Token Publishing

A new use for notes

Phil Mussell — 01/02/2012 09:36:00

With teh fuure of teh Euro far from certain an Irish artist has come up with an idea to use up what may ssoon become obsolete notes. In a swipe at the Irish establishment's handling of the Celtic Tiger boom and bust Frank Buckley has built a house entirely out of decommssioned notes and coins - showing just how worthless these things actually are in the real world. For further details see the BBC website

Missing Miniatures?

Phil Mussell — 31/01/2012 10:45:00

Did you serve in Cyprus then go on to Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Yugoslavia? Did you get this impressive length of service rewarded with an LSGC? Do you live in the Carlisle area? If the answer is yes to all of these do you still have your medals? The miniatures at least? If you don't then it appears a dry cleaner in Carlisle may be able to help - have a look here for further details!!

A group reunited

Alyson Thomas — 30/01/2012 14:19:26

Ignorance is bliss?

SITTING down one Sunday evening to watch BBC1�s new drama Sherlock (apologies to those outside the UK who may not know what I�m talking about�essentially it�s a modern day rewriting of the classic Sherlock Holmes and is really rather good), I was somewhat put out to find the great detective, usually so spot on with his observations, point to a photograph of a soldier and cite that he wore a �Distinguished Service Order� when the medal quite clearly was in fact a Conspicuous Gallantry Cross! The error was further compounded by Dr Watson stating that the picture had been taken during the �Falklands Era� when an Iraq medal was clearly visible and there was no South Atlantic Medal in sight . . . ! Now, other experts will point to the apparent anomaly of the RMP Major sporting a beard and other military errors and, quite rightly, state that the BBC obviously wasn�t going for accuracy, but for me the fact that Sherlock actually pointed out the medals and got it wrong, when he prides himself on being hyper-observant, rather spoilt things.

A similar thing happened with the National Theatre Company�s excellent production of War Horse, where the only medals I saw on stage�a QSA/KSA pair�were worn the wrong way round. I just couldn�t help noticing! Now the medals in the theatre weren�t a major issue�a slight error and only a geek like me would notice, but the Sherlock �incident� is different. There are people employed by production companies, be they the BBC or another, purely to get the small details right and if the script called for the two major characters to make note of a photo, then you would have thought those researchers could have paid a little more attention. With the new film of War Horse hitting the cinemas now, part of me is loathe to go and see it; not only was the stage show so brilliant (I really do urge you to see it) that I worry the movie just won�t measure up. But I also worry that I would sit there and start pointing out to those with me all the medallic inconsistencies I fear I will see! Of course, ideally I should be able to just set aside my knowledge, accept that what I am seeing is just fiction and enjoy it, but you and I both know such a thing is difficult. When we are possession of the knowledge of how something should be, it is difficult to ignore it when it isn�t. Of course, inconsistencies in films, television, etc., aren�t new�any movie website or book will be full of �howlers� and mistakes . . . wasn�t there a wristwatch in Ben Hur for example? That is probably just an urban myth, although there are certainly plenty of errors seen on screen all the time, but with medals it�s so easy to get it right that I can�t help but be infuriated every time I notice an MC ribbon worn on the end of a group or hear a Defence Medal described as a �George� Medal.

At this point many of you will be screaming �geek� and �anorak� at me, and maybe rightly so, but I bet you�re exactly the same�go on, admit it! The question is though, does it matter? Is it really that important for films and television to pay attention to such comparatively small details? I�m sorry to say that actually I think it does and it is, not in the wider realm of things of course. In the real world such details have no bearing on life, but films, television programmes, the theatre, et al, are there to entertain us and when something takes away from that entertainment, no matter how trivial, then it actually does become an issue. It is not a major problem I�ll admit, but like the fly in the ointment (or soup or whatever metaphor you care to use), it does tend to spoil things somewhat. Unfortunately there is little we viewers can do, not really�errors creep into productions all the time and let�s be honest most people don�t ever notice them. It is only because we are in the know that they stick out like the proverbial sore thumb. They say �ignorance is bliss� and I am afraid that sometimes that may well be true when itcomes to our �insider knowledge�. Of course, there is another way of looking at it�the original entertainment may well be spoiled the moment you notice a medallic error but you can then make your own entertainment by seeing how many other errors and inconsistencies you can spot. It can be great fun�that is as long as you don�t mind sleeping on the couch and having your wife and children not speak to you for days; sadly I fear that not everyone appreciates putting insider knowledge to such use . . . ! Happy viewing!

Year of the Dragon

Alyson Thomas — 23/01/2012 14:29:22

Taking issue THIS month�s front cover sees the numismatic celebration of the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon, and inside the magazine you will find Dr Kerry Rodger�s excellent article detailing those countries that are (and those that aren�t) issuing coins for the �world�s biggest coin programme�. Later on in the magazine you will find a letter commenting on precious metal new issues and how it is becoming virtually impossible to collect them because of the price of the metal�and this got me thinking. Whilst it is true that gold has slipped back a little in recent weeks and silver seems a little more stable the fact remains that precious metals are far more expensive to buy that they were a few years ago and most certainly our wages and pensions have not kept up with them. This coupled with the fact that the world�s mints seem determined to produce new issues to commemorate just about every possible event on earth made me wonder about the future of this branch of our hobby. It is perhaps unfair of me to bring this up now, after all the Chinese New Year coins have been around for a while and so the mints and issuing authorities cannot really be accused of jumping on a band wagon for the sake of it, but you only have to look at the coins available to realise that things have moved on quite a bit in the last couple of decades.

Where once a mint would issue one coin to celebrate an even�and then cannily issued it again in precious metal form, proof form and piedfort form (and any combination of the above) now we find there are two, three, four or more coins issued for the same celebration. Different denominations, different metals, added precious stones, added colour, clever design techniques all offering the collector a massive selection of beautiful coins to choose from. Except that isn�t how collectors work is it? We don�t actually want to choose one of the items on offer, we don�t just want a $1 coin when the full set actually includes a $2, a $5 and a $10 (or whatever) and we don�t just want a BU example if a BU example with coloured accents exists. We all know that collectors, by our very nature, want an example of everything, we don�t necessarily want more than one�we aren�t hoarding for the sake of it�but we do want to have at least an example of everything we can in our collection. It isn�t quite so bad if you set out back in the 1980s to simply have a BU base metal example of everything one mint produced�you can still do that quite comfortably even if you find yourself forking out for the odd �special edition�. However, if you decided some time ago that you were going to buy an example of every silver coin produced to commemorate the Lunar New Year (or the Olympics or any other regular event) then you may well find that as things stand you can no longer carry on collecting as once you did.

In the beginning you may have bought five or six silver coins a year�an affordable way of collecting. All the same denomination, all �standard� coins (i.e. they were coin shaped and all one colour) and all at a reasonable price (silver you will remember had collapsed in 1980). Today if you tried to maintain that collection you would find yourself confronted by dozens of coins of all sorts of denominations and weights (right up to the massive 10 kilos) with various different �design features� that make them more miniature metal pictures than coins and you have to make a choice. Either you decide to go for it and quite possibly bankrupt yourself in the process or you say �enough is enough� and rationalise your collection�not an easy task if you�ve been collecting the same thing for years. The same thing goes for those who don�t collect �commemoratives� per se and instead have collected just a particular mint�s �new issues� over the years. That was fine when they only had a few a year but now every band wagon rolling is jumped on and countries that have no logical reason for commemorating an event suddenly find themselves doing so in metal form (with the above mentioned varieties very much in evidence)�again the collector will find himself faced with an impossible choice, spend far more money than he ever envisaged when he started down this route or rationalise what he is collecting.

To non-collectors the answer is simple�rationalise! Stop collecting one of everything and cut back, that, however, isn�t how things work and we all know that the moment we say �no� to a variety then our collection becomes incomplete�and no-one wants that. I don�t have an answer to this dilemma except to say to the mints that whilst we know the recession hasn�t hit our hobby as it has others and we also know that many of your coins are struck as bullion and many who buy them are interested only in their metal content do please occasionally spare a thought for the average collector, the man in the street, who has faithfully bought your coins for years. He simply cannot carry on buying every variety you produce, not with precious metals being as they are, and if he can�t do that he may stop buying altogether rather than risk having an incomplete collection, and that would be a great shame for us all.

