IRVINE, Calif. — Spectrum Group International, Inc., a consolidated global collectibles network, is a leading auctioneer of stamps, coins, arms, armor and militaria, and other memorabilia, targeting both collectors and dealers, announced that the American Numismatic Association (ANA) has renewed Spectrum’s Collateral Finance Corporation (CFC) contract as the exclusive official numismatic lender of the ANA until 2011.
The ANA is a Congressionally-chartered, 32,000-member nonprofit association, and is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating and encouraging people to study and collect money and related items.
CFC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc., which conducts Spectrum Group International’s trading operations, provides loans to dealers, collectors and traders in the rare coin and bullion market.
These loans, which are offered on monthly, six-month or one-year terms with an origination fee, are secured by the coin and bullion assets of the borrower, whether part of the investor’s collection or in the dealer’s inventory.
CFC also provides loans against coins that are in the process of being independently certified for authenticity and grade by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) or Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS).
CFC offers final loan amounts – ranging from $25,000 to over $5 million – of up to 70 percent of the collateral value of coin assets, and 90 percent of the collateral value of bullion assets, based on its in-house expert valuations of the collateral.
Greg Roberts, President and CEO of Spectrum Group International, Inc., commented, "The price volatility of precious metals continues to fuel greater interest in rare-coin collecting and bullion trading. With our experience in collateral lending, we formed CFC to meet the growing demand for capital to fund the investment in rare coins and bullion."
Mr. Roberts continued, "Currently, CFC offers competitive lending rates to dealers and traders, and we have expanded these lending services to individual collectors through our dealer relationships and our renewed relationship with the ANA."
Thor Gjerdrum, Chief Financial Officer of Spectrum Group International, added,
"We are very pleased to exercise our option to continue our agreement as the official numismatic lender of the ANA. To maximize on-hand merchandise that attracts the broadest market of rare coin collectors, dealers need access to capital to fund opportunistic purchases that round out their inventories.
In response to an increasing number of inquiries in the market for this type of finance product, A-Mark established CFC to meet the borrowing needs of coin dealers, collectors, and bullion traders. CFC offers a financing alternative that can quickly and easily help them improve liquidity, expand inventory, and generate greater profit."
ABOUT SPECTRUM GROUP INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Spectrum Group is a consolidated global collectibles network. The Company is a leading auctioneer of stamps, coins, arms, armor and militaria, and other memorabilia, targeting both collectors and dealers. Spectrum is also a merchant/dealer of certain collectibles and trader of precious metals. The Company’s collectibles offerings span the modest to ultra high-end price spectrum. Spectrum conducts its operations in two business segments: collectibles and trading. Spectrum Group’s collectibles companies focused on philately are auction houses H.R. Harmer of Irvine, California, Corinphila Auktionen of Zurich, Switzerland, Heinrich Köhler Auktionshaus of Wiesbaden, Germany, and John Bull Stamp Auctions, Ltd of Hong Kong.
Spectrum Group’s collectibles companies in the numismatics field include Bowers and Merena Auctions (rare coin and currency auction house), Ponterio & Associates (world and ancient coins and currency auction house), Teletrade (online certified coin and currency auctions) and Spectrum Numismatics International (wholesale rare coin dealer), all based in Irvine, California. Spectrum Group also owns Greg Martin Auctions, which is engaged in the sale by auction of arms, armor and militaria. Spectrum Group will also be expanding into wine auctions in the near future.
The trading activities of Spectrum Group are conducted through A-Mark Precious Metals, one of the largest private sellers of bullion coins and bullion gold, silver and platinum to the wholesale marketplace. A-Mark’s subsidiary Collateral Finance Corporation, which is the Official Numismatic Lender of the American Numismatic Association, provides financing on a wide array of bullion and numismatic products.
ABOUT A-MARK PRECIOUS METALS, INC.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif. And established in 1965, A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc., (APM) is a full service precious metals merchant offering a wide array of precious metals products and services on a global basis. APM maintains a network of strategic relationships with a variety of Sovereign Mints, First Tier Financial Counterparties and Precious Metals Dealers which APM utilizes to meet the complete precious metals needs of its client base.
ABOUT COLLATERAL FINANCE CORPORATION
Collateral Finance Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc. It offers collateral-based loans on numismatic, semi-numismatic and bullion products. CFC is a licensed California Finance Lender.
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT
Statements in this press release that relate to future plans, objectives, expectations, performance, events and the like are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Future events, risks and uncertainties, individually or in the aggregate, could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements.
Factors that may cause such differences include changes in market conditions, changes in economic environment, competitive factors and the other factors discussed in the "forward-looking information" or "risk factors" sections included in Spectrum Group’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Spectrum Group’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, prospectuses and other documents that Spectrum Group has filed with the Commission.
In particular, any statement related to Spectrum Group’s expected revenues or earnings or Spectrum Group’s being well positioned for future profitability and growth are forward-looking statements.
The words "should," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," "foresee," "plan" and similar expressions and variations thereof identify certain of such forward- looking statements, which speak only as of the dates on which they were made. Additionally, any statements related to future improved performance and estimates of revenues and earnings per share are forward-looking statements.
Spectrum Group undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
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