vanquis bank is a subsidiary of the provident financial group .

established in 2003 it offers credit cards under the visa brand for uk residents with a limited or uneven credit history .

it also offers a fixed rate bond service , launched in 2011 .

vanquis bank

vanquis bank has 15 years of experience in lending to our chosen target market .
glassdoor office photos give you an inside look at employers , such as vanquis bank . this is vanquis bank office photo was submitted anonymously . shown in this photo : london office
at the end of december , vanquis bank had taken £941 . 2m of retail deposits (
provident operates vanquis bank and consumer credit brands including satsuma , provident and glo and moneybarn .
vanquis bank is being investigated by the financial conduct authority over its credit card repayment offer .
george is a technical business analyst , delivering initiatives and projects for vanquis bank in the uk .
strong and diverse funding capacity and liquidity position , including access to retail deposits in vanquis bank .
joe goes the extra mile to help vanquis bank ' s customers get the best outcome for them .
% of vanquis bank ' s receivables ) , up from £731 . 0m at 31 december 2015 (
impairment in vanquis bank and moneybarn is deducted from the carrying value of amounts receivable from customers by the use of an allowance account . the vanquis bank allowance account as at 31 december 2016 amounted to £
% of vanquis bank ' s uk receivables ) , up from £645 . 4m at 30 june 2015 (
vanquis bank generated a profit before tax of £44 . 2m in 2011 ( 2010 : £26 . 7m ) .
vanquis bank continues to develop a number of new initiatives to augment the medium - term growth of the business .
vanquis visa card is issued by vanquis bank limited . vanquis bank can be contacted at its registered office , which is at no . 1 godwin street , bradford , west yorkshire bd1 2su . registered number 02558509 england . vat number 180555952 . vanquis bank limited is authorised by the prudential regulation authority and regulated by the financial conduct authority and the prudential regulation authority ( financial services register no . 221156 )
% ( 2015 : 15 . 6 % ) , after absorbing the impact of the 8 % bank corporation tax surcharge on vanquis bank ' s profits from 1 january 2016 .
vanquis bank is part of the provident financial group , a lender established in 1880 with a history of operating predominantly in the home credit market . vanquis bank was established as the credit card issuing arm of the provident financial group in 2002 .
vanquis bank has a well - established and robust governance framework . the framework has been designed to allow vanquis bank to operate as a stand - alone regulated entity and to comply with the group’s policies and procedures as a publicly listed company .
% , reduced from 16 . 1 % in 2015 due to the impact of the 8 % bank corporation tax surcharge on vanquis bank profits which became effective from 1 january 2016 .
* each time you recommend vanquis to a friend and they become a vanquis cardholder , activate and spend on their card .
* each time you recommend vanquis to a friend and they become a vanquis cardholder , activate and spend on their card .
vanquis bank limited registered office : no . 1 godwin street , bradford , west yorkshire bd1 2su . registered number 02558509 england .
the group ' s funding and liquidity positions are strong and diverse , including access to retail deposits within vanquis bank . gearing of
vanquis bank ' s interest in visa europe following completion of visa inc . ' s acquisition of visa europe on 21 june 2016 .
as reported in the interim management statement issued in may , this reflects two factors . firstly , the spend on vanquis bank ' s
turin giants , a team of workers from vanquis bank , took the scholemoor trophy , an event which also raised £620 for charity .
the collections department at vanquis bank takes a refreshing approach by focusing on rehabilitation and by suggesting options and solutions designed to help our customers .
as a result , vanquis bank delivered year - on - year customer and receivables growth of 12 per cent and 14 per cent respectively .
in july , vanquis bank successfully activated a retail deposits programme to establish standalone funding for the business and further diversify the group’s funding base .
vanquis bank will incorporate the learnings from glo when it introduces a fresh guarantor loans product as part of its wider loans proposition during 2017 .
the group ' s funding and liquidity positions are strong and diverse , including access to retail deposits within vanquis bank . gearing remains stable at
the group ' s funding and liquidity positions remain strong and diverse , including access to retail deposits within vanquis bank . gearing has reduced to
% , a lower rate than pre - tax profits due to the impact of the 8 % bank corporation tax surcharge on vanquis bank ' s profits in excess of £25m which was effective from 1 january 2016 .
the level of defaults at its vanquis bank business soared by 62pc to £61 . 7m last year , up from £38 . 2m in 2008 .
aquis credit card and the aquis credit builder card are issued by vanquis bank limited . vanquis bank can be contacted at its registered office , which is at no . 1 godwin street , bradford , west yorkshire bd1 2su . registered number 02558509 england . vat number 180555952 . vanquis bank limited is authorised by the prudential regulation authority and regulated by the financial conduct authority and the prudential regulation authority ( financial services register no . 221156 )
the first half of 2016 has seen ccd and vanquis bank management continue to develop underwriting standards , distribution channels , the customer journey and it infrastructure in advance of the transfer of the business to vanquis bank . the collections function is now fully embedded within the vanquis bank contact centre in chatham . full roll - out and a step - up in marketing activity is expected on completion of the transfer towards the end of the year .
vanquis bank is a uk based credit card company . you can trace our roots back to bradford nearly 130 years ago when our parent company provident financial was established . vanquis bank was formed in 2002 and has accepted over 3 . 5 million customers in the uk ( as of september 2017 ) .
while vanquis bank is a relatively new venture , we are comfortable in this market because of provident financial ' s long history of success in the non - standard credit industry as well as the experience and skills of the vanquis bank staff , many of whom have a background in serving non - standard customers .
m . the group ' s committed debt facilities , together with the recent renewal of bank facilities and the retail deposits programme at vanquis bank , are now sufficient to fund contractual maturities and projected growth of the group until october 2019 .
since then provident financial has grown and grown , leading to the establishment of a home credit group in the 1990s and the formation of vanquis bank in 2002 .
vanquis bank has generated profit before tax of £99 . 8m in the six months ended 30 june 2016 ( 2015 : £86 . 7m ) analysed as follows :
vanquis is the largest dedicated specialist ‘low and grow’ credit card issuer in the uk credit card market . vanquis bank occupies three sites – a head office in central london and sites in bradford and chatham , kent housing our customer contact centres .
after graduating university , i found the flexibility that vanquis offered appealing .
vanquis bank limited is authorised by the prudential regulation authority and regulated by the financial conduct authority and the prudential regulation authority ( financial services register no . 221156 ) .
the brand name for savings accounts from fbn bank ( uk ) ltd - a wholly owned subsidiary of first bank of nigeria ltd , listed on the nigerian stock exchange .
this is the uk branch of the state bank of india ( sbi ) - the largest commercial bank in india . the indian government is the single - largest shareholder .
meet the man whose party trick is to nab your bank card details . . .
however vanquis signed up 234 , 000 new customers to produce a record half year . the credit quality improved slightly and vanquis now has 1 . 65 million customers .
the group has made a good start to 2017 . vanquis bank and moneybarn have continued to trade very well and the home credit business has produced a sound collections performance .
when vanquis started they were required to offer recording and this was the perfect solution .
“here at vanquis , things are never stagnant . opportunities are never far away . ”
the group has made a good start to 2017 . vanquis bank and moneybarn have continued to trade very well and the home credit business has produced a sound collections performance .
these figures are included within the vanquis bank figures in the tables above . there were no assets or liabilities associated with the branch on 31 december 2016 or 31 december 2015 .