Under Starter's Orders! The York Coin Fair

Carol — 18/01/2012 14:28:00

DON’T forget the The York Coin & Stamp Fair this weekend (January 20–21) at The York Racecourse Grandstand. The fair gets under starter’s orders at 11am on the Friday, finishing at 6pm ready to recommence trading on Saturday at 10am (closing at 4pm). Entry is free, the parking is free and the food in the restaurant is excellent value for money (sadly not free) and includes a public bar. The fair is held over two whole floors and brings together dealers from all aspects of the hobby from ancient coins to modern issues, banknotes to tokens and even military medals. We will, as always, be in attendance to accept subscription renewals, provide a wide range of numismatic titles as well as offer an extensive range of coin and banknote accessories. We will have all of the very latest Krause catalogues for sale, along with the latest CD rom versions, the latest editions of our Yearbooks and the new Standard Catalogue. Come and spend a day, or two, on your favourite hobby, after all, you are amongst friends.

York? Already?

Phil Mussell — 10/01/2012 11:58:00

Well not quite but it's not long. The first big show of the year is only a week away with the York Coin and Medal fair taking place on Friday and Saturday January 20-21 at the Knavesmire Stand at York Racecourse. The show needs little introduction from me - it's now well established on the show calendar and is one of the most popular events around. It's free to get in so don't miss out!

The show is open from 11.00am until 6.00pm on teh Friday and 10.00am until 5.00pm on the Saturday although to be honset if you arrive at 4.55pm on Saturday you won't find many of us left so get in early!!

Record set for Greek Coin

Carol — 06/01/2012 12:09:00

The much anticipated sale of the spectacular Prospero Collection indicates that the team at Baldwin’s had a lot to smile about. Although results are still in the process of being confirmed initial figures released by the company state that the sale total for all 642 lots is approximately US$25,000,000 (including buyer’s premium at 17%), more than double the pre-sale estimate. Lot 213, the catalogue cover coin, broke all previous world records for an ancient Greek coin, selling for a phenomenal US$3,250,000 (hammer). This superb example of a gold stater from Pantikapaion depicts the head of a satyr, a character widely used in Greek mythology. Due to its incredible rarity it was no surprise when bidding soared past the pre-sale estimate of US$650,000. Around 200 bidders were in attendance for the most significant auction of ancient Greek coins in the past 20 years. Excitement grew in the Vanderbilt suite at the Waldorf Astoria hotel as lots proceeded to sell for four and five times their pre-sale estimates. See the March issue of Coin News for a full report of this landmark sale.

It's York time soon

Phil Mussell — 22/12/2011 12:52:00

Don't forget that no sooner are we back after Christmas than the York show will be upon us! The bi-annual event is always extremely popular and this year the first one will be on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 January 2012 - once again in the Knavesmire stand of the York Racecourse. Keep the date free and we'll give you more details nearer the time

Banknote Yearbook goes digital

Phil Mussell — 22/12/2011 12:07:00

Token Publishing is pleased to announce that shortly all our YEARBOOKS will be available as PDF downloads for viewing on PC, Laptop, Smartphone or Tablet. We're trialling the idea with the BANKNOTE YEARBOOK available in four sections (England, Scotland, Ireland - North and South and the Islands) and will roll out sections the COIN YEARBOOK and MEDAL YEARBOOK in due course!

To buy your pdf of a Banknote Yearbook section, either in high resolution for crystal clear images or low resolution for speedier download time simply visit www.tokenpublishing.com/shop.asp

Compliments of the Season

Phil Mussell — 22/12/2011 12:00:00

We'd like to wish all of our readers and customers the very best for Christmas 2011 and a very happy New Year 2012. We are closing the office on Thursday December 22 at 1.00pm and reopening on Tuesday January 3 2012 at 9.00am. Our first show of the year is the York Coin and Medal Fair on January 20/21 2012 - see you there!

Stolen Swords

Phil Mussell — 22/12/2011 11:51:00

Whilst not strictly medal related many collectors of medals also know about and collect swords - a recently burglary (December 16th) saw an extensive collection stolen so if any reader is offered any of the following swords please do get in touch with us or Andy Griffin of the Metropolitan Police - on 02082462655

Regiment: Irish Guards Monarch: George V Original recipient: H A O'Farrell No: 54665

Irish Guards George V B S Close 53785

RAF Edward VIII  PB Chamberlain - Cranwell Sword of Honour 65568

RAF George V   EB Webb - Cranwell Sword of Honour 60582

RAF George V   MP Skinner - Cranwell Sword of Honour 65208

1st Life Guards State Sword Victoria  Earl of Warwick 37836

Royal Horse Guards State Sword Edward VII   CEA Phillips 41993

1st Royal Dragoons Heavy Cavalry 1887/1896    Tidswell 38824

6th Dragoon Guards Special Regimental Pattern  Sadler 39335

16th Lancers Light Cavalry 3 Bar Hilt Russell 33043

17th Lancers Heavy Cavalry 1887/96  Fowler - Sandhurst Sword of Honour 43267

18th Hussars Heavy Cavalry 1887/96  Hetherington 41748

3rd Hussars Heavy Cavalry 1887/96   Gilroy 36356

4th Hussars Heavy Cavalry 1887/96   Bibby 42831

1912 Pattern 4th Hussars   Greville 43585

1912 Special Pattern 10th Hussars   RV Garton 58092

1912 Special Pattern 10th Hussars   BO Hutcheson 54645

1912 Special Pattern 10th Hussars   AEJ Duveen 62393

1912 Special Pattern Royal Horse Guards   K Fenwick 44670

1912 Pattern 21st Lancers   RA Maybery 44306

1912 Special Pattern 6th Dragoon Guards   JA Paton 56277

1912 Pattern 1st Life Guards   VA Cazalet 49831

Royal Artillery Victoria RH Wallace 13101

Royal Artillery Victoria Armitage - Woolwich Sword of Honour 22847

Royal Artillery   CH Wallace 40919

Royal Artillery George V Keenlyside 61522

Royal Artillery George V JE Upton 64395

Scottish Field Officers, Camerons George V Pringle-Pattison 65168

Scottish Field Officers, HLI Victoria Ronaldson 31162

Scottish Basket Hilt George V Sandilands - Royal Scots Fusiliers 62914

Scottish Basket Hilt George V JM Marshall - Seaforth Highlanders 63857

Scottish Basket Hilt George V Forbes - Cameron Highlanders 64892

Scottish Basket Hilt George VI Corbett, Lord Rowallan - Royal Scots Fusiliers 67808

Scottish Basket Hilt George V Henson - Kings Own Scottish Borderers 65467

Scottish Basket Hilt Edward VIII WD Clark - Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 65882

Scottish Cross Hilt Edward VIII P Fitzgerald O'Connor - Highland Light Infantry 66119

1912 Pattern George V Nelson - 8th Royal Irish Hussars 64308

1912 Pattern Edward VIII Pilkington - 7th Hussars 65748

1912 Pattern Edward VIII (EIR) Pratt - Guides Cavalry 65838

1912 Pattern George VI TM Bell - 4th/7th Dragoon Guards 66260

1912 Pattern George VI RH Webb - The Queens Bays 68095

1912 Pattern George VI Renton - 17th/21st Lancers 68025

1912 Pattern George VI Milford-Cottam - Cheshire Yeomanry 68503

Grenadier Guards Victoria Quilter 34965

Coldstream Guards Edward VII Chinnery 41881

Coldstream Guards George V Moody 62951

Welsh Guards George V Upjohn (Levee Sword) 53330

Infantry 1892 Pattern Victoria CP Porch 31873

Infantry 1895 Pattern Victoria JAP Manson 33305

Infantry 1895 Pattern Victoria TC Hincks 32989

Infantry 1895 Pattern Victoria WD Wright VC 33674

Infantry 1895 Pattern Indian Army Victoria RC Gilchrist 35129

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army Victoria DRG Oliver 37600

