SCOR Channel is a respected market leader in the Fine Art and Specie insurance sector, built on both SCOR's and Lloyd’s financial strength. Lloyd’s has historically been the worldwide centre of excellence for this sector and a leading innovator of insurance products for Fine Art and Specie risks.
The word Specie, meaning coin or valuables, derives from old English and in the nascent Marine Market of Lloyd’s 300 years ago, travellers on ships trading across the Empire would insure their “Specie” in the Lloyd’s Marine Market.
The Fine Art client base includes, but is not limited to, international museums situated anywhere in the world, blockbuster traveling exhibitions, private collections valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, down to very personal individual items such as engagement rings and musical instruments.
In addition to Fine Art and personal jewellery risks underwritten within the division we also cover General Specie risks such as precious metals and jewellery in bank vaults, Excess SPIC Risks, and a portfolio of luxury chains of jewellers.
Risk appetite
We are frequently asked questions like ‘do you insure sculpture’ or ‘do you only insure Fine Art’ to which our response would be:
‘The greatest philosophers in history have tried to define art for 3,000 years. In 1990 cows in formaldehyde were in the Natural History Museum and now they are in the Museum of Modern Art in New York….so what chance do mere insurers have of defining what is and what is not art, Fine or otherwise?’
As insurers with many decades of experience, we constantly evolve the Fine Art policy wordings and we continue to enhance products to the benefit of clients whilst selecting good insurance risks. As a team, we never attempt to critique art itself, or let alone define it.
Licences
SCOR Syndicate
SCOR Europe
SCOR UK
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Rupert Onslow has been in Fine Art insurance for 30 years. He learnt the trade during a 20-year career as a broker, spending time at each of three largest London Market Fine Art broking teams. In 2011 he was appointed Fine Art underwriter at The Channel Syndicate, now SCOR Syndicate, with the remit of creating a book of profitable Fine Art and Specie from scratch. Rupert was educated at Eton College and then went on to acquire a Double Major in Philosophy and Psychology from Western Kentucky University.