“the bank has really grown , and it ' s our target to continue growing . ”
depending on your circumstances and credit history , the rate offered on vanquis bank’s aquis visa card can actually reach the eye - watering heights of 59 . 9 % ( variable ) .
vanquis bank stopped offering the rop to new customers in april 2016 , but the half a million or so customers who had already taken out the plan can continue to use it .
vanquis bank demonstrated during the last downturn that it is considerably less sensitive to changes in the employment market than mainstream card issuers , maintaining a risk - adjusted margin above 30 % , despite a modest increase in impairment . although the uk employment market has continued to improve , vanquis bank has maintained tight credit standards since 2009 and maintains strict discipline over managing card utilisation .
verity works with the correspondence team , ensuring that all vanquis ' customers are treated fairly .
vanquis have helped me to build up the skills to be a team leader .
but capital one was quick to react by launching its new visa card with an even lower representative apr of 28 . 9 % ( variable ) , bumping vanquis bank’s offering into second place .
provident financial plc was founded in 1880 to provide responsible lending in the west yorkshire area . vanquis bank is a subsidiary of provident financial plc and offers visa credit cards to the uk market .
m . the group ' s committed debt facilities , together with the retail deposits programme at vanquis bank , are sufficient to fund contractual maturities and projected growth in the business until may 2018 .
a recent surge in british wages could prompt the bank of england to increase rates soon , according to opinions voiced in the latest meeting of the bank ' s interest rate setters published this week .
the first rise is likely to take place in mid - 2016 , but bank rate will remain below 2pc in 2017 , according to predictions in the latest bank of england ' s inflation report .
m . the group ' s committed debt facilities , together with the retail deposits programme at vanquis bank and the recent extension to the group ' s syndicated bank facility , are sufficient to fund contractual maturities and projected growth of the group until october 2019 , when the £250m senior bond matures .
get £25 for every friend you successfully recommend to vanquis . click below to find out more .
you can use your vanquis visa card anywhere in the world where you see the visa sign .
vanquis credit cards are designed for people who are looking to build or improve their credit rating .
vanquis bank savings has been awarded the winner of the best long term fixed rate bond provider category and has been highly commended as the best fixed rate bond provider in the 2017 savings champion awards .
these figures are included within the vanquis bank figures in the tables above . there were no assets or liabilities associated with the branch on 30 june 2016 , 31 december 2015 or 30 june 2015 .
vanquis bank has had an excellent year in 2011 , growing its customer numbers and receivables and continuing to deliver strong profits growth . the business is now capital - generative and contributing to the group’s dividend .
expanding the capability to provide non - standard consumer finance through partnering with other lending institutions , brokers or providers of retail finance represents an attractive opportunity to expand the distribution of vanquis bank ' s credit card proposition . during 2016 , a new relationship has been established with pay4later who provide the it platform that acts as the interface between a number of retailers and a panel of lenders . vanquis bank is pay4later ' s designated provider of revolving credit and a number of retailer relationships are expected to be established with vanquis bank during 2017 . discussions are also progressing with a number of other retailers , brokers and lending institutions .
we have designed clear and straightforward home insurance products with the service you’ve come to expect from vanquis .
what makes a vanquis person is someone who ' s always looking to help the customer .
vanquis is a full member of uk finance , the trade association for the uk’s financial services industry .
vanquis has recently signed a new three year partnership with mencap as part of our active community programme .
the best - paying five - year bond on the market , which offers annual interest of 3 . 02pc , was launched today as part of vanquis bank ' s new crop of fixed - rate accounts .
vanquis bank agreed with the fca to enter into a voluntary requirement to suspend all new sales of the rop in april 2016 and to conduct a customer contact exercise , which has now been completed .
you only receive this £75 , 000 protection once under each bank or building society ' s ' compensation licence ' . each bank usually has its own authorisation , but those that operate different brands often share them .
important message : vanquis has agreed to refund any interest related to our repayment option plan ( rop ) . click here to find out more about the decision and what vanquis are doing to put things right .
since simon has joined vanquis , he ' s been able to grow the resourcing team that he manages .
cash at bank and in hand includes £168 . 9m ( 2015 : £134 . 2m ) in respect of the liquid assets buffer , including other liquid resources , held by vanquis bank in accordance with the pra ' s liquidity regime . this buffer is not available to finance the group ' s day - to - day operations .
cash at bank and in hand includes £141 . 1m ( 2015 : £118 . 0m ) in respect of the liquid assets buffer , including other liquidity resources , held by vanquis bank in accordance with the pra ' s liquidity regime . this buffer is not available to finance the group ' s day - to - day operations .
joining a bank was a different step for me , but it ' s not stuffy at all .
% , a lower rate than adjusted pre - tax profits due to the impact of the 8 % bank corporation tax surcharge on vanquis bank ' s profits in excess of £25m which was effective from 1 january 2016 . basic earnings per share increased by 19 . 8 % to 181 . 8p ( 2015 : 151 . 8p ) .
in a statement issued on tuesday , vanquis ' s parent company provident financial group said that vanquis is co - operating with the fca ' s investigation and that rop generates gross revenues of about £70 million a year .
this helped reduce its impairment rate across both home credit and vanquis bank last year . provident said its businesses also enjoyed a ' good start ' to 2011 , with sound collections and year - on - year sales growth .
the future for vanquis bank is very bright . it is a profitable , growing , capital - generative business which will be a major contributor to the future growth in the group’s dividends and the overall returns provided to shareholders .
vanquis bank promotes financial inclusion by bringing the benefits of credit cards to consumers who are typically excluded by mainstream lenders , helping people to establish or rebuild their credit profiles and enjoy the increasing utility of card - based credit , including online shopping . vanquis bank ' s ' low and grow ' approach to extending credit and high levels of customer contact underpin a sustainable , responsible lending model which produces consistently high levels of customer satisfaction approaching 90 % .
vanquis bank has demonstrated that it is considerably less sensitive to changes in the employment market than mainstream card issuers . although the uk employment market has continued to improve , vanquis bank has maintained tight credit standards and has continued to only book those new customers who are expected to deliver its minimum threshold returns . as a result , delinquency levels have continued to be favourable and have run at record lows for the business during the first half of 2016 .
vanquis bank ' s internet bookings have remained strong during the first half of the year whilst year - on - year bookings from the direct mail and face - to - face channels have been lower than the previous year .
the name of the bank is listed next to its licence . if the ownership of the bank is different to the licence - holder , this is noted in brackets . but the licence - holder is the most important information .
vanquis has vigorous external regulation and a meticulous internal control and compliance regime . this includes recording calls and calls statistics . sigma voice solutions supplies vanquis with call recording and off - site secure data storage within the sigma network .
the tax rate for the first half of 2016 of 24 . 40 % ( 2015 : 20 . 25 % ) is the estimated effective tax rate on profit before tax , amortisation of acquisition intangibles and exceptional items for the 2016 financial year and is higher than the mainstream uk statutory corporation tax rate of 20 % . this reflects the impact of the bank corporation tax surcharge of 8 % which came into force on 1 january 2016 . the surcharge applies to vanquis bank profits in excess of £25m and places an additional tax cost on vanquis bank of approaching £15m per annum .
this was the first independent uk bank on the high street for more than 100 years when it launched in 2010 .
last week , vanquis bank launched its aquid via card , which was market - leading in both the credit builder and bad credit best - buy tables . the card carries a representative apr of 29 . 8 % ( variable ) .
a decision was made to close ccd ' s guarantor loans business , glo , to new business in early october 2016 . this decision reflected the longer than envisaged timescale in ccd obtaining fca authorisation which had delayed the transfer of glo to vanquis bank together with vanquis bank being at an advanced stage of developing its own loans platform to provide a wider unsecured loans proposition . as a result , the glo receivables book has been placed into run - off within ccd and a
in the firm ' s wider results , the business ' vanquis bank credit card product has seen a strong flow of new account bookings reaching 122 , 000 , a figure up 45 per cent versus the relatively weak first quarter of 2016 .