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army Edward VII JGL Ranking - Sandhurst, Anson Memorial Sword 39664

Infantry 1897 Pattern Edward VII HC Bridges 40840

Infantry 1897 Pattern Edward VII HL Skrine 41744

Infantry 1897 Pattern Edward VII GB Legard 42362

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V GP Legard - Northumberland Fusiliers Special Pattern 43937

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V RF Morkill 43268

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V EE Calthrop - Woolwich Sword of Honour 43099

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army George V JP Fullerton 44415

Infantry 1897 Pattern Victoria LE Charlton 36109

Infantry 1897 Pattern Victoria RET St John - Northumberland Fusiliers Special Pattern 37745

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Gordon - Sandhurst Prize Sword for Drill 43187

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Crawford - Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry 58935

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Laing - Sandhurst Prize Sword for History 60839

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army George V North - Sandhurst Prize Sword for 63344

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Wigham - Sandhurst Prize Sword for 59269

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Charlton 63480

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Harding 65048

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army George V JP Manson 62587

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army George V PB Manson 64962

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Nicholson 65218

Infantry 1897 Pattern Edward VIII Passy 65975

Infantry 1897 Pattern Edward VIII Bussell 66033

Infantry 1897 Pattern Edward VIII Ward 65702

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army Edward VIII (EIR) Hooper 65817

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army Edward VIII (EIR) Downie 65850

Royal Army Service Corps George V Anon 49032

Royal Army Service Corps George VI Horton 67777

Infantry 1897 Pattern Edward VII Briscoe - Royal Marine Light Infantry 41550

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Snow - Royal Marine Prize Sword 65556

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Everett - Woolwich Sword of Honour 41151

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army George V Fairlie - Sandhurst Prize Sword for High Aggregate 59556

Rifle Regiments George V St George - Gurkhas 42982

Rifle Regiments George V Nepean - Gurkhas 60035

Rifle Regiments Edward VIII (EIR) Christie - Gurkhas 65868

Rifle Regiments George V Consett - Kings Royal Rifle Corps 62428

Rifle Regiments George V Sweeny - Royal Ulster Rifles 66251

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Hill - Sandhurst Sword of Honour 63073

Infantry 1897 Pattern George VI Skewes-Cox 67829

Infantry 1897 Pattern George VI Van Der Gutch - Royal Northumberland Fusiliers Special Pattern 66256

Infantry 1897 Pattern George VI Barker 67566

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army George VI Snell - Gurkhas 68016

Infantry 1897 Pattern Elizabeth II Metcalfe - Sandhurst Prize Sword 80767

Mameluke George VI Fraser - Lord Lieutenants Sword 68020

Mameluke George V Hamilton - Moore - General Officers Sword 59234

Mameluke Victoria Weldon - ADC's Sword 33603

Honourable Artillery Company - Infantry Pattern George V Bluett 50357

Honourable Artillery Company - Artillery Pattern George VI Harrap 67805

Rifle Regiments Cameronians Special Pattern George V Drew 42803

Rifle Regiments George V Mackay - Kings Royal Rifle Corps 64371

Rifle Regiments George V Bourke - Kings Royal Rifle Corps 43853

Rifle Regiments George V Downes - Rifle Brigade 42120

Rifle Regiments George V Hastings - Rifle Brigade 66986

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army George V JHD Parkin 58253

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V JM Pyne - Sandhurst Prize Sword for Physical Training 61800

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V DK McLouglin - Royal Engineers 64857

Royal Navy Victoria RM Groves (Claymore Blade) 38657

Royal Navy Victoria HD Briggs 35190

Royal Navy Victoria HD Briggs - Midshipmans Naval Dirk unnumbered

Royal Navy George V EC Cordeaux 44404

Royal Navy George VI RH Hobart 64880

Royal Navy George V AR Mollison (in brown leather field service scabbard) 47320

Royal Engineers Special Pattern Brass Hilt Victoria JC MacGregor - Woolwich Sword of Honour 15729

Infantry 1874 Pattern Brass Gothic Hilt Victoria S Humphery - Sandhurst Prize Sword 22150

Infantry 1874 Pattern Brass Gothic Hilt Victoria J Penny - Indian Medical Service 30575

Infantry 1892 Pattern Brass Gothic Hilt Edward VII RP Bond - Royal Army Medical Corps 38782

RMS Titanic

Alyson Thomas — 19/12/2011 16:49:06

A marked difference?

EVER since the first decimal coins appeared, our hobby has lacked a certain something. Modern minting methods and quality control at the huge site in Llantrisant meant that the oddities and rarities that so many of us eagerly sought in our pre-decimal change became few and far between. Our currency became uniform, bland even and despite the Royal Mint�s attempts to introduce new designs, the excitement of finding a true rarity has almost disappeared. After all, even the most limited of the designs, be it on a 50p, �1 or �2 was being struck in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions and a little patience was enough to allow any collector of modern coinage to complete the set�or so we thought. There is no denying that the uniform, high quality coinage, all featuring one monarch, all featuring the correct obverse and reverse, meant that interest in coins amongst the �non-collector� began to wane; with no chance of finding anything different in his pocket the man in the street stopped checking his change and our hobby began to diminish somewhat, as there were fewer people checking their change for rarities so fewer people took their interest to the next level to become full blown numismatists. Those of us who did carry on found ourselves neglecting the post 1971 coins as we felt there was nothing worth looking out for. Then we found out about the 1983 2p and gradually things began to look up for modern coinage. The 1983 2p, for those who don�t know, is worth looking out for because there are a few out there worth far more than 2p. In 1982 the legend on the reverse of the �new coins� was changed from New Pence to whatever the denomination was: One Penny, Two Pence, Five Pence, etc. However, it seems that in 1983 some coins were minted for a promotional pack that used the pre-1982 reverse meaning that you had a 1983-dated coin with New Pence on it�today that rarity fetches �100s and it�s well worth checking your change for that one! Then back in 2009 the papers and internet were full of stories of the �dateless 20p��another reverse/obverse error that was fetching �100s but has settled down to round about �50. We also hear of the �inverted� die 2008 penny�where the obverse and reverse are �upside down� in relation to each other. No-one knows how many of those might be around but some collectors are prepared to pay serious money for the ones that do surface�again well worth keeping an eye open for. The latest rarities come from the 50p family�the Kew Gardens 50p has a mintage so low (10,000) that they are bound to command a premium when they do finally surface and in the last month or so we hear of a variety within the Olympic 50p programme that has been fetching large sums on-line. The �underwater swimmer� variety of the Aquatics 50p (where the water obscures the swimmer�s face�see �News and Views� this month) was issued in very limited numbers in the first packs and keen collectors are eagerly snapping them up�modern coins are interesting once again.

This being the case I wonder if there is something the Mint might be able to do to stimulate further interest in modern coins and from there our hobby in general? I know their remit isn�t actually to stimulate collecting and help our hobby, they are really just there to produce coin of the realm, but the numerous packs and precious metal coins they sell every year show that they have collectors� interests at heart too�this being the case I wonder if they might ever produce �limited edition� coins for circulation? I can�t see them putting an error out there on purpose�their pride in their quality control wouldn�t allow that�but maybe a limited number of coins with a special mint mark? A 1,000 of each mintage with the Royal Mint�s own crest somewhere would certainly get people looking wouldn�t it? I�m not suggesting they sell them separately, that would defeat the object, but what if they put them into circulation just like any other coin? It would certainly create an interest. But then again is that what we collectors want? Would we be interested in such a mint-marked coin? A �gimmick� such as that? Or are we only really interested in genuine rarities, the errors? The low mintages that come about because of demand rather than those artificially created? I can see some jumping at the chance of getting their hands on a �special mint-marked� �1, but others might shun such a blatant piece of rarity engineering. I think I�d probably look out for them, if only to sell on (as many others would I am sure). What would you do . . . ?

Birmingham on Sunday

Phil Mussell — 09/12/2011 12:11:00

It's the last Birmingham Coin Show of the year this Sunday (December11) and as it's being held in the larger room at the Motorcycle Museum (by the NEC) we are able to attend. We'll have all the favourites with us - the Medal, Coin and Banknote Yearbooks as well as the Krause Catalogues so why not come along and treat yourself for Christmas!

