January 2007 Medal Newsletter

2006: A SUCCESSFUL YEAR

The highlight of the last year was undoubtedly the opening, on the 28th November, of our brand new showroom. Designed to provide the very best facilities for our clients, and to act as a gallery showcasing both stock and future auction lots, it is undoubtedly the best room of its type in any Collectables auction house in the country. It capped what was a very successful 2006 here at Spink. The Medal Department was again to the fore, seeing steady, and sometimes spectacular, results achieved at auction over the past year, in addition to our numerous private treaty sales. A particular highlight, accompanied both before and on the day of the sale by an unprecedented amount of media coverage, was the Great War Battle of Festubert Victoria Cross awarded to Private William Mariner, 2nd Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, which sold for £120,750 in our November auction. Equally exciting was the fine collection of 33 Distinguished Flying Medals formed by the late Ian Tavender, where lively bidding both in the room, and over the telephones, saw the entire collection sell for well over the combined estimate.
We look forward to 2007 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.

The Medal Department would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a happy and prosperous New Year, and we hope to see you in our new showroom here at Spink at some stage soon.

AUCTION NEWS

Our first auction of Orders, Decorations, and Medals in 2007 will take place on 19th April. Cataloguing is well under way so please contact us as soon as possible if you wish to include items. More than ever, this sale is already bringing together the familiar selection of interesting and unusual items always characteristic of Spink Medal auctions.
Among the items already consigned is the Remarkable and Unique G.C.B., K.B.E., D.S.O. and Three Bars, D.F.C., A.F.C. Group of Eighteen to Air Chief Marshal Sir Basil Embry, Royal Air Force, Blenheim and Later Mosquito Pilot, Who Was Shot Down Over Occupied France in 1940, Famously Evading Capture For Two Months Before Returning to Active Duty Including The Specialist Precision Bombing Operations on The Gestapo Headquarters in Aarhus, Copenhagen and Odense, Whilst Holding the Rank of Acting Air Vice-Marshal; Later Commander-in-Chief Fighter Command, 1949-53.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Basil Embry’s Miniature Awards

Also consigned is a Scarce South Africa 1877-79 and India General Service 1854-95 Pair to Private T. Burke, Liverpool Regiment, Who Served with “B” Company 2nd Battalion, 24th Foot, at the Defence of Rorke’s Drift 22nd-23rd January 1879.

A large number of groups and single awards for gallantry from several collections formed over the course of the past three decades are set to appear; amongst these is a Superb Second War D-Day Normandy Landings 'Immediate' M.M. Group of Five to Amphibious Tank Commander Lance-Sergeant G.A. Hind, 13th/18th Hussars,  Who Died in the Advance Up the River Seine, August 1944.

Five: Lance-Sergeant G.A. Hind

We also have a large collection of Orders, Decorations, and Medals, collected over the past three decades, to the Welsh Guards. Details of this collection, as well as other items already consigned, will be announced in the next month’s newsletter.

SPINK OUT AND ABOUT

As part of his recent tour to Southern India, Spink Medal Department’s Oliver Pepys visited Seringapatam Fort, the scene of fierce fighting at the climax of the Fourth Mysore War (1798-99). Particular highlights were seeing the spot where Tipu Sultan was killed, Tipu’s Summer Palace, which was later occupied by the Victorious Arthur Wellesley (late Duke of Wellington), and the fort museum, which contained the few relics from the Battle of Seringapatam that were not brought back to this country. Of special interest was a small display of Mysore Medals 1790-92, relating to the Third Mysore War, and Seringapatam Medals.

Seringapatam Fort today

Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace

Tipu Sultan’s Mausoleum

The spot where Tipu Sultan was slain

Further places of medallic note visited on the India tour will be covered in future newsletters.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

ORDERS AND MEDALS RESEARCH SOCIETY, LONDON BRANCH

Now in its third year, and well and truly established, the London branch of OMRS will continue to meet on the second Tuesday of odd numbered months here at Spink. Membership continued to rise last year, with most meetings attended by over 20 members; it is hoped that attendance will continue to grow this year. The full itinerary for 2007 is now finalised

The next meeting will take place in the Auction Room at Spink on Tuesday 13th March 2007, where Peter Clayton will be giving the talk.

Members and their guests are asked to arrive before 6:15pm, as after this time the doors are closed. Newcomers are always welcome. For more information please contact Stan Bates on 01226 79072.

BOOK REVIEWS

BRITISH BATTLES AND MEDALS, SEVENTH EDITION
by John Hayward, Diana Birch, and Richard Bishop
London: Spink Ltd., 2006. Hardback, 798 pages, b&w illustrations with colour riband chart
Available from Spink and Son Ltd, London, WC1B 4ET priced at £85. Tel 020 7563 4000.

The long awaited and fully revised edition of Major Gordon’s classic reference work was released at the end of November. Since the last edition not only have a number of new medals, from the Gulf Medal 1990-91 to the new Operational Service Medals for minor conflicts, been instituted, but further research has greatly increased the accuracy and content of the earlier sections. Of particular interest is the fact that not only every single medal, but also every single clasp (with the exception of some of the rarer Naval General Service 1793-1840 clasps) has been illustrated. A vast quantity of numismatic information has also been included, particularly on the various naming styles adopted, together with illustrations where possible. Lists and number of Ships, Regiments, and Units present has been revised where necessary, including the addition of more so-called ‘odd men’. The 18 appendices have, for the first time, gathered together in the most accessible form a wealth of reference material, including nominal rolls for such actions as the Charge of the Light Brigade, the Defence of Rorke’s Drift, the Charge of the 21st Lancers at Omdurman, the Defence of Legations, and the Yangtze incident. There is also a complete list of recipients of Naval and Army Gold Medals, and Army Gold Crosses, believed to be the first such table of this kind to be published.

VICTORIA CROSS HEROES
by Michael Ashcroft
London: Hodder Headline, 2006. Hardback, 335 pages, b&w illustrations
Available from Spink and Son Ltd, London, WC1B 4ET priced at £20. Tel 020 7563 4000.

To coincide with the 150th Anniversary of the Victoria Cross, Lord Ashcroft has decided to publish details of the 145 or so Victoria Crosses that form his celebrated collection. This book is interesting, not only for the accounts as to how the recipients, from the Crimea to the Falklands, won their Crosses, but more so for revealing the true extent of this superb collection, which he has spent the last twenty years forming. An appendix is dedicated to showing how and when each VC was obtained for the collection over the years. Mention should also be made of the recent Channel 5 series, presented by H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, K.G., K.T. &c., which tied in with the book, and is now available on DVD.

AUCTION AND PRIVATE TREATY SERVICES

PRICES REALISED

Click here to view the prices realised for the 23 November auction.

CATALOGUES

To take out an annual subscription for our auction catalogues, or to purchase catalogues individually, please contact us on 020 7563 4000, or email catalogues@spink.com. A breakdown of charges is provided here.

AUCTION BIDDING 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 BY PRIVATE TREATY

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.

BUYING MEDALS ON THE SPINK WEBSITE

2006 saw increased activity on the Spink Website, and we are committed to adding, throughout 2007, more Orders, Decorations, and Medals on the website at an increased frequency, with items from £10 to £10,000. We hope to update our online stocklists every fortnight, although on some occasions, such as around actions, this might vary. 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. 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.

•Click here to browse a selection of medals online