In 1932, at the age of 16, Phil Downie established the Palmerston North Stamp Company. A pioneer of the Australian collector market, Phil Downie was the driving force behind the Australasian Stamp Dealers Association, established in 1948, which contributed significantly to worldwide uniformity in the field of philatelics.

Downie's business grew rapidly, expanding beyond stamps into all fields of collectables. The business offered a broad range of professional services aimed at many areas of the market, and eventually expanded to include public auctions, mail order and retail outlets.

Enriched by a new generation of numismatists, the 1970s witnessed the beginning of a new era for the company. Downie's son Ken, an economics graduate, joined the team. He made a significant contribution, and when Downie retired in 1985 his son took over his leadership role. Ken Downie played a leading role in the establishment of the Australasian Numismatic Dealers Association.

The creation of the Mailorder Money magazine was a milestone for the company, and was the catalyst for a wide range of general and specialist publications. In the 1990s Downie opened shops in both Melbourne and Sydney.

Downie also issued medals, including a Christmas medal in 1988 [NU 20185].

In July 2001, Downie's merged with the leading coin and stamp marketing firm, Sherwood Commemoratives. The merged company claims to be the largest numismatic conglomerate in the southern hemisphere.

References:
Downie's & Sherwood website http://www.downies.com/australia/pages/company%20profile.asp.

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