Undeclared Treasure

Phil Mussell — 02/12/2011 10:17:00

A metal detecting event in Essex discovered some amazing finds - dozens of Victorian and Edwardian Coins thought to be worth over £70,000 in total. Unfortunately only two of them were actually "declared" on the day and now the organisers of the event are appealing to those who took part to hand in the remaining finds...

For full details see the BBC's Website here

Desert Hero

Alyson Thomas — 29/11/2011 10:11:00

A medal conundrum

EARLY in November it was announced that at long last the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal has been approved for British servicemen to wear—bringing them on equal terms with their Australian and New Zealand counterparts. This follows a long battle by, and on behalf of, veterans who were originally denied the right to wear the Malaysian Government’s award, as a British medal (or rather in this case a clasp on a British medal) covering the campaign in Malaya/Malaysia 1957–66 already existed. This is, of course, the second successful campaign by veterans with regard to medals. The first, by those who were campaigning for a medal to cover the Suez crisis 1951–54, met with success in 2003 when it was announced that the Canal Zone clasp would be instituted for the GSM. Other campaigns, for a Bomber Command medal, an Arctic Convoy medal, a National Service medal, a National Defence medal and others, have either met with no success at all or very limited success in the form of an official badge, with the “commemorative” medal companies filling the void. The purpose of this comment is not to question the legitimacy of such campaigns nor to critique the reasoning behind them, or wonder where they might end, but rather to ask another question—one more directly related to collectors than veterans. The question is simply this: if more and more medals are awarded retrospectively, or introduced by foreign governments years after the campaign and then given permission by our own for wear, where does that leave the status of the groups already in our collections? Take, for example, the theoretical case of a John who joined the army, as part of his National Service, and who fought in the Canal Zone. When his National Service time is up he then decides to stay on in the Army and is posted to Malaya. John leaves the Army with only a single medal—the GSM with Malaya clasp—and sadly passes away in 1999. He has no next of kin and his medal now rests proudly in one of our collections. Then take the example of his comrade in arms, Bill; he too goes through National Service, he too sees action in Suez and then signs on for the regulars alongside John with whom he is posted to Malaya. He too leaves the army with one medal and he and John would proudly go on wearing that medal at parades and regimental functions for many years, happy with what they had, even though both felt aggrieved that their Canal Zone service wasn’t recognised. Bill, however, is still with us. He was awarded a Canal Zone clasp to sit alongside his Malaya clasp back in 2004 and got his PJM a year later. He wore that medal proudly alongside his two clasp GSM on Remembrance Day this year. Who knows, if he is around for a few more years he may well see an official National Service medal too. When Bill passes away his medals will also go to a collector as he has no immediate family and is happy for someone other than a museum to have his gongs. So, you have two collectors, each with the correct representation of the same service but the two groups are very different. Where once the collector who owns John’s medals knew he had his sole entitlement, now things are very different; now that solitary GSM with its lone clasp begins to look more like a broken group. It isn’t, of course, but who could blame a collector for viewing it as such when it is sitting next to Bill’s two clasp GSM and his PJM (and maybe that third National Service medal too). Where once John’s and Bill’s medals would have fetched exactly the same at auction, now Bill’s group will undoubtedly fetch more despite the two men having been involved in exactly the same actions at the same time. What then, for the owner of John’s medal? Does he go out and buy himself a Canal Zone clasp to fit to the GSM? He has no right to as he’s not John’s next of kin, but John was entitled. What about a PJM to add to the group? If John was still around he would perhaps have done it himself but he’s not, so is the collector right in making up the group that way? It is one thing to add a Jubilee medal or even a decoration that is missing from a group but which it is known the recipient once owned, but quite another to add medals/clasps which the original wearer of the medal would never have seen, and yet the temptation to do so is obvious. There is no immediate correlation between the example given and medals we are all familiar with (the 1914 Star and its related clasp is the nearest comparison to be made but doesn’t fit exactly), but I feel it is something we collectors need to consider for the future. If there are going to be a raft of retrospective awards, be they British or foreign, where then does that leave the groups we as collectors own but which do not contain these “new” medals? Are such groups, as awarded originally, going to be considered “broken”? If the groups with new medals added are considered more collectable than those without, does it matter who added those awards? Are those that contain the new medals perhaps only going to be considered legitimate if the latter awards were added, and worn, by the recipient themselves? What if the next of kin added them because they knew their relative would have wanted it as such? Are they any less legitimate because they are “second generation”? If they are considered OK, then what if a collector adds them? In the face of numerous medal campaigns, and thus potentially numerous new awards, these questions are ones we collectors should consider. Veterans of course will have no such concerns. They are only interested in what they see as justice, interested in winning their campaign—emphasising once again that whilst we may love this fascinating hobby, the medals we collect were not instituted with us collectors in mind but rather for the soldiers, sailors and air crew who were, and are, awarded them. We’d do well to remember that little fact more often.

Leeds (Wakefield) this Sunday

Phil Mussell — 23/11/2011 08:06:00

Yes once again we're heading north to Eddie Smith's excellent show at the Cedar Court, Wakefield (just off junction 39 of the M1) on Sunday November 27. We try to get to Eddie's show at least twice a year and this is our last chance in 2011 (there's no show in December) - it even means "splitting our forces" with half the team at the Medal Fair in Bristol and half in Wakefield - but that's OK, Eddie derserves or support for such an excellent show so we're happy to make teh trip north. See you all at Cedar Court on Sunday!

Impressive Hoard

Alyson Thomas — 22/11/2011 16:05:29

Worth noting

BACK in 2009 the Bank of England announced that the next design of the �50 note would feature the Engineers and business partners Matthew Boulton and James Watt. Following the introduction of the somewhat controversial �Adam Smith� �20 it was assumed that the new �50 would follow soon after. This was not to be and it wasn�t until October of this year that the notes were formally put into circulation. The choice of design is an interesting one�it is the first time two people have appeared on a British note as opposed to just one and of course Boulton is already famous in numismatic circles for his work with coins (having set up the Soho Mint). It is the second time engineers have featured (George Stephenson appeared on the �5) and alongside Faraday (�20) and Newton (�1) this means �science� has been far more represented than �arts� with only Dickens (�10) and Shakespeare (�20) representing writers and Elgar (�20) Music, I�ll leave it to you whether you consider Darwin (�10) to be a scientist or not (he�s considered a �naturalist� by the Bank of England) and whether Architecture (the Wren �50) is an art or a science�! Other fields have been represented on Bank of England notes of course: nursing and social reform have given us the only female figures to grace our notes so far (the Florence Nightingale �10 and the Elizabeth Fry �5) and politics/military history gave us the Duke of Wellington on the �5 back in the 1970s. The Bank themselves got a look in with Sir John Houblon, their first Governor, but he was little known outside banking/collector circles and I doubt whether many of the general public know who he is even today�even after 17 years gracing the �50!

The exact way the Bank choose their historical figures is not known although it is assumed it is done by committee. But what is certain is that they have a freely available list of those persons whose names have been suggested as worthy to appear on our notes (and as they reserve the right to remove names from that published list as they see fit one can only assume that these people have actually been considered) and that makes for some interesting reading. Many who feature are those who you might expect: Samuel Pepys, Geoffrey Chaucer, Francis Drake (although not Sir Walter Raleigh), Josiah Wedgwood (who, interestingly was Watt and Boulton�s backer and fellow member of the Lunar Society), Lord Nelson, Jane Austen, William Wordsworth, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Sir Alexander Fleming (even though he was a Scot and so like Smith would be a controversial choice to grace an English note) and Sir Winston Churchill, but others are less obvious. Included in the list are such �non-household� names as the writer and abolitionist Olaudah Equinao, wood engraver Thomas Bewick, economist David Ricardo, actor Ira Aldridge, professional rower and boat builder Harry Clasper and aviation pioneer George Caley (Cayley). Also found are a host of �celebrities� including the Beatles, David Beckham, Richard Branson, Robbie Williams and Jonny Wilkinson�even Sir Terry Wogan gets a look in.
Thankfully there is no listing for Katie Price at this stage. . . .

