We are a family-run business with an illustrious past stretching back to 1897.

I believe the business has remained consistently true to the principles of its founding fathers by providing a professional and prompt service to our valued customers. From the day it was founded in 1897 by Messrs Bridger and Kay their objective was to serve the philatelic community as best they could. Although times have changed our objectives have not! As a tightly knit family business you can expect the best service and customer care from us. Basic family values of trust, respect and care are the core reasons we continue to trade so successfully for over a hundred years after our foundation. We would love to welcome you aboard as a valuable member of the wider Bridger & Kay community with our shared values of trust, respect and care.

My team and I of dedicated professionals are ready to serve you in whatever way we can in helping to build your collection. Please ask - nothing is too small or too big for us.

Steve Ellis

Managing Director

Above: A copy from Bridger & Kay's original accounts showing the entry for the sale of the mint Penny Red Plate 77 to Sir Edward Denny Bacon (Keeper of the Royal Collection) on 8th August 1918.

To date only four mint and five used examples have been reported, although some have not been seen for so long their authenticity is unconfirmed and often doubted. Of the mint examples, there is one in the Royal Philatelic collection, one in the Tapling collection in the British Library, one in the Raphael collection that was stolen in 1965 and has not been seen since, and the fourth was in the Ferrary collection sold in the 1920's. Flaws in plate number 77 meant the stamp's perforations were lined up incorrectly, so all of the test sheets were destroyed. At least one sheet was released into circulation by mistake. In today's market a mint copy would be worth one million pounds plus!

Above: Penny Red PLATE 77 Lettered "AB" sold by Bridger & Kay to King George V in 1918. It was bought from Bridger & Kay on 8th August 1918 for a price of £499 and 9 Shillings. This copy shows the Large Crown watermark very slightly high of centre and slightly left of centre when viewed from the back. The top perforations are scissor-cut in a sloping fashion.

Left: Original Bridger & Kay Account Book containing the entry for the sale of the Penny Red Plate 77. 

Below is the first issue of "B. & K. Items", a circular which was issued free as a supplement to the company's Price List of British Colonial Stamps. Of note in this issue is a section on Page 3 of "Rare and Interesting Stamps" regarding high value stamps from British Central Africa (Nyasaland). At the time of publication of this circular Bridger & Kay had for sale mint copies of the RARE 1896 Watermark CC £10 and £25 values. The £10 (Gibbons # 41) was listed for sale in this circular at £21 (Now catalogued in 2016 at £11,000) and the £25 (Gibbons # 42) at £60 (Now catalogued in 2016 at £26,000)!!

Oswald Marsh was a stamp dealer from around 1900 until his death in 1951 specialising in new issues from the British Empire and control blocks from Great Britain. He also purchased the firm of Errington & Martin who manufactured stamp albums and binders as well as supplying stamp packets to dealers and shops like Woolworths. 

Above: A drawing of Temple Bar in 1870.

Its name derives from the Temple Church, adjoining to the south, which has given its name to a wider area south of Fleet Street, the Temple, once belonging to the Knights Templar but now home to two of the legal profession's Inns of Court.

In the Middle Ages the authority of the City of London Corporation reached beyond the City's ancient defensive walls in several places, known as the Liberties of London. To regulate trade into the City, barriers were erected on the major entrance routes wherever the true boundary was a substantial distance from the nearest ancient gatehouse in the walls. Temple Bar was the most used of these, since traffic between the City of London (England's prime commercial centre) and the Palace of Westminster (the political centre) passed through it. It was originally located where Fleet Street now meets The Strand, which was actually outside the London boundary wall.

Temple Bar was the principal ceremonial entrance to the City of London on its western side from the City of Westminster. It is situated on the historic royal ceremonial route from the Tower of London to the Palace of Westminster, the two chief residences of the mediaeval English monarchs, and from the Palace of Westminster to St Paul's Cathedral.