provident financial plc is the leading non - standard lender in the uk . the group serves 2 . 4 million customers and its operations consist of vanquis bank , the consumer credit division ( ccd ) comprising provident and satsuma , and moneybarn .
interest costs reduced by 1 . 6 % during 2016 . this reflects the reduction in vanquis bank ' s blended funding rate , after taking account of the cost of holding a liquid assets buffer , from 5 . 3 % in 2015 to
further detail on vanquis bank ' s initiatives to augment the medium - term growth of its credit card proposition , together with its business plan for developing a loans proposition , will be provided at the capital markets day on 4 april 2017 .
m ( 2015 : £126 . 6m ) reflecting strong growth in profits at vanquis bank and moneybarn and an improved profit performance in ccd following a reduction in the start - up losses associated with satsuma and glo . adjusted earnings per share of
below , we reveal who owns who to make sure you don ' t unwittingly bank savings twice with the same institution .
using call planner and customising call record , sigma delivered a call recording and call planning solution in less than 2 weeks . without this vanquis would have had to compromise their annual business model . the vcc allowed vanquis to continue without interruption .
the group , which offers doorstep credit and also owns vanquis bank , posted underlying pre - tax profits of £144 . 5m in 2010 , up from £130 . 1m in 2009 . on a reported basis , profits rose 13 % to £142m .
following announcement of the proposed transaction , vanquis bank ' s interest in visa europe was valued at a fair value of £17 . 5m which reflected the expected upfront cash proceeds and a number of factors and uncertainties relating to the other consideration . the
if you ' ve got ambition and a good work ethic , vanquis will give you the opportunity to progress .
everything that we do at vanquis revolves around our customers . you can read some of our happy customers ' experiences here .
sigma provides services that grow with vanquis ' needs . bespoke , integrated products and services developed to meet changes and challenges .
i started my own business a couple of years ago , which has been going well for the most part . my vanquis bank card helps me to smooth out the peaks and troughs in my personal expenditure , allowing me to concentrate on my business .
during 2016 , vanquis bank ' s change of permission was approved by the fca and moneybarn received its full authorisation . ccd continues to operate under an interim permission awaiting full authorisation , consistent with the other sizeable firms operating in the home credit market .
provident financial plc is the leading non - standard lender in the uk . the group serves 2 . 4 million customers and its operations consist of vanquis bank , the consumer credit division ( ccd ) comprising provident , satsuma and glo , and moneybarn .
managing director bhupinder singh passi has been with the bank for 35 years . funds are lent out in the uk and overseas .
challenger bank pays 3 . 02pc on deposits of £1 , 000 and above – but savers could lose out if interest rates rise
m . the group ' s committed debt facilities , together with the retail deposits programme at vanquis bank , are sufficient to fund contractual maturities and projected growth in the business until may 2018 . in accordance with the group ' s treasury policies , the group would anticipate renewing its £382 . 5m revolving syndicated bank facility at least 12 months in advance of its may 2018 maturity date .
profit before tax in 2016 is stated before an exceptional gain of £20 . 2m in respect of vanquis bank ' s interest in visa europe following completion of visa inc . ' s acquisition of visa europe on 21 june 2016 ( 2015 : £nil ) .
vanquis bank continued to be the star performer , with profits growth of 89 % to £26 . 7m in 2010 . the operation , which saw customer numbers leap up by a quarter , is in ongoing talks with the city regulator to begin taking customer deposits .
presentations will be made by the senior management teams of vanquis bank , the consumer credit division ( ccd ) and moneybarn . the presentation slides will be available on the company’s website , urltoken , at 10 . 30am in conjunction with the commencement of the event .
vanquis bank , which is part of provident financial group , was formed in 2002 and specialises in offering credit cards to those with poor credit histories . it will match the rate you are offered with your individual credit score – which means it could be expensive .
in order to accommodate growth , vanquis bank increased its contact centre capacity by opening a second operation in bradford , located within ccd’s head office facility . the bradford operation works as a satellite to our existing contact centre in chatham and uses exactly the same it infrastructure and procedures that has made the chatham contact centre so effective . the bradford site has the capacity to house 230 seats in addition to the 420 seats we have at chatham . this will accommodate the growth at vanquis bank for at least the next two years .
we like to celebrate how well vanquis are doing , so there are plenty of social events to get involved with .
based in peterborough , cambridgeshire , this independent uk bank is backed by private - equity company anacap financial partners llp and other institutional investors . it launched in 2009 and is run by chief executive officer phillip monks , who has 30 years’ experience at barclays and arab bank .
vanquis bank has reported profits up 11 . 3 % . growth is being delivered against continued tight credit standards and i ' m particularly pleased with the momentum of new business being generated through a reinvigoration of the credit card proposition and its distribution by the new leadership team .
the exceptional gain in respect of visa is partly offset by an exceptional impairment charge of £2 . 9m in respect of glo ' s it platform within ccd following the decision to develop guarantor loans as part of the wider vanquis bank loans proposition on a separate it platform .
initiatives to further augment growth in 2017 and beyond . the performance of the recently launched unsecured loans pilot is encouraging and represents a significant opportunity within both the vanquis bank customer base and the wider market which is an under - served area of the non - standard market .
at vanquis , you ' re given the chance to be more creative , and deliver solutions with a bit more imagination .
the vanquis active community programme is designed to complement the corporate responsibility work undertaken across the provident financial group through its good neighbour programme .
impairment in vanquis bank and moneybarn is deducted from the carrying value of amounts receivable from customers by the use of an allowance account . the vanquis bank allowance account as at 30 june 2016 amounted to £245 . 2m ( 31 december 2015 : £225 . 0m , 30 june 2015 : £200 . 3m ) and the moneybarn allowance account amounted to £26 . 2m ( 31 december 2015 : £18 . 4m , 30 june 2015 : £29 . 4m ) . within ccd , impairments are deducted directly from amounts receivable from customers without the use of an allowance account .
the effective tax rate for 2016 , prior to the amortisation of acquisition intangibles and exceptional items , is 23 . 20 % ( 2015 : 20 . 25 % ) . the increase in the rate reflects the impact of the bank corporation tax surcharge of 8 % , which came into effect on 1 january 2016 and applies to vanquis bank profits in excess of £25m , net of a tax credit in respect of prior years .
the analysis set out above relates to ccd only . vanquis bank and moneybarn are still in growth phases and at this stage of their development the influence of its growth has a much more significant impact on the profits reported by the business during the financial year than the underlying seasonality .
resource management - providing a networked based solution for telephony requirements has allowed vanquis to concentrate its efforts on the business of growing the business .
at vanquis we strive to ensure that we are a valued part of the communities where we live and work through our active community programme .
times ( 2015 : 2 . 2 times ) . the group has recently entered into a new £450m syndicated bank facility maturing in may 2020 and cancelled the existing committed bank facility of £383m which was due to mature in may 2018 . the all - in cost of the new facility is lower than the cancelled facility with broadly consistent terms , conditions and financial covenant package . as at 31 december 2016 , headroom on the group ' s committed facilities amounted to £140m and , including the additional capacity available for vanquis bank to take retail deposits , total funding capacity amounted to £
m in respect of glo ( 2015 : £10 . 8m ) . following the decision to develop guarantor loans as part of vanquis bank ' s wider loans proposition during 2017 , glo ceased to issue new business in early october 2016 and the receivables book is now in run - off .
