registrations where the true registrant is hidden by the registrar, in this case a "cheap" hosting company. Limited or Unlimited Liability?
We would think that anybody with a legal claim against Regency may have additional rights against the directors as they appear, in places, to be concealing the fact that you are dealing with a limited company. Tip of the Iceberg?
Every so often we receive letters, telephone calls or e-mails from collectors telling us their own tales of woe. Some of them relate to Regency Coins.On 9th November, we received the folowing e-mail: I write to you to inform you that I was one of many customers ripped off by a company no longer trading called Regency Coins Ltd of Basildon Essex company registration number 06009383. They are currently under investigation by Essex Police by a detective called R Holloway of Billericay CID for fraud and misrepresentation around the estimated value of £300,000. I have since learnt that they set up a company called Hallmark Coins ltd (company registration number 06977919) which was set up in july 2009 but has not traded until the demise of Regency coins in August. Please also note that there are three people currently on bail who are working for this company along with several other ex employees of Regency Coins Ltd now working at Hallmark coins Ltd including Lee Connor (currently under arrest and on bail for fraud and misrepresentation and reguarly sold to me as an Oliver Smith) Mr Alan Worby (previous director of Regency Coins Ltd currently under arrest for fraud and misrepresentation) Mr stuart Furlong And the director Mr Matthew Barber as the other director Mr Mark Hall who was also a director of Regency coins Ltd resigned from Hallmark coins after his arrest in August 2010 but is still very much part of the business. I also believe that Barclays bank are providing the merchant services for this new company and also provided the facilities to take customers credit cards on Regency coins Ltd. This is totally unnaceptable and is giving these criminals the facilities to continue ripping off honest working people like myself. I wonder if there is anything within your powers to stop this happening as with already customers some £300.000 out of pocket it surely is only a matter of time before they do this again.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Mr Axxx Axxxxxx.
(We have withheld the writers full name)
Hallmark Coins
Hallmark Coins Limited, Matthew Barber, Lee Connor and Mark Hall have instructed solicitors who have written to us contending the allegations contained in the above email from Mr AA are not true and are defamatory. They state that: 1. Whilst Mr Connor and Mr Hall worked at various times and in various capacities for Regency Coins Limited (Regency), they were not responsible for the fraudulent activities at this now defunct company.
2. Mr Barber never worked in an official capacity for Regency.
3. Mr Connor and Mr Hall were interviewed by the Police as part of an investigation into Regency. However, the police formed the view that the two men were not responsible for any criminal wrongdoing and neither man was charged.
4. Mr Barber was never interviewed by the police in connection with the activities of Regency.
5. Mr Connor, Mr Hall and Mr Barber have set up an entirely new company, Hallmark Coins Limited (Hallmark).
6. Hallmark prides itself on honesty and integrity and does not engage in any criminal activity whatsoever.
7. Hallmark has honoured every order ever placed with it and Mr Connor has even endeavoured to reimburse as many of Regency's victims as possible.
Companies House Search for Hallmark Coins Ltd
Name & Registered Office:
HALLMARK COINS LIMITED
1 ROYAL TERRACE
SOUTHEND-ON-SEA
ESSEX
SS1 1EA
Company No. 06977919
Status: Active
Date of Incorporation: 31/07/2009
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Last Members List: 18/08/2010
Accounting Reference Date: 31/07
Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED)
Next Accounts Due: 30/04/2011
Last Return Made Up To: 18/08/2010
Next Return Due: 28/08/2011
Domain Check
Domain name:
hallmarkcoins.co.uk
Registrant:
John Parker
Trading as:
Coins Sales
Registrant type:
UK Individual
Registrant's address:
9a May Avenue
Essex
Canvey Island
SS8 7EE
United Kingdom
Registrar:
eNom, Inc. [Tag = ENOM]
URL: http://www.enom.com
Relevant dates:
Registered on: 17-Aug-2009
Renewal date: 17-Aug-2011
Last updated: 07-Sep-2009
Registration status:
Registered until renewal date.
Name servers:
ns1.veloxerv.co.uk
ns2.veloxserv.co.uk 89.255.130.142
WHOIS lookup made at 15:19:23 09-Nov-2010
Regency Coins in High Court
Update May 2012
Hallmark Coins & Copyright Abuse
Copyright Theft
Copyright Notice
Please see our "Copyright" page for further information.
Copyright Infringements Remedies
Our suggested draft remedies for copyright abusers dependent on category - competitors, bloggers, pseudo-expert & advice sites acting as eBay & Google portals, eBay & other auction site sellers.
Other Copyright Abuse
Other Copyright Abuse