Looking at the list we can, perhaps, guess who will, or won�t be featured on our banknotes in the coming years. It is unlikely, in this �we�re all Europeans together now� era that Lord Nelson, vanquisher of the French and Spanish Navies at Trafalgar will be chosen, despite Wellington�s earlier appearance. Similarly Sir Winston Churchill may be passed over as indelicate, or at the very least politically divisive, and Sir Barnes Wallis, most famous for inventing the bouncing bombs of �Dambuster� fame stands no chance! Political considerations will probably also keep Sir Robert Peel, Lord Shaftesbury, Lord Townsend, Earl Mountbatten and Lord King from appearing, but even with party politics and all the back-stabbing surrounding that there is no reason why the first woman MP, Nancy Astor, shouldn�t be included. Indeed when you look at names such as Jane Austen, Elizabeth Browning, , Edith Cavell, Grace Darling, Emmeline Pankhurst, Beatrix Potter and Marie Stopes, you have to wonder why the relatively unknown Elizabeth Fry was chosen as only the second woman to appear on a note, and why more of the above haven�t appeared up until now. Some names clearly were included on the list to show that the Bank wasn�t entirely backward thinking, but I find it hard to envisage Sir Michael Parkinson or Sir Jimmy Saville gracing our currency and similarly cricketer Michael Vaughn might not make a short list. It is unlikely that Prince Philip, the late Queen Mother or Princess Diana will ever be featured, but others are obvious contenders. Artists such as Turner, Constable and Gainsborough cry out to have their image, and works, on a note; the daffodil design that would accompany a Wordsworth �10 would be delightful and the potential for a William Morris �5 is obvious. That all aside there are some people not on the list that I think should be: Agatha Christie perhaps? What about Lord Byron or Mary Shelley (perhaps alongside her husband?). Then there�s Captain Cook, Ernest Shackleton, William Blake, Lawrence of Arabia, Charlie Chaplin, J. R. R. Tolkien, David Livingstone, Leonard Cheshire, and a host of others. Most of those the Bank have listed will of course never appear on a note, at least not in our lifetimes and so those I�ve mentioned separately stand no chance. But think of it this way�that we are incredibly lucky to live in a country that has produced so many figures of historical importance that we have such a list to choose from. In today�s celebrity-obsessed society it is perhaps worth remembering that some of the people we admire, and who are worthy of gracing our currency, actually did something with their talents rather than just spend their time seeking more and more fame and money!

Yate on Sunday

Phil Mussell — 22/11/2011 13:57:00

Don't forget the Yate medal fair this Sunday (November 27) at the Leisure centre in Yate (Bristol) as always we'll be there ready for the 9.30am preview (10.30am main doors) with our usual selection of goodies - it's always worth a trip so we look forward to seeing you there.

Services Rendered Volume V - Yeomanry and Cavalry

Phil Mussell — 22/11/2011 11:15:00

The fifth voilume of this incredible series detailing the Silver War Badges of World War I is now available. This latest tome, priced at £20 again, covers all those badges awarded to members of the Cavalry and Yeomanry - it is available from our shop!

A big thank you

Phil Mussell — 21/11/2011 09:43:00

To all those who made the last Britannia Medal fair of the Year on Sunday November 20 such a success - we had a fantastic turn out of both dealers and collectors and I think everyone enjoyed themselves! The next one is scheduled for March 18 2012 - watch this space....!!

More medals stolen

Phil Mussell — 17/11/2011 14:58:00

Please be on the look out for medals stolen in a burglary on November 14 - the group comprises

MBE (Military)

Iraq Campaign Medal (Engraved Capt AP Nixon RE)

Afghanistan OSM (Engraved Mr AP Nixon)

NATO Bosnia Medal

Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (Engraved Mr AP Nixon)

Queens Jubilee Medal

Long Service and Good Conduct medal (Engraved 24588027 SSgt AP Nixon RE)

Any information to the MEDAL NEWS office please

The London Coin Fair

Phil Mussell — 14/11/2011 15:51:00

The last LCF of the year takes place this Saturday (November 19). All the main UK dealers will be there and of course your favourite coin magazine (that's us by the way) will be there too!

The show, which is held, as always at the Holiday Inn Bloomsbury (in Coram Street, just off Russell Square) opens at 9.30am and shuts at 5.00pm but get there in the morning if you want the real bargains!

Britannia time!

Phil Mussell — 14/11/2011 11:22:00

This Sunday sees the second and last Britannia Medal show of 2011 and as ever it promises to be quite an event! The show, held at the Victory Services Club, Seymour Street, London (just off Marble Arch) is always a popular one being the only purist medal fair in the country. Its starts at 9.30am and finishes at 2.00pm -standholders include:

Baldwins

Phil Burman

John Cannon

Mark Carter

Chelsea Military Antiques

Chris Dixon

DNW

David Empson

Bill Friar

Gordon's Medals

Great War Medals

Ian Laidler

Barry Hobbs (VJC Collectables)

Andrew Jukes (The Medal Centre)

Bob Lynes (Our heritage War Medals)

Peter Morris

Morton and Eden

David Nuwar

Derek Pheasant

Steve Sewell

Murray Shaw

Spink

Fred Walland

Steve Wheeler

Howard Williamson

and of course Token Publishing!

Pingat Jasa Malaysia

Phil Mussell — 04/11/2011 10:38:00

It seems that after 6 years of fighting by UK Veterans for the right to wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal victory is theirs. It was announced in the House of Lords on October 26 that as from November 11 all eligible UK veterans will be allowed to wear the Malaysia Governments decorations - see the December/January issue of MEDAL NEWS (on Sale November 30) for more details!

New �50 - at last

Phil Mussell — 02/11/2011 10:51:00

Back in 2009 we were able to preview the "new" £50 featuring Watt and Boulton. The banknote world was very excited about this new design, featuring as it did two of the greats of engineering (not to mention Boulton's contributions to numismatics with the creation of the Soho Mint), but then nothing happened. The new note never materialised and whilst we mentioned it again in the BANKNOTE YEARBOOK there was no definitive date for its launch. Well now we can report that it IS in circulation - the design is as expected using the familiar red colouring however it does feature a new signature - that of Chris Salmon who replaced Andrew Bailey as Chief Cashier of the Bank of England back in April. For more information take a look at the BBC's website

Aldershot Medal Fair on Sunday

Phil Mussell — 01/11/2011 11:53:00

Don't forget Mark Carter's final Aldershot of the Year this Sunday at the Prince's Hall, Prince's Way, Aldershot GU11 1NX

As with all of Mark's Fairs the "preview" starts at 9.30am with main entry at 10.30am - but don't be put off - "preview" is only £1 more than main admission so why not come along early...?

We'll be there - with the new YEARBOOK (amongst other things) so why not pop along and say hello?

Britsh Empire Medal revived

Phil Mussell — 01/11/2011 11:49:00

It seems that the British Empire Medal - scrapped by John Major during his 1993 Honours review - is to be reinstated. The award, which was supposed to be replaced by the MBE and awarded by the Monarch herself (as opposed to her representative, the Lord Lieutenant of the recipient's county), was often seen as a "working class" honour and as such was discontinued in Major's "classless" Honours system. For more details see the BBC's Website

11.11.11

Alyson Thomas — 01/11/2011 10:27:20

The Hollywood effect?

THIS month�s Market Scene shows that the South Africa Medal to Rorke�s Drift defender Lance-Sergeant John Key of the 2/24th Foot sold for a whopping �28,800. In Warwick & Warwick�s December sale there are two Isandhlwana casualty medals on offer and they too will undoubtedly fetch large sums (they are estimated at �6,000 for the 1/24th Foot example to Pte T. Goss and �5,000 for the example named to Driver T. Clarke of the Royal Artillery�but will probably go higher). Now such �Zulu� medals have always commanded a premium, just as medals to Light Brigade chargers have, or those posthumously awarded to casualties who were killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, but I have never really understood why. Admittedly the Rorke�s drift medal is something special�the sheer heroism of such a small garrison defending its position against vastly superior numbers (who were not �simple tribesmen armed with spears� as some politically correct sections of the media would have us believe, but rather were trained and feared warriors who did have access to guns, British ones as it happens . . .) should command a premium and the small numbers of medals awarded perhaps justifies their price. They don�t, after all, come up that often. However, in the case of Islandhlwana there were over 1,300 men killed at that battle so rarity is not the main reason for the price, and even with the Charge of the Light Brigade there were famously over 600 who rode, so again these medals can�t really be called scarce and do come up for sale with reasonable regularity. The prices paid for first day of the Somme casualties are also hugely out of line with the availability of such medals and with over 19,000 killed or dying of wounds they certainly can�t be seen as rare.