presentations will be made by the senior management teams of vanquis bank , the consumer credit division ( ccd ) and moneybarn . the presentation slides will be available on the company ' s website , www . providentfinancial . com , at 10 . 30am in conjunction with the commencement of the event .
the vanquis bank impairment charge comprises £80 . 4m in respect of the uk business ( 2015 : £78 . 9m ) and £nil in respect of the polish pilot operation prior to the transfer of the economic interest to a third party on 1 april 2015 ( 2015 : £1 . 6m ) .
danny has a team of 12 people in bradford , and he believes the way vanquis looks after it ' s employees makes a real difference .
your eligible deposits with vanquis bank limited are protected up to a total of £85 , 000 by the financial services compensation scheme , the uk ' s deposit protection scheme . any deposits you hold above the £85 , 000 limit are not covered . please click here for further information or visit urltoken .
vanquis offers market - leading four - year and five - year bonds , with the former paying 2 . 61pc , but its shorter - term accounts fail to beat rivals . charter savings bank , for example , offers a 1 . 91pc one‑year account , making it the best‑paying over that term .
return on assets 2 of 13 . 8 % in 2016 , reduced from 15 . 8 % in 2015 primarily due to the bank corporation tax surcharge .
sub - prime lender provident financial received nearly 2 , 700 applications per day for its vanquis bank credit card last year , despite the high interest it charges . but 83pc of people who applied for the card were turned down , mainly because they were thought to have already taken on too much debt .
as a project manager , vivienne helps facilitate a range of change projects across vanquis , from new websites and payment methods to infrastructure and it projects .
an exceptional credit of £17 . 3m has been recognised in the income statement comprising a £20 . 2m gain made on vanquis bank ' s interest in visa europe ltd following completion of its acquisition by visa inc . on 21 june 2016 net of an exceptional impairment charge of £2 . 9m in respect of glo ' s it platform within ccd following the decision to develop guarantor loans as part of the wider vanquis bank loans proposition on a separate it platform ( 2015 : exceptional cost of £11 . 8m following a business restructuring in ccd ) . the group ' s statutory profit before tax is also stated after a £
based on the stable delinquency trends experienced during the fourth quarter , together with the expected growth of vanquis bank ' s presence in the nearer prime segment of the market and some further reduction in the penetration of the rop product , the risk - adjusted margin is expected to moderate towards 30 % during 2017 .
part of india’s international bank , which has branches in 25 countries and has been in britain for more than 50 years ( there’s an office in london ) .
the tax charge for 2016 represents an effective rate of 23 . 20 % ( 2015 : 20 . 25 % ) on profit before tax , amortisation of acquisition intangibles and exceptional items . the rate is higher than the mainstream uk statutory corporation tax rate which reduced from 21 % to 20 % on 1 april 2015 due to the impact of the bank corporation tax surcharge of 8 % which came into force on 1 january 2016 . the surcharge applies to vanquis bank profits in excess of £25m and places an additional tax cost on vanquis bank of approaching £15m per annum . the group is expected to benefit in future years from the further rate reductions to 19 % on 1 april 2017 and to 17 % on 1 april 2020 announced by the government and enacted in the 2016 finance act .
based on the trends experienced during the last downturn in the uk economy between 2008 and 2010 , rising unemployment may result in some increase in impairment in vanquis bank and moneybarn and inflationary conditions may result in weaker demand in the home credit business . wholesale debt markets may also experience disruption in a weak uk economy .
you can trace vanquis bank’s roots back 130 years to bradford when our parent company , provident financial first started . our founder , joshua kelley waddilove , created a system that allowed local working class families to provide for themselves through vouchers that could be exchanged in local shops . the families would then pay back the vouchers in small instalments . you can read more about our history here , but in the meantime , here’s what we’ve achieved at vanquis in just 12 years . . .
the fca regulation of the consumer credit industry commenced on 1 april 2014 . ccd and moneybarn obtained interim permissions under the new regime and submitted their applications for full authorisation prior to the 31 may 2015 deadline . vanquis bank , which was already an authorised firm , submitted its application for a variation of permissions in december 2014 .
vanquis offers low credit limits of between £150 and £1 , 000 , although customers can apply to have their credit limit increased every five months . the maximum limit offered by vanquis is £4 , 000 but you will only be considered for a higher credit limit if you have proved that you can manage your account responsibly .
vanquis ' call centre handles in excess of 11 , 500 calls a day , that ' s around 230 , 000 calls a month , from its customers .
we are in the midst of a consumer - led revolution in the way we do our day - to - day banking . customers love the new technology that is allowing them to bank round the clock and which is providing us all with our own personal financial advisors . the bba’s influential way we bank now report shows that through the…
adjusted profit before tax is stated before an exceptional impairment charge of £2 . 9m in respect of glo ' s it platform within ccd following the decision to develop guarantor loans as part of the wider vanquis bank loans proposition on a separate it platform ( 2015 : an exceptional cost of £11 . 8m in respect of business restructuring ) .
times ( 2015 : 2 . 4 times ) reflecting continued strong capital generation and the cash proceeds from the sale of the visa europe shares . headroom on the group ' s committed debt facilities amounted to £162m at june 2016 and , including the additional capacity available for vanquis bank to take retail deposits , total funding capacity amounted to £
interest costs reduced by 4 . 2 % during the first half of 2016 . this is a lower rate of growth than average receivables and reflects the reduction in vanquis bank ' s blended funding rate , after taking account of the cost of holding a liquid assets buffer , from 5 . 5 % in the first half of 2015 to
growth in the cost base of 31 . 2 % includes a year - on - year uplift of £4m in the spend on direct mail and marketing activities to support the more intensive customer acquisition programme . vanquis bank has also incurred costs of approximately £1m in respect of upgrading its it platform and establishing the retail deposits programme during the year .
the fca assumed responsibility for the regulation of the consumer credit industry from 1 april 2014 . ccd and moneybarn obtained interim permissions under the new regime and submitted their applications for full authorisation prior to the 31 may 2015 deadline . vanquis bank , which was already an authorised firm , submitted its application for a variation of permissions in december 2014 .
the profile of moneybarn ' s customers is very similar to vanquis bank customers . they typically have a thin or impaired credit history and find it difficult to access credit from prime lenders . they have an average age of approximately 40 , are employed or self - employed and have an income level around the national average of £25 , 000 .
provident has tightened its lending criteria and collections policy since the credit crunch , hiring more field - based management roles to boost collections and expanding its contact centre at vanquis .
if you have a complaint about a service provided by vanquis , please use the contact details below . your complaint will be dealt with in accordance with our complaints procedure .
as a regulated entity , vanquis bank operates a number of the internal control and risk management processes typically only held at a group level in many organisations . these include a risk committee , audit committee , remuneration committee and compliance committee , all of which are chaired by an independent non - executive director to provide the appropriate level of challenge and oversight .
as indicated in the 2015 preliminary announcement , the agreement between visa and the eu to reduce the interchange fees charged by credit card companies to retailers was fully implemented from december 2015 on domestic transactions . the impact on vanquis bank was a reduction in income of approximately £3m in 2015 and is estimated to increase to an impact of around £11m in 2016 .
all are part of the uk financial services compensation scheme , so you’re covered for up to £85 , 000 ( £170 , 000 for joint accounts ) if the bank goes bust .
vanquis bank is part of provident financial , a leading uk financial provider . the company was founded in bradford in 1880 by joshua kelley waddilove , who devised a system to help local families buy what they needed , when they needed it with vouchers that could be used in local shops . the families then paid back the vouchers in small affordable weekly instalments .
