January 2005 Medal Newsletter

2004: A RECORD YEAR
In a very successful year at Spink, our departments turned over almost £15 million in auction sales alone, not including the many private treaty sales which are a considerable part of our business. Again the Medal Department has led the field in world record prices at auction. The record price for a Victoria Cross, already held by us for the sale of the VC group to Major General D. Beak (£178,250), was surpassed in April this year when the group to Sergeant Norman Jackson R.A.F. sold for £230,000. This is the third world record for a Victoria Cross group in succession to be held by Spink, confirming our position as world leader in the sale of Britain’s premier award.

As holders of the world record price for Napoleonic awards to the Army with the 2003 sale of the Army Gold Cross group to Major General Pack, we were delighted to equal this record in July 2005 when the large and small Army Gold Medals to Major General Sir William Ponsonby, killed by the Polish Lancers at Waterloo after leading the famous charge of the Union Brigade, was sold for £115,000.

We look forward to 2005 when we intend to continue to be at the cutting edge of strong and world record prices for orders, decorations and medals sold at auction.

AUCTION NEWS
Our first auction of orders, decorations, and medals in 2005 will take place on 28 April. Cataloguing is well under way so please contact us as soon as possible if you wish to include items. As we mentioned in last months newsletter this sale is already bringing together the usual selection of interesting and unusual items always characteristic of Spink Medal auctions. Among the collections already consigned is a comprehensive collection to the Royal Engineers and Royal Signals, which includes, from the Great War, two M.C. groups, an M.C., M.M. group, a D.C.M., M.M. and bar group, two M.M. and bars, and thirteen M.M.s. From the Second War we have a further M.C and eight M.M.s. More details on these and other interesting items from this collection, formed between 1960 and the mid 1980s, will available for next months newsletter.

From another consignor, an extremely fascinating group is that to Ronald Henry Aubrey, Royal Chef at Buckingham Palace. Aubrey entered Royal service in 1937 and was promoted to Royal Chef in 1968. His group, which includes the M.V.O. 5th Class, R.V.M., silver, and Long and Faithful Service Medal with 30 year bar, is remarkable in that it also includes over thirty foreign medals and decorations, all of which are accompanied by Award Certificates or Permission to Wear letters.

To accompany the D.S.O, D.F.C. and bar group to Squadron Leader James 'Zulu Jim' Malley that was mentioned in the December newsletter we have received the outstanding group to Group Captain Hugh Francis 'Peggy' O'Neill, D.F.C. and bar. O'Neill's first wartime appointment was flying Hudsons with 224 G.R. Squadron, Coastal Command 1939-40, and in June 1940 he crash landed after being hit by flack and shot up by an M.E.109 during an attack on the 'Scharnhorst' (D.F.C. 30.7.1940; M.I.D. 11.8.1940). After a period as Flying Instructor in Oxfords and Paratroop Training in Whitleys, he moved in January 1941 to 79 Fighter Squadron (Hurricanes) and in May the same year he joined 238 Fighter Squadron (also Hurricanes), bound for Egypt. On 29 September 1941, just ten days after his 21st birthday, O'Neill was appointed Squadron Leader Commanding 238 Squadron, and early the next year he assumed command of Tobruch Sector and was Air Advisor to the Royal Egyptian Air Force. In early 1943 O'Neill assumed command of 1435 Fighter Squadron (Spitfires) at Malta (Bar to D.F.C. 1.10.1943). He was posted home in October, and for the next twelve months was on the Air Staff of Headquarters 9 Group, Fighter Command. In November 1944 he was given command of 322 Fighter Squadron, a Dutch squadron flying Spitfires, based at Biggin Hill, but by the end of the year based in Holland (Netherlands Flying Cross). In March 1945 O'Neill moved to 132 (Norwegian) Wing, as British C.O. and Wing Commander Operations, and in April he took up his last wartime appointment as Wing Commander Plans at 84 Group Control Centre, Lingen, Germany. Group Captain O'Neill retired in 1966. The group is to be offered with two Flying Log Books crammed with a wealth of information, including letters, documents, photographs and press cuttings. Group Captain O'Neill has recounted much of his wartime experiences in a series of articles published in Aeroplane Monthly in the mid 1980's. We will include more details and photographs of items from the April sale in the February Newsletter.

ORDERS & MEDALS RESEARCH SOCIETY, LONDON BRANCH
A very successful inaugural meeting took place at Spink on Tuesday, 11 January. About 26 OMRS members were in attendance for this first introductory and familiarisation session.

It was decided that a London Branch meeting would take place every two months, the next date being fixed for Tuesday, 15 March, 5.30 for 6.00pm. It is important to arrive before 6.00pm because it is impossible to gain access to the building once the premises are locked at the close of business.

Future meetings promise a mix of activities including short presentations by selected speakers; topical discussions; hands-on sessions when medals can be handled and discussed, particularly relating to fakes and forgeries; the opportunity to examine items newly arrived in the Spink Medal Department for auction - at the January session this included a comprehensive and interesting collection to the Royal Engineers and Royal Signals.

Enquiries about the Branch and its activities should be addressed to: Bob Barltrop 01582 715472 or Stan Bates 07810 790817 / email stanley.bates@ukonline.co.uk

Prices Realised
Click here to view the prices realised for the 30 November auction.

Catalogues
To take out an annual subscription for our auction catalogues, or to purchase catalogues individually, please contact Client Services on 020 7563 4089, or email catalogues@spink.com. A breakdown of charges is provided here.

Buying Medals on the Spink Website
We continue to offer more items for sale via our Website sales list. For those who have expressed an interest in receiving updates by email from Spink, we can contact you when new items are added to our online stocklists, usually every two to three weeks. If you are unsure whether we hold an email address for you, please email your details to enquiry@spink.com, stating that you wish to receive medal stock updates from Spink.

Please note that items cannot be reserved and will remain on the site available for purchase until a firm sale has been completed.

Auction Service
For those who prefer to engage an agent to bid on their behalf at the major auctions in London of Orders, Decorations and Medals, Spink now offer this as a free service. A representative from the Medal Department attends all major auctions and will be pleased to act on your behalf. The procedure for retaining Spink in this capacity is very straightforward, just contact John Hayward on 020 7563 4049

Selling Medals at Spink
Although sale at auction of orders, medals and decorations is very successful, some clients still lean towards sale by private treaty. We at Spink are most interested in the straight purchase of both collections and individual items and will be pleased to discuss such arrangements. 

•Click here to browse a selection of medals online