News & Blog
November 2009's News
In the early hours of Thursday 19th November a family collection of 14 medals including an MC group was stolen from a house in Leicester. The medals missing are as follows: Lt Col Edward Cecil Barton: Military Cross (engraved with recipients deatils and "Ypres 1917") 1914/15 Star British War…
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It is with great sadness that we learn of the death of Tony Fitzsimmons on November 24 2009. Tony was a regular "helper" of Steve Sewell's across nearly 30 years and anyone who has seen Steve at any medal fair, be it Bromley, Bristol or Britannia, will have known his father in law Tony. A true…
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Thank you all - dealers and collectors alike - who made Britannia on Sunday such a success, the weather was against us, the underground was against us but we still managed to get over 500 people through the door! The room was buzzing and on more than one occasion I heard the comments "it's just…
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According to the Daily Telegraph Lord Aschroft has paid a staggering £1.5million for the magnificent "VC and Bar" to Captain Noel Chavasse - one of only three double Victoria Crosses ever awarded. According to the 'paper's website Lord Ashcroft bought the medals from St Peter's College Oxford…
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We have the power . . . A RECENT TRIP to my local antiques fair left me in shock—I discovered a veritable hoard of rarities—a pile, literally a pile, of 1804 silver dollars on one dealer’s stand. My goodness, what a find! Here was I in the middle of Devon and I’d discovered…
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STOLEN during October 2009 from a private house in E Devon 14/15 Trio to S/N M Hankinson TFNS/QAIMNS plus silver Nursing Badge St Pancras Hospital engraved M Hankinson 1 October 1906 in brown box of issue together with BWM and Victory to 9583 Cpl A R Hankinson KRRC. Please contact DC C Campbell…
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A new world record auction price for a Victoria Cross to a British recipient (Flight Lieutenant W. 'Bill' Reid).was set at Spink on November 19 2009. The medal group sold for a staggering £348,000 (£290,000 plus 20% premiumn) to an anonymous bidder in the room. According to the Daily…
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Are you coming to Britannia this Sunday? It's now officially (and by some margin) the UK's biggest MEDAL FAIR with over 30 dealers stalling out. They are: Bonhams Philip Burman Andrew Bostock John Cannon Mark Carter Chelsea Military Antiques Chester Militaria Peter Cotrel (unfortunately Peter is…
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100 years of the Girl Guides is the theme for the 2010 50 pence - interestingly two designers initials appear on the rather simple reverse - we're not quite sure why it needed two people to come up with the fetching but fairly straightforward design but it seems that that is the case with Jonathan…
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The circulating £2 coin for 2010 will be a tribute to the Crimean War nurse Florence Nightingale 100 years after her death. The rather stylised design, depicting Florence's healing hands holding a patient's hand (the hands are artfully designed to ensure that the nurse and the patient are…
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The Royal Mint today unveiled their new look £1 coins for 2010 and for the first time we're to be treated to a coin that has not one but FOUR reverses. Ok That's not actually true but what they've done is very clever - the coin has been designed to represent each one of the Capital cities of…
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Again local to us down here in Devon a burglar has left another veteran distrught. We'll post more details about recipients etc.as soon as we know them, we are in touch with the local police, but in the mean time the bare bones of the story can be seen here…
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Gold continues its seemingly relentless upwards trend on Monday November 9 it peaked at over $1,100 an ounce - quite a remarkable sum. Can the trend continue or will the bubble burst....? Read the full story at news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8351154.stm
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We're gearing up for the last LCF of the year - held as ever at the popular Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury just off Coram Street. The venue is one of the best ones on the "circuit" and is always well attended by dealers and collectors alike, John and Carol are making the trip up the A303 this time and…
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FORGIVE me if I split this “Comment” in two but there are a couple of things that need my attention this month and they can’t really be amalgamated into one editorial. The first concerns the latest “medal” to be issued—the Elizabeth Cross. Now, whilst I…
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