the event will primarily focus on the significant organic growth opportunities at vanquis bank , moneybarn and satsuma together with the migration to a more efficient and effective operating model in home credit and the associated financial benefits . the event will also include an update on the development of the group’s digital proposition and the increased synergies available to the group’s businesses to improve competitive advantage .
ec3 is home to many major insurance / financial occupiers , including aig , aviva , axa , hiscox , qbe , royal london , swissre , willis towers watson , vanquis bank and zurich insurance group . other professional neighbouring occupiers include clyde & co llp , dwf llp , latham & watkins llp , northern & shell , vinson & elkins llp and xl catlin .
m ( 2015 : £292 . 9m ) . this reflects strong growth in profits at vanquis bank and moneybarn and an improved profit performance in ccd following a reduction in the start - up losses associated with satsuma . statutory profit before tax increased by 25 . 7 % to £343 . 9m ( 2015 : £273 . 6m ) . adjusted basic earnings per share of
launched in 2011 , this is a uk bank owned by the special opportunities fund ( sof ) . the sof management team left rbs group in november 2013 to form sof investments limited .
important : credit is subject to : status ; telephone contact ; confirmation of name and address ; not already holding a credit card issued by vanquis bank ; no reasonable suspicion of fraud , and is only available to uk residents who are at least 18 years of age and are not legally restricted from obtaining credit e . g . because of bankruptcy . please read the
vanquis bank has a great history of helping people who are new to credit or looking to rebuild their credit . we’ve already helped over 3 million + people across the uk . we could help you too ! we’ll provide you with the tools and tips you’ll need to build yourself a strong credit rating , plus plenty of advice and support from our uk call centre .
the group ' s businesses operate principally in the uk and republic of ireland . vanquis bank established a branch in poland as part of a pilot credit card operation during the first half of 2012 . a decision was taken to withdraw from the pilot operation in early 2015 and the receivables book was sold to a third party with the economic interest transferring from 1 april 2015 .
m of amortisation in respect of acquisition intangibles established as part of the acquisition of moneybarn in august 2014 ( 2015 : £7 . 5m ) - see note 6 ; and ( ii ) a net exceptional credit of £17 . 3m comprising an exceptional gain of £20 . 2m in respect of vanquis bank ' s interest in visa europe following completion of visa inc . ' s acquisition of visa europe on 21 june 2016 and an exceptional impairment charge of £2 . 9m in respect of glo ' s it platform within ccd following the decision to develop guarantor loans as part of the wider vanquis bank loans proposition on a separate it platform ( 2015 : exceptional cost of £11 . 8m in respect of a business restructuring in ccd ) - see note 2 .
the royal bank of scotland ( rbs ) said it has £5 . 2bn of
stock
in personal banking that’s in forbearance , a figure that includes schemes from the past two years .
% , down from 5 . 9 % in 2015 . this principally reflects a lower average blended rate on retail deposits and a lower average rate on the group ' s syndicated bank facilities .
the event will primarily focus on the significant organic growth opportunities at vanquis bank , moneybarn and satsuma together with the migration to a more efficient and effective operating model in home credit and the associated financial benefits . the event will also include an update on the development of the group ' s digital proposition and the increased synergies available to the group ' s businesses to improve competitive advantage .
the £2 . 4m tax credit in 2015 arose primarily as a result of taking deferred tax assets in vanquis bank , which were originally measured at the mainstream corporation tax rate of 20 % , and re - measuring them at the combined mainstream corporation tax and bank surcharge rate of 26 % , along with the benefit of taking deferred tax liabilities elsewhere in the group which were originally measured at 20 % and re - measuring these at 18 % . the further reduction in the mainstream corporation tax rate enacted in 2016 has not resulted in any impact on the tax charge for 2016 .
next in line is the new aquis visa card which comes with a representative apr of 29 . 8 % ( variable ) . applicants are offered an initial limit of up to £1 , 000 which , over time , could be increased to a maximum of £3 , 000 . you can also manage your bills online . existing holders of credit cards from vanquis bank card will not qualify .
an exceptional credit of £20 . 2m has been recognised in the first half of 2016 reflecting the gain made on vanquis bank ' s interest in visa europe ltd following completion of its acquisition by visa inc . on 21 june 2016 ( 2015 : exceptional cost of £11 . 8m following a business restructuring in ccd ) . the group ' s statutory profit before tax is also stated after a £
it’s run by chief executive graham davin , previously an investec bank executive . money is lent out as residential property - development loans and bridging loans in the uk , and to small and medium companies .
started in 2003 , vanquis bank brings the benefits of credit cards to people who can find themselves excluded by mainstream card issuers . credit card limits are significantly lower than those of mainstream lenders and we maintain a high level of customer contact throughout the life of the account . we also have higher minimum repayments compared with most other credit card providers , which helps our customers pay off their balances more quickly .
interest costs of £23 . 2m ( 2010 : £18 . 5m ) increased by 25 . 4 % during 2011 . this reflects the increase in average receivables partly offset by the benefit from a reduction in the group’s average funding rate from 8 . 5 % to 7 . 6 % . vanquis bank’s funding cost will reduce to an average of around 7 % in 2012 as retail deposit funding becomes more significant .
vanquis bank also continues to progress a number of other opportunities including : ( i ) improving the digital capability of the business , particularly the forthcoming launch of an enhanced mobile app allowing greater functionality and the ability to present other potential offers to customers ; and ( ii ) the development of a number of customer value management programmes , comprising reactivation and retention programmes and the development of a group wide customer prospects database .
the bank of england has ordered banks to apply credit rules prudently and prove by september they are not being too complacent about risks to their balance sheets , amid concerns a jump in consumer borrowing could be unsustainable .
the retail deposits market in the uk is huge with around £60bn to £140bn of cash and renewals being available for investment each year . vanquis bank is targeting to fund up to 80 % of its receivables with deposits by the end of 2012 . as a guide , the receivables book of around £450m at the end of 2011 therefore supports deposits of approximately £360m , which represents a small fraction of a very large market .
the £4 . 7m deferred tax credit in 2016 on the available for sale investment represents the reversal of the £4 . 8m deferred tax charge in 2015 , reflecting the sale of vanquis bank ' s interest in visa europe limited in the year , net of a deferred tax charge of £0 . 1m arising on the movement in the valuation of the visa inc . stock between its acquisition and the end of the year .
and represents a £5 . 7m tax charge on the disposal of vanquis bank ' s interest in visa europe limited at the combined mainstream uk corporation tax and bank corporation tax surcharge rates of 28 % and a tax credit of £0 . 6m relating to tax relief for the impairment of glo intangible fixed assets at the mainstream uk corporation tax rate of 20 % . the tax credit in respect of exceptional costs in 2015 amounted to £2 . 4m and represented tax relief in respect of the exceptional restructuring costs in ccd . the tax credit in respect of the amortisation of acquisition intangibles amounted to £1 . 5m ( 2015 : £1 . 5m ) .
vanquis embarked on an experimental virtual call centre incorporating mobile telephony with call recording , including the requirement to comply with various financial services related regulation . they needed a bespoke , on - line search interface set up to access their call records . call planners were also required for remotely located operators . this would provide online management for complete control over inbound calls , enabling vanquis to instantly re - target numbers on the web .

management has been changed in the troubled division , but crucially , with the new operating model now in place , the costs of the stumble are no greater than first warned . it’s too early to say that all will be rosy going forward , but the group’s message on credit quality across the business is reassuring . vanquis bank , which generates the lion’s share of the group’s income , is growing strongly , as is moneybarn .


albion swords ( formerly albion armorers ) is a company based in new glarus , wisconsin manufacturing european sword replicas .