So why do all these medals still command such a premium? You will note, perhaps that the three cases I have highlighted are actually all considered military blunders. The defeat in 1879 probably occurred because the British Forces were split and certainly weren�t expecting the Zulu attack to come from where and when it did; the Charge at Balaklava is well documented as a military foul up and the First Day of the Somme cannot be considered by any to be anything other than a disaster for Britain and her allies. Is it because they were failures that they hold such a place in the heart of the medal collector? That hardly seems logical does it? After all, we collect gallantry medals too and they are the very epitome of military success and heroism and it seems unlikely that we would also want to celebrate apparent failure in the same way. But it seems we can�t get enough medals awarded to those who weren�t on the winning side in a particular battle. Gallipoli casualties are a good example�the whole Dardanelles campaign ultimately failed, yet medals to men who landed on the peninsular fetch much more at auction than medals to men of units that didn�t. Operation Market Garden is another case in point�medals awarded to men who fought in the famous campaign that went a �Bridge too far� also seem to far outstrip similar North West Europe medals, with the exception perhaps of D-Day itself which certainly command higher premiums than medals awarded to men in other theatres.

Now I�m not suggesting that such premiums aren�t warranted�the market has found its own level on such things and who am I to argue? But it does puzzle me as to why that level has been found. Why, for example, do Heavy Brigade chargers, although eagerly sought after and collected, not fetch quite as much as those awarded to their Light Brigade counterparts? Surely medals awarded to those who took part in a successful charge should be more highly prized than those whose charge was less than successful, but apparently not. Perhaps the reason for this apparent disparity can be seen in what I term the Hollywood factor. With the exception of the first day of the battle of the Somme, which has an attraction for collectors all its own, the battles/engagements that seem to attract the huge premiums are those that have, at some time or another been given the Hollywood treatment and are therefore more recognisable to the average collector. Zulu Dawn with Peter O�Toole, Burt Lancaster and a galaxy of stars; Zulu with Stanley Baker and Michael Caine; Gallipoli with Mel Gibson; The Charge of the Light Brigade with Trevor Howard, John Gielgud, et al.; A Bridge Too Far with Michael Caine (again), Sean Connery, Edward Fox, Gene Hackman and many others�all have been watched and watched again many times by us collectors as we were growing up and the stories (with all their Hollywood inaccuracies) are firmly entrenched in our memories. They are part of our past and treasured as such and maybe this is why medals to these battles command the prices they do. It would certainly explain why those given for heroic encounters not committed to celluloid (such as the Battle of Bois des Buttes and the stand of the 2nd Devons in 1918, when over 500 officers and men, nearly the entire battalion, were either killed or captured, but their stand allowed the French to regroup�an action for which the battalion was awarded the Croix de Guerre) only fetch a high price when contested by two collectors �in the know�. If this is the case and the Hollywood factor has distorted medal prices then at least I know how to increase the value of my collection should I need to: I just have to write a good screenplay and get it accepted. Does anyone know a good agent . . . ?

New Sovereign design unveiled

Alyson Thomas — 25/10/2011 11:22:07

The way forward?

EVERY year the numismatic �season� in the UK starts at the end of September/beginning of October with a series of auctions in the big London Houses (and outside the Capital) and the British Numismatic Trade Society�s (BNTA) �Coinex� show held in central London. For the last few years Coinex has taken place in the Millennium Hotel, Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, a few hundred yards from its former home at the Marriott Hotel. In the intervening years a couple of different venues were tried: Earl�s Court in West London and the Excel Centre in East London, but neither was deemed suitable so back to Mayfair the event went. This was very much in keeping with the image the BNTA wanted for their flagship show�they weren�t looking to create just another coin fair, they wanted it to be the cr�me de la cr�me of British coin bourses with dealers and visitors from across the globe attending. They have certainly succeeded with the event as it now stands with a large number of US and European dealers and auction houses taking tables alongside their British counterparts. Some of the biggest names in worldwide numismatics now have a presence at Coinex and it certainly cannot be considered just another coin fair!

Of course it isn�t just those who have a table that make a coin fair ordinary or not, but those who come through the door to buy from the dealers or indeed sell to them, and here Coinex is different too. Where most shows will either be free to get in or charge a modest few pounds entry, Coinex charges non-BNTA members a massive �50 to get in on the first day before 2.30pm (a �mere� �25 after that time)�the second day though is free for all. This is sending out a very strong message to collectors and dealers alike: you can come to our event, and come in for nothing, but if you want the pick of the best stock in the world then you have to pay for the privilege. When the pricing structure was first announced our �phone lines, email in boxes and mail bags were full of indignant collectors horrified at the entry fee and you can understand why, �50 is a hefty chunk of cash to fork out for the privilege of parting with even more cash when you�re inside the room. They couldn�t understand why the �ordinary� collectors was seemingly being ignored in favour of the high rollers and a few stated that they wouldn�t be going at all�even on the Saturday�and indeed the Friday of the show was noticeably quieter than in previous years, at least for us launching our COIN YEARBOOK. That said, the dealers we spoke to all seemed to have had an excellent day and it appears that those who did pay their �50 did so because they had every intention of spending more. There may have been less people walking the floor but it was a case of quality over quantity with most of those who had tables agreeing that the BNTA had probably made the right decision.

One of the dilemmas of coin shows has always been that it takes as long to chat to and serve someone buying a �10 coin as it does someone buying a �5,000 coin, but the rewards for the dealer are obviously vastly different. Most dealers would of course happily spend their time talking to as many people as possible who are spending �5,000 or more and, whilst none would turn away someone spending just �10, you can see why they might be keener to attract the former rather than the latter. Every dealer we know will just as happily sell his low end items as the high end ones, but ultimately they have to make a living so the more high end items they sell the better�that�s business for you and cannot be denied. So when they know they are faced with a room full of the people likely to go high-end who can blame them for being delighted? Unfortunately, not all collectors fall into the �high end� category and so, rightly or wrongly, they do feel excluded from Coinex, the free Saturday notwithstanding, and that has ruffled a few feathers in the hobby. A number of people we expected to see at the show simply weren�t there, having decided they didn�t agree with the BNTA�s pricing decision, and others have told us that they won�t attend again�they feel the event has become too exclusive and it isn�t, therefore, for them. It is a shame that collectors feel that way, although it is understandable. However, I ask this question: is it really so wrong to have an �exclusive� show once a year? Is it really a bad thing to have an event where the international dealers can spend a lot of money coming over to London in the knowledge that the people they meet, at least on the first day, will be serious buyers with serious money? There are, after all, dozens of inclusive coin shows up and down the country every year�not least the London Coin Fair in Bloomsbury�that are inclusive and open to everyone, so what harm is there in holding one that�s a little different? Coinex has always been a little different, has always wanted to be seen as the premier UK event and perhaps this pricing policy is the way forward. After all, the fact that the Saturday was free means that it isn�t being elitist, just selective on day one. Is such a selectivity the way forward for this event? The dealers we spoke to would perhaps say yes, but what, I wonder, do the collectors think? We would be delighted if you would tell us.

New date for Morton and Eden

Phil Mussell — 19/10/2011 16:14:00

The next Morton and Eden medal sale will take place on thursday December 1 and NOT November 29 as previously advertised! For further details contact James Morton on 0207 4935144

George Medal Missing

Phil Mussell — 12/10/2011 10:44:00

Between Sunday 1 October and Monday 3 October 2011, a George Medal awarded to W.H. Daysh for ARP services in the Second World War was stolen from the D-Day Museum in Portsmouth. Also stolen was a circular enamel badge from the 1936 Berlin Olympics (about 3cm diameter, off white in colour with the Olympic logo and German eagle on it).

