A rare U.S. Liberty Cap half-cent coin from 1796 fetched £185,000 (Approx. $293,488) at an auction in Salisbury, England. The final price including the auctioneer’s premium was over $358,000, one of the highest prices ever for a half-cent coin. “The coin has no early pedigree but was collected by Mark Hillary, when a schoolboy, some 55 years ago or more. Mark Hillary was a brilliant classical scholar who achieved much [...]

The luxurious and glamorous Claridge’s Hotel in Mayfair has unveiled its Christmas Tree 2012, an enchanting forest-inspired creation by Kally Ellis, founder of renowned British floral designers McQueens. “With Forest Murmurs, we’re capturing the spirit of a traditional Christmas – the nostalgia that evokes – and combining that with the style and glamour associated with Claridge’s that gives it a certain sparkle. It brings a freshness and warmth that we [...]

Harrods continues to astonish its customers with the most expensive and luxurious coffee in the world, Terra Nera. Originating from Quechua, a region of the Peruvian Andes with exceptional altitude, the coffee cherries are passed through the civet cat’s digestive system, and are then hand-collected to be processed. 100% Arabica, the Uchunari coffee has a rich aroma displaying hints of bitter cocoa, hazelnut and dry leather with a light, clean [...]

Christie’s New York, the worldwide leading auctioneer, broke the record for the highest ever grossing post-war and contemporary art auction in history, totaling over $412 million in sales. The auction highlighted works from Andy Warhol, Franz Kline, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Mark Rothko, Jeff Koons and Roy Lichtenstein, among others. “This evening’s sale set a new record total for any Post-War and Contemporary Art sale. Over the past six years, Christie’s has [...]

An entire island lying of the west coast of Ireland is going on sale for EUR €2,850,000 ( approx. USD $3,695,628 ) after its millionaire owner Egyptian-Irish businessman Nadim Sadek suffered financial difficulties. The 65 acre emerald-islet has been transformed into a 21st century paradise, boasts an ultra-luxury residence with an enclosed swimming pool, cinema, helicopter pad, and other notable amenities. “Inishturk Beg covers 65 acres with as many as [...]

The world’s most expensive edible cupcake has been unveiled at Bloomsbury’s new location at The Dubai Mall. Priced at at Dh3,700 ($1,010 USD) ‘The Golden Phoenix’ is made from 23 carat edible gold, premium quality gold Ugandan vanilla beans, Amedei Porcelena cocoa from Italy and organic flour and butter imported from the UK. Watch a video of the making of The Golden Phoenix, below.

Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, the First Edition is truly a collector’s item. This first printing copy, one of only 4,728 copies, published by Jonathan Cape on April 1953 in the UK, is now on sale for £50,000 ($78,000). “This is a very good/near fine condition book with only some foxing to the page edge and end-papers. There are no inscriptions inside and the wrapper is unrestored. The wrapper is [...]