the company was started in washington d.c. by howard and amy waddell in 1998 .

albion swords

visit the albion facebook page and the albion twitter page to see more news from albion swords ltd .
i hope this information on albion swords has been helpful . to return to the sword manufacturers dossier from albion swords , click here
albion offers a maintenance plan to keep your albion mark swords like new . click here for details
the best european swords you can get . i have a crecy and a clontarf both fantastic swords .
european customers can shop albion europe ! lower shipping - v . a . t . included - swords in stock
this is the entry level category for albion swords . they are based on very simple designs and feature few frills .
these swords are made exactly like specific swords in museums down to every last detail . they can run from $ 1332 to $ 3219 .
i received my first albion
the steward
today . there is no doubt why everyone says albion is the go to manufactur
these swords are original designs by peter johnsson , based on historical period types and their characteristics . oakeshott typology is used to categorize these swords , which are the most common of albion’s line and also the most popular .
back to main swords page about peter johnsson sword design / specifications ©2004 peter johnsson . albion armorers international is the sole worldwide licensee for this product
onally and i have one of the last swords he did . . a functional
this is the high end of albion’s production . it features historic recreations of swords from european history designed by peter johnsson from his research spanning museums around the world .
well built . albion truly succeeds at putting
history in your hand
.
i have 3 albion ' s now and they are wonderful and preform amazingly .
and while it has that , it doesn’t compromise the swords handling qualities which are quite nice .
to albion for the addition of the half - wire grip wrap . mike quoted a turnaround
ers , i can honestly say i ' ve never handled anything like my albion lancaster .
we need your help ! if you have a webpage or blog , we ' d like to ask for your help to spread the word . please put a link or banner - link to albion on your webpage . if you have an old link ( to urltoken ) , please update the link to http : / / albion - swords . com . if you would like to have a reciprocal link , send us an email at quest @ albion - swords . com .
it ' s hard to convey just how much i love the folks over at albion . their swords are some of the best available on the market today , and make up the bulk of my collection
the albion team should be proud of their success in achieving such attributes with this latest entry .
tough medieval swords ready to cut straight out of the box ? we put 3 to the test . . .
sword design / specifications ©2005 peter johnsson . albion armorers international is the sole worldwide licensee for this product
albion swords can sell for prices as low as $ 389 , to upwards of $ 3219 . these prices do not include the cost of a scabbard , which can sometimes be up to $ 2000 on their own .
down ? try albion gear ! lars has officially launched his sister company , albion gear . he has many products available , many more in development , and is open to suggestions as well ! congratulations , lars
why cheap ' damascus ' ( folded steel ) swords are some of the worst on the market . . . .
st feels like its looking for a reason to tear up the place . hands down , best swords out there .
finally , there are occasionally excellent deals on albion swords on the secondary sword market , including ebay and the various sword forums – though this should always be tempered with a large dose of caveat emptor ( buyer beware ) .
time of ,
a week , maybe less .
albion received the sword monday afternoon and i rece
the atlantean sword , the master’s sword and other high - end collectible favorites from 1982’s “conan the barbarian” will be available again to eager fans , after a hiatus of several years . albion swords ltd and paradox entertainment announced today that they have entered into a new license contract for those famous swords , as well as unique new items from the upcoming film , also called “conan the barbarian” .
their website states that , “all albion mark swords are guaranteed for life against defects in materials and workmanship” . this obviously does not cover all calamities that can befall a sword , and for that they offer a maintenance plan for $ 100 a year , detailed
started and owned by husband and wife team howard and amy waddell , albion works closely with some of the best smiths in the business and sword historians like peter johnsson to produce products that are widely regarded as the best modern replica european swords in the world .
this is a big sword and as you know i’m a lover of big swords . i was expecting a good deal of heft with the
like king arthur and excalibur , the names of rodrigo díaz de vivar , el cid campeador , and his own legendary swords tizona and colada , live on in the popular memory of an entire nation . to this day , swords said to be those of the cid are on proud
urltoken skallagrims video : urltoken mods covered in this video : 1 . albion the baron : urltoken 2 . albion swords - the chieftain : urltoken 3 . albion swords - the sherwood : urltoken 4 . albion swords - the cluny : urltoken 5 . the vassal : urltoken 6 . khajiit speak : urltoken albion sword links : 1 . the baron : urltoken 2 . the chieftain : urltoken 3 . the sherwood sword : urltoken 4 . the cluny sword : urltoken 5 . the vassal : urltoken mods used in taking this video : 1 . immersive hud - ihud : urltoken 2 . skyui ( with mcm ) : urltoken visual mods used in this video : 1 . seasons of skyrim enb true hdr : urltoken 2 . enhanced lights and fx : urltoken 3 . skyrim hd - 2k textures : urltoken 4 . static mesh improvement mod - smim : urltoken 5 . dynavision thumbnail is ' snowfall at sunrise ' courtesy of sorikai33 . skyrim mod sanctuary - nexus page for posting images : urltoken keep up to date with what is happening on my twitter account : urltoken
you really feel like you ' ve jumped back in history when you have an albion in your hand . they make truly exceptiona
i own 4 blades from albion . . . each unique in it ' s own way . i would be hard pressed to say which is my favorite , but all of them are high quality weapons . some day i will own a fifth sword from albion
now you can reserve any albion sword on layaway ! you asked for it - you got it ! we ' ve now made it easier to reserve one of our limited edition swords before they run out . go here for more information and set up a payment plan today !
albion armorers is proud to be creating swords in tandem with prodigal swedish smith peter johnsson , based on his years of research visiting museums throughout europe . each museum piece is recreated in an exacting fashion , down to every last conceivable detail . each sword will bear the albion / peter johnsson mark ( above ) making it a valuable collector ' s item and a cherished heirloom . in addition , we will be introducing one or two pieces a year in the hallmark series - - very special swords with outstanding aesthetics and handling characteristics that make it a landmark sword recreation .
the blades of albion swords are cnc lathed to ensure a very consistent product . after heat treatment and belt grinding , the individual pieces are then carefully assembled by hand , with the wooden grip glued to the tang and the handle peened on the pommel to create a very sturdy piece .
it should also be mentioned that albion offers a generous 10 % discount to all active , honorably discharged and retired us servicemen and women .
i wish to say
thank you
and the rest of the staff for the customer care , craftsmanship , and attention to detail that goes into these swords .
recently purchased a berserkr from albion , it took them longer then initially quoted but that doesn ' t bother me at all . the sword is absolutely
the main issue that people seem to have with albion is the price and the wait time involved . despite less than 10 years of experience , they have the most expensive production european swords by a long shot . not only that , but charging between $ 1000 and $ 2000 for a scabbard makes owning one prohibitive for many .
albion swords ltd . originally began in 1999 as a retailer of other products , before beginning to produce their own line two years later . while this puts them as a relative newcomer in the sword manufacturer market , they have quickly established themselves as the high - end standard for exacting historical recreations of popular medieval and other sword designs .
please pass along my compliments , and continue doing what you guys do ! this will not be the last item i purchase from albion , i guarantee it . . .
intended for the beginning sword collector or reenactor , they come unsharpened but can have sharpening applied for an additional cost of $ 25 . squire line swords sell for $ 389 - $ 444 .
hand - made , limited edition museum - quality swords designed by noted swedish swordsmith , author and researcher peter johnsson , these limited edition collectable swords are all painstakingly handmade to exacting design specifications , based on countless hours spent in the detailed study and documentation of original swords . they are not look - alikes or replicas - - we call them re - creations because they not only look like period originals , but feel and perform like them as well , just as on the day that they were newly forged . no short - cuts , no compromises . just the real thing .
albion swords are primarily only available direct from the manufacturer’s official website – though they have a branch in europe here and in the us they are also stocked here at kult of athena ( who sell around $ 20 - $ 30 less , and keep a good selection in stock and good to go , without having to put up with the usual waiting period ) .
h little or no defects to be found . the sword i received is all that and more . there is no doubt that of all the swords i now own its by far the best made one !