Any information relating to this theft would be gratefully received. Please contact either Andrew Whitmarsh at the D-Day Museum on 023 9282 7261, or Crimestoppers (crime ref. 44110420080).

El Cid

Alyson Thomas — 05/10/2011 16:22:05

A note of caution

LAST month�s comment regarding the recent burglary at the house of a member of the Token Team has encouraged a number of you to write into us with your own experiences of this situation. Many of these letters and emails were rather enlightening and I thought I would make a note of them here in the hope that some good may come of what has been a rather nasty business (although the police did catch the people who broke into our staff member�s house, they were caught red-handed at the scene of another house breaking and asked for his, and a number of others in the area �to be taken into consideration��sadly the items stolen had long gone.). The most obvious thing that came out of all of your correspondence was the need to keep your collection a secret�this may seem obvious to most of us and we are unlikely to sit in a pub and boast about the latest Henry VI Noble we have acquired but equally it is very easy to be tempted to chat to your friends and colleagues about your hobby, the fact you visited a coin show at the weekend or found something particularly interesting with your metal detector etc. That�s all very well but who else is listening? Do you really want all and sundry knowing you collect coins? That�s one of the reasons we put carrier sheets over our magazines when they�re delivered to subscribers� doors each month! A little discretion may save a lot of heartache. The next piece of advice that came across was �keep your collection hidden��some of you may well have your coins on display in frames on your walls�nice for you to look at but very easy for others to spot and equally easy for a thief to cart off if he does break in. Of course, I�m not suggesting that everyone who comes into your house is a potential thief but equally you don�t know who those who come into your house to do some work, read the meter etc. may tell about what they�ve seen (in all innocence of course), or who they, in turn, will tell and so on. Again far better to be safe than sorry.

There were also a number of letters and queries regarding the valuation of collection�just what extent do you need to go to to ensure you�re fully covered? We can�t give insurance advice but in our own experience it seems that most insurance companies are prepared to take a self-valuation when it comes to covering relatively low value specialist collections�the book price (using our own COIN YEARBOOK or similar) will allow you to get a good idea of what your coins are worth and, unless you have any single items that are particularly valuable (usually over �2,000 but insurance companies do vary), that may well be all you need. But please do not take our word for it, always check with your insurer as to exactly what they require. Just be sure to update that valuation at least once a year�more if you have a high percentage of gold coins in yourcollection�otherwise you may find it impossible to replace your coins as the prices are way beyond what you insured them for. For higher value collections then it may well be worth your while getting a professional appraisal from a coin dealer or auctioneer, they will usually charge for this service�you�re using up their time and expertise after all�but will give you a formal written valuation that you can present to an insurance company should the need arise. At least then you won�t have to worry too much about having to prove ownership or value and it will cut out a lot of the hassle at what is already a traumatic time.

Actually the trauma of a burglary�and the consequent insurance claim was also the subject of a number of comments, calls and letters all saying the same thing�that the horrible experience of a burglary is never helped by having to fill in countless forms and proving to an insurance company that you did have what you say you did and that it was worth the amount you say. Many readers said that they felt that they were being treated like the criminal and that they felt aggrieved that an insurance company would take money quickly enough but make the insured jump through hoops when it came for them to pay out. Sadly the simple fact of the matter is there are millions of pounds worth of fraudulent claims every year and, were it not for the apparently suspicious nature of the insurers, our premiums would actually be far higher so no matter how difficult your insurer may seem to be being, remember there is a reason behind it. The good thing is the vastmajority of those who have written in actually had their claims settled in full�so even if there was some hassle at first it all came good in the end.

The moral of the story seems to be that if you have done all you can to prevent a burglary, if you have insured your collection properly and have done your best to prove you had what you say you had then you won�t actually encounter many problems. The trouble is, of course, many of us only think about all this when it�s too late and that has been the reason for my �Comment� in these past two months�to get you to think BEFORE it is too late. I hope I have succeeded and hope too that I can talk about happier things next month!

Whitehaven

Alyson Thomas — 05/10/2011 16:21:55

Collector�s dilemma

AS we all know, there are no finer feelings in a medal collector�s life than when he manages to pick up a medal that he has been searching for some time. It might be that the medal had appeared on the market before and had been missed (how often have you cursed yourself for not going that one bid higher or getting to the �phone that little bit quicker?), or it might be one never before spotted that fortuitously comes into view. Either way, managing to fill a hole in a collection is always satisfying and often we will go to great lengths to achieve it. Often those lengths will include buying a number of other, unwanted, medals in a �job lot� in order to secure the prize, or paying over the odds for a single medal as it comes with ephemera (uniforms, paperwork, even family medals). If we do find ourselves with �extras� on top of the prized medal we are left with a dilemma and it is that which I would like to talk about this month.
With the �job lot� scenario�where you find yourself buying five British War Medals just to secure the one with your surname on or seven Victory Medals just to reunite that one�your options are fairly straightforward: you can either keep the extra medals or, and this is far more likely, sell them on to fund your next purchase. After all, the chances are the medals only came together because the dealer or auction house from whom you bought them put them together and they probably have no connection to one another other than, perhaps, a geographic or regimental one. They certainly wouldn�t be construed as �belonging� to each other, so disposal is entirely up to you. But what about the case where a medal that you have been after for a while comes with another that IS linked to it in some way�perhaps the two medals or groups belonged to members of the same family: father and son perhaps, or brothers. What then is the best course of action? If both sets of medals fit into your theme you will, in all probability (and if you can afford it), want to keep both, even if the �extra� medals are something you have an example of already. But what if the �extras� don�t fit into your collection at all? For example, you collect South Africa 1877-79 medals and finally unearth one to a unit you�re missing only to find it comes with his brother�s Egypt and Khedive�s Star. Then what do you do? In an ideal world we would all, I�m sure, like to keep family groups together and family groups are lovely to behold, we all know that. But if we are collecting to a rigid theme (be it regiment, campaign or even rank) then a family oddment may well be an expensive luxury that doesn�t sit as well in our collection as we might think and let�s be honest we aren�t made of money and the sale of that Egypt pair may well offset the cost of the �Zulu� medal, or at the very least will help fund the next purchase; but are we really in a position to be able to do that?
We are, after all, only custodians of these medals. They are only ours temporarily and if they have been kept together for so long is it really fair of us to split them up? And if you decide it is only right and proper to keep related medals together, what about other items? What if the medals you want come with associated ephemera? Papers perhaps, or a uniform, maybe a swagger stick, a sword or some trench art. Again in an ideal world all of these items would stay together but perhaps if money isn�t an issue maybe space is�after all uniforms aren�t quite as easily stored as medals and our better halves may well have something to say about musty old khaki filling the house up! Ultimately none of us would ever condone the splitting of a group (even though the recipients themselves were often less worried about such actions), but sometimes we just don�t want, or can�t have, everything else that goes with the medals�what then should we do? Are we to pass on a group we�ve wanted for ages because of what comes with it? Should we lose the chance of owning something we would treasure because it really should be kept with things we wouldn�t? Or are we to split the items up, sending the uniform one way, the weapons another, whilst keeping the awards for ourselves? There is no easy answer and perhaps there is no right answer, each of us having to take individual cases as they are presented to us. Sadly we don�t live in an ideal world: money and space are tight and sacrifices do sometimes have to be made. I can�t pretend that isn�t a shame though, and I would very interested to hear what our readers think.

Stolen Medals

Phil Mussell — 04/10/2011 13:07:00

Two groups of medals have been stolen from luggage in Zurich airport on 23 Sept 2011.

1945 DFC, 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, War Medal and log book to 186297 Pilot Officer T. C. Shiel, RAF

1945 DFC, 1939-45 Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, France & Germany Star, Defence Medal, Australia Service Medal, War Medal and log book to 400217 Flying Officer G. M. Double, RAAF

The loss has been reported to Swiss Police but should anyone have any information regarding these groups please contact Richard Black, Chelsea Military Antiques, 7 Whitcomb Street, London, WC2H 7HA 020 7352 0308

Coinex next week

Phil Mussell — 23/09/2011 12:58:00

Don't forget the BNTA's COINEX - the showcase event at the Millennium Hotel, Grosvenor Square Mayfair on Friday and Saturday! Friday is for the serious collector with a £50 entry fee in the morning but Saturday is free for all so why not come along and pick up a copy of the brand new COIN YEARBOOK!!!