6 - 5 - 18 . . . i just received my thegn and again albion has done a spectacular job . this is my second albion . the over all fit and finish is so very good and i am very happy with it . thank you . i am going to order a principe and get into the que for that in a couple of days . - - gregory t k
3 - 17 - 14 . . . having had a few days to examine this , my first albion sword , i can now appreciate the degree of detail that is put into albion ' s products that separates them from others . the fuller is straight and there is none of the waviness when you look down the sides of the blade that i had become used to seeing with some manufacturer ' s swords . everthing is very solid and there are no gaps or openings around the blade where it passes through the guard . the finish on the blade and hilt looks great . this sword has exceeded my expectations . my thanks go out to everyone at albion for taking the pains to provide this level of quality . i am already anticipating my next acquisition , which will likely be a squire line 13th century knightly sword ! - - jeff r
i got to hold , and move around with , some river find swords ( they were from the end of the 100 year war era ) this spring and the steward reminds me of one of the swords from that collection . there is something about a sword that was made to be used that is hard to describe . it ' s like the blade just wants to be moved . that is what it reminded me of when i picked it up out of the shipping box .
their swords are top notch . i own an agincourt and it gets handled every day and every day i like it more . wife has the constable and its is one scary sword . i tend to think of it like a badger , ju
11 - 21 - 12 and the winner of the arma sword raffle is . . . ian mac pharlaine ! congratulations , ian ! 8 - 1 - 12 mark ryan ( bbc ' s robin of sherwood , transformers ) , will be joining mike and lars the albion booth at chicago comic con 2012 ! 5 - 16 - 12 we are forced to announce an across the board 10 % price increase , effective july 1 , 2012 , for all items other than maestro line swords .
. . . i just received one of the antiqued castellan swords from the moat sale . even in its rusted state , i can see and feel that this is a fine sword with a highly agile blade . the type v pommel has depth and character , and fits nicely in hand , and the flared type 11 guard is very elegant . ironically , the castellan is not a sword that i had ever planned on buying , but now that i ' ve got it i ' m glad that i did . special thanks to mike sigman who , having heard what i intended to use the sword for , exchanged the antiqued castellan i had requested on his own initiative because the other antiqued castellan was better suited for what i had in mind . now that ' s customer service . thanks once again to the albion team ; i am looking forward to cleaning my sword up , and making a grip for her . another fine piece by albion swords . - - craig p
a very special thanks to you and all the albion team and of course peter johnsson for this excellent piece of functional artwork . i ' ve been thinking about and waiting a long time on this sword and now its finally mine .
the only other reported ‘issue’ with these blades is that they do not have the overall edge durability often seen in the sub us $ 300 product line . for example , in this thread on my armoury there are a few stories of albion swords taking damage that quite a few cheaper lines would shrug off . however , as they make an effort to replicate the approximate hardness of a well made version of the sword their recreations are based upon in all areas , this is not truly an issue but definitely deserves a mention .
we dislike doing this , especially in this economy , but it is a fiscal necessity . however , as we have always done , any order placed before july 1 , 2012 will be honored at the old price , including layaway / payment plans and pre - orders of swords in development .
with all our packages . i called albion & they changed the ship to address , even though it was on their shipping dock ready to go . no problems ! no questions asked ! not only do they have a top of the line product , but they have awesome customer service .
the balance is fantastic , the appearance flawless . the sword is everything i had hoped for , and i am completely happy with the choice of sword that i made . it is my hope that we will be able do more business in the near future as there are many other swords that i hope to add to my collection .
2 - 8 - 12 . . . at long last , after months of waiting , i finally had a chance to handle my new senlac . she is a gorgeous cutting sword . i was surprised to discover how lively she feels in hand , and what a slender yet deadly blade ! the senlac is a joy to handle paired with a shield and lends herself to dynamic and ferocious fighting . albion has delivered another winning sword , but what else would i expect ? thanks again to everyone in the albion crew for helping to make such a classic , high medieval sword . - - craig p
10 - 10 - 12 . . . just wanted to share with you a pic from my wedding last weekend , where i spoke my vows upon the steel of my laird sword from albion . the final detail that made the day perfect . thanks for your dedication to fine workmanship and superior service !
our best wishes for a happy and prosperous holiday season to all of our friends and customers , from all of us here at albion ! and , since its that time of year again - for anyone who hasn ' t read co - founder howy ' s christmas story , here it is once again .
. . i got my earl tonight . right now i ' m at a loss for words . opening the box was nerve - wracking and exciting . despite everything i ' ve heard about albion , i couldn ' t believe a product could be this good . in fact , it ' s too good . it looks great and it feels even better ! to me , real , historical swords have always been untouchable , the kind kept behind glass . you ' ve changed that for me . i want to thank you and everyone in the shop not just for the sword , but also for the work you do . i hope you realize how special it is . please don ' t apologize for any amount of time it took to build this sword . after holding it the first time i realized i would ' ve waited a lot longer to hold one of its quality . this is my first albion . i hope there are many more ! - -
during excavations at søborg castle a number of swords have been unearthed . many of these are preserved in the national museum in copenhagen . one of them ( inventory number d 8801 ) is an especially fine example of a long bladed knightly sword from the high medieval period . the original sword is featured as xi . 3 in oakeshott ' s
records of the medieval sword .
albion ' s museum line recreation of this sword from peter ' s detailed documentation is exact in every detail to the original sword . our official announcement will be made on monday , complete with specifications and a short article by peter johnsson about the complex geometry of this sword . the reserve price for this sword is $ 2 , 530 .
6 - 29 - 18 . . . i received my munich last night and it is friggin ' awesome ! ! ! ! ! omg , what a work of deadly art ! ! it is beautiful , yet it leaves no doubt that it is a weapon . the attention to detail is incredible , but so too is the balance and the maneuverability ! wow , i am beside myself ! and i never contacted you after receiving my lichtenauer , but i am exceptionally happy with it as well ! unfortunately for me , i ' ve only been able to attend classes a couple of times since receiving it - work and life has been just nuckin ' futs for the past six months - but i love working with it , and the only other guy in our class who has one has made me feel as if i ' ve
joined the club !
again , the attention to detail just blows others away . i will continue to purchase from albion alone , although i ' m sure my wife will wonder why i need additional swords ! ! hahahaha ! ! great , great work man ! - - tucker s
9 - 14 - 11 . . . i am super excited that i received my yeoman today and was blown away by the quality of work you amazing folks there have done , the sword is perfectly flawless ! i can not describe how happy i am and to have it a few days before my 38th birthday is just an added bonus . so thank you for being so wonderful for your customer service and thank you for having such talented craftsmen . this has been a brilliant experience for me buying my first sword and i shall treasure it forever . best regards , - - graham b 9 - 13 - 11 . . . i got my yeoman sword friday morning and it has hardly left my hands since ! i just wanted to thank you everyone at albion for the excellent work that was done to produce such a beautiful sword .
2 - 3 - 14 . . . i haven ' t written for a while but : since last transmission i have thoroughly enjoyed my talhoffer and wish to say again well done - she ' s a beaut . also , today my father brought me a wonderful
welcome home from the combat again
gift of a reeve . the weapon is absolutely sublime ! it is truly delightful in all aspects and i wanted to let you know that you ' ve truly out done yourselves on the reeve . marvelous ! when i purchased my first albion i had no idea that i would become so addicted to your products . i am now the proud owner of seven and fully intend to continue increasing my collection as funds are available . thanks again , have a great weekend , and please keep up the fantastic work , customer service , and the whatnot . take care !
3 - 25 - 14 introducing . . . the archduke ! a medieval 2 - handed sword .
6 - 28 - 16 . . . i bought the knud almost 2 years ago . i figured to give a proper review i needed to abuse it first and i did . it has cut oak trees and full grown golden bamboo . also my archery target after a 14 foot drop . not proper use i know . i would like to say this sword has handled the abuse better than i have ever seen before . it ' s loses the sharp edge like most but holds a edge without denting or dinging as easily . even when it did they weren ' t very deep . the dropping attacks have knocked a very small peice of the tip of the blade but with 2 full sharpens is as good as new . i also made a homemade sheath . i hated to cover up any of this sword because it is so epic looking . simple but the perfect design in my opinion . i plan on sending a another review after another 2 years . i think this sword will continue to be my side arm in the woods for the rest of my life . - - joey l
very few times in my life have i received something that exceeded my expectations to such a degree .
the fitment is fantastic with not a single sign of it ever coming loose .
the blue color of the grip is the exact hue i had envisioned as well .
i have a very hard time putting it down . thank you so much .
. . . i just got home and checked out the white box that had been waiting : superb workmanship on both the yeoman and the scabbard .
outdid himself on the scabbard , i am really floored at the design elements it contains and the workmanship shown to put it together .
. . . [ the knight ] arrived today . it’s hard to imagine what to expect ordering an item on internet and never seen it live .
but when i open the box i had a big smile on my lips ! wow ! such a fine looking high quality sword . it looked better that i expected .
] is even more beautiful in person . and handles even better . the lines , the shape and geometry look perfect . everything looks great . i ' m gonna have a lot of fun with this one .
thank you and i look forward to giving you my business again in the future .
i simply didn ' t have words for the wave of emotions that washed over me .
i carefully removed it and inspected it , and i can honestly say that i believe it to be flawless . it is perfectly balanced and nothing short of magnificent - - and i ' ve seen some quality work in my time .
i bought the sword as a wedding gift for my best friend , and though i ' ve never seen him do it before , i do believe that i shall witness him cry upon presentation of this beautiful piece of art . i was especially surprised with how quickly it was able to be delivered - - just in time for the wedding this month ! thank you very much ; this has been one of the best buying experiences i ' ve had in quite some time , and i never would have expected to be as pleased with my purchase as i am .
. . . the steward is awesome and i am very impressed with it so far . the finish and color on the leather grip is beautiful while the metal work is impressive . i ' m very happy with how it looks .
i practice the fiore style of wma in co with the rocky mountain swordplay guild ( rmsg ) and the steward is the sword i was hoping for . it ' s appears to be a great cutter that i can imagine would be used in the mid 1300 ' s . the grip length , blade length , weight and balance allow it to be used with one or two hands as described in the getty version of the fior di battaglia . i ' ve done some plays with it but i haven ' t
cut
anything with it yet . that will be the ultimate test but i have a good feeling about how it will perform . i ' ll let you know how it goes once i get that part of the testing complete .
3 - 23 - 15 . . . i just received the brescia spadona today . what a masterpiece ! this sword looks and feels like a dream . this is my second museum line sword . the other was a solingen . the quality of both has been outstanding . keep up the good work guys . you do beautiful work . - - tim
i wanted to allow some time to pass before writing a review . there are already so many testimonials on your site that reflect initial reactions of unboxing a new blade . to recap , i already own the gaddjhalt and the crecy ; both of which are amazing pieces . there were flaws however ; none from the artisans that created the pieces , but flaws in their functions versus my desires .
10 - 23 - 14 . . . you go above and beyond . full credit to you for your dedication to customer service . you are a top man in your field , and if you ever find yourself in australia , i would be proud to buy you a beer . keep it up man , it is a fantastic experience dealing with a company with such a wonderful frontman . i can ' t wait to check out the crecy . . . but i have no doubt it will be exceptional . you my friend are a legend . - - matt
it’s every thing i’ve been dreaming about since that day in your show room when mike put one in my hand .
it’s so light and nimble . edge control is just automatic with that disk pommel nestled in my hand .
the late 13th c . great sword - mkii ( oakeshott type xiia ) $ 605
however , this maintenance plan does not cover damage that can occur with use . repairing severe pitting , blade damage such as nicks , chips and broken tips , and reworking the grip , are all extra and done on a case - by - case basis .
this large line covers everything from the roman gladius to later medieval designs . they retail for anywhere between $ 666 to $ 1421 .
they are meant for wma training , stage combat , and have models available from $ 411 – $ 566 . they are not designed to take an edge .
while they may be the most historically accurate , the difference in price between their pieces and a “somewhat historically accurate” piece such as a windlass may lead beginning or intermediate collectors to believe that they cannot afford a true historical sword . the squire line will hopefully fill that middle ground for many , but the consistently high prices mean that albions are out of reach for sword enthusiasts with shallower pockets .
finally , there may be extensive wait times between ordering a model and receiving one - they are often made to order so while most would agree they are worth the wait , a wait is definitely on the cards - typically 9 - 12 months ( despite stating on their site , the typical wait time is 3 - 6 months ) .
if this is an issue , such as the sword is needed for an event or by a certain date , etc - it is recommended to contact them to determine the approximate lead time or look for an ' in stock ' item from one of their retailers such as kult of athena recommended below .
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the best of the best . love that the company is in my home state . mike is always awesome to work with and incredibly
great customer service , mike is always pleasant to talk to , yes the wait is long . after painfully long and with delays but it ' s a small company that is family run . their products are well worth the wait .
promise after promise broken - paid $ 300 deposit with promise of delivery within 6 months but date came and went . 10 months later and a half - heart
ht blows away every other purchase i ' ve made . the scabbard i bought along with it is beautiful and well worth the cost . additional
er longsword & received an email it was ready to ship . being on a long vacation , i didn ' t want it shipped to my home & have it left there , like our fedex driver does
wonder of holding a quality piece . it ' s probably akin to a wizard discoverin
g their wand , except all the wands are perfect . each sword has a different f
. the movement of the sword changes , and thus the whole soul of the piece . the hand - and - a
. each sword sprang eagerly where it was directed with the slightest pressure . i must have said it twenty times while handling a sword ,
it * wants * to go . it doesn ' t fight back - - it wants to jump right in there .
and i ' m am not limited for choices , in fact choosing the next one may be difficult .
john carter of mars sword . . he told me it was sharp . enou
worth the wait - - hope i will be able to get another one at some point .
game theory : does isaac die ? ! ? binding of isaac rebirth ' s endings explained .
the move that broke pokemon ! | the science . . . of pokemon pay day
arrived a couple of days ago and it’s had my full attention ever since .
the aesthetic details are striking . the writhen - style furniture and the blades double fullers give the sword an air of quality , without seeming overbearing .
you’ve really perfected your method of covering the grip and try as i might i’m unable to locate the seam .
the level of fit and finish is unsurprising , in that it’s your typical high level of clean execution . i have to admit that i was surprised by the
it takes a good deal of knowledge and experience to produce a sword of this size that possesses this type of dynamic handling ability .
this was my first authentic sword i have purchased , so it has great sentimental value to me . i will definately be a repeat customer and look forward to purchasing from you all again !
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