OMRS on Sunday - the Yearbook is launched!!

Phil Mussell — 21/09/2011 15:56:00

Are you coming to the Orders and Medals Research Society Medal fair on Sunday September 25 at the British Medical Association Tavsitock Square? We'll be there as we launch our BRAND NEW MEDAL YEARBOOK 2012!!

The books were all delivered yesterday and look fantastic - all pre-ordered copies have now been sent out and the official launch is this weekend - don't miss it!

Krause on CD

Phil Mussell — 08/09/2011 14:36:00

A few years back the Krause catalogues came with some very useful CDs containing Pdfs of the whole book - then suddenly they disappeared - the later versions of the acclaimed volumes no longer had a CD included - much to the chagrin of collectors and dealers who had found the easily searchable - and portable format a real boon. Well now those useful little disks are back - and whilst they aren't included with a catalogue any more you can buy them separately. We have the modern issues world paper money, world coins 1901-2000 and 2001-date in stock so if you're fed up with having to trawl through the massive catalogues themselves now is your chance to downsize! See our shop for further details!

Gallipoli

Alyson Thomas — 07/09/2011 11:28:57

Safety First

THOSE of you who read COIN NEWS as well as this magazine will already know the subject about which I am writing this month, but I make no apologies for the similar �Comments� as I truly believe this to be extremely important. The catalyst for this Editorial came a few weeks ago when one of the Token team was burgled. He was out during the day and believed his house to be completely secure, but somehow the thieves got in, in broad daylight. They went through every drawer in the place and stole thousands of pounds worth of cash, laptops, watches, cameras, etc., but he was lucky. He had an extensive medal collection in the house and whilst the burglars rifled through the cabinet they stole none of them. It transpires they may well be heroin addicts (the police have now caught a couple breaking into another house in the same area in the same way, although his property is long gone) and only looking for items they could fence quickly and medals obviously weren�t on their hit list. Now, whilst the trauma of having your house broken into is bad, and knowing that someone has been rifling through your personal possessions is a horrible feeling, the fact is it could have been so much worse. That wonderful collection that he has spent almost a decade accumulating could even now be broken up, melted down even and certainly lost for ever.

This warning shot has made him re-look at his security, get an alarm, take his medals to the bank and generally be far more aware of what potentially could happen. Not only that, but what the insurance company is insisting on has also made him realise he has to be far more diligent with his record keeping. Essentially the insurance company are asking to see receipts or some proof of ownership of the items stolen. In some cases he is able to provide these, but in most not�after all, who keeps a receipt from a watch that is six years old, or a laptop that is out of warranty? Very few of us would bother to keep such things. We have the goods, they work, they�ve been paid for and every now and then we de-clutter, getting rid of their boxes and receipts pertaining to them; apparently we aren�t meant to do this �just in case� some low life decides to divest us of our worldly goods. Now, in the future he will of course keep such receipts, he�s learning the hard way. But how much worse would it have been if his medals had been stolen? Like most of us collectors he buys at auction (for which he will have proof of purchase if he�s remembered to keep it) or on line (again a proof of the transaction will be available somewhere) or at a medal fair/boot sale/antiques fair and for those transactions you can bet your life he has few proofs of purchase�after all, why would he? He has the goods and they aren�t likely to go wrong so a receipt isn�t usually required!

This then got me thinking about how he would stand in the event of an insurance claim where his medals had gone missing, and the answer is �not in a strong position��the insurance company would need him to prove he had what he says he had and for him, and most of us, that would not be very easy. The insurance company aren�t being unreasonable�they can�t pay out any and every claim without checking because we all know fraud does go on. But how do you actually go about proving the existence, or value, of a collection such as the ones we all have? Certainly he has a written record, but that�s something he wrote himself and so no proof at all in the eyes of the insurers. Apart from that what else could be done? Well, it seems that in this day and age you have to have as much proof as is humanly possible in order to satisfy insurers and so I�d like to make a few suggestions�if any readers have further ideas then please do get in touch.

Firstly, check your medals are covered in your policy�if not then take steps to insure them separately. Then, if you can, photograph your collection, both as a collection as a whole in trays, cabinets, etc., and then as individual pieces (try to do that in situ so that the insurer knows that these were actually your items and not photos from a dealers table at a fair!). Of course, this does pose a problem in terms of valuation as we all know a trio to a July 1, 1916 casualty will be worth far more than a trio to a Private in the Army Service Corps who survived the war, so if you can do your absolute best to take photographs of the naming too�never an easy task but certainly one that�s worth it if you can. Once you have taken those photos don�t leave them on the SD card in the camera or on your laptop as cameras and laptops are likely to go missing too if you get burgled. Back them up on a disk and keep that in a safe place. Also try to log every transaction. If you don�t get a receipt at least make a note of when and where you buy things. Bona fide dealers keep records too and will be able to confirm to an insurer that you did indeed purchase what you said you did. Apart from that there isn�t much more you can do except make things as difficult for a thief as possible. Consider taking your collection to a bank (if they�ll still accept them�many don�t). Think about an alarm system or maybe a safe, failing that get a lockable cabinet/strong box (most burglars are looking for easily portable items and will happily stuff a few items in a holdall quickly but won�t bother to spend time breaking into a cabinet or locked box). Ensure every window and door is as secure as it can be and, if they aren�t in a bank or safe, make sure your medals are as well hidden, or as well disguised as possible (many insurance companies won�t insure collections proudly displayed on walls�check your policy on that one). Of course, if a burglar is determined to get in to your house he will. Your job is to make it as difficult as possible for him to do so, offer him as little to steal as possible and to make it as easy as possible for you to get the value of your collection back if he does. Now, I do realise that many of you will read this and ignore it. You don�t want to hide your collections away, don�t want to take down the wonderful displays and don�t want to have to bow to the type of person who might break into your house� that is your prerogative, but if that is the case then try and get as much advice on home security as you can. You may never think it will happen to you but it can, and it does . . . often when you least expect it. Not a particularly happy subject for my usual �Comment� I know, but maybe one that will save you a lot of heartache and a lot of money.

Martini Henry Notebook - back in stock

Phil Mussell — 06/09/2011 11:27:00

The truly excellent "Martini-Henry Notebook" - the story of the legendary Martini Henry rifle has just been reprinted in very limited quantities. We have just a few in stock and already they are selling well!

Don't miss out this time - order your copy from our shop today.

Ancient Roots

Phil Mussell — 02/09/2011 13:20:51

Staying safe

I MAKE no apologies this month for writing broadly similar �Comments� in both COIN NEWS and MEDAL NEWS and I hope those of you who buy both magazines (and there are a number of you out there) will forgive me and, as you read on, I hope you will agree that the subject is worthy of covering in both magazines as it is of relevance to us all.

The catalyst for this Editorial came a fortnight ago when the home of one of the Token team was burgled. He was out during the day and believed his house to be secure but somehow the thieves got in. They went through every drawer in the place and stole thousands of pounds worth of cash, laptops, watches, cameras, etc., but he was also lucky. He had an extensive medal collection in the house and whilst the burglars rifled through the cabinet they stole none of them. It transpires they were heroin addicts (the police have now caught them although his property is long gone) and only looking for items they could fence quickly and medals obviously weren�t on their hit list. Now whilst the trauma of having your house broken into is bad, and knowing that someone has been rifling through your personal possessions is a horrible feeling, the fact is it could have been so, so much worse. That wonderful collection that he had spent almost a decade accumulating could even now be broken up, melted down even and certainly lost forever. This warning shot has made him re-look at his security, get an alarm, take his medals to the bank and generally be far more aware of what potentially could happen. Not only that, but what the insurance company is insisting on has also made him realise he has to be far more diligent with his record keeping.

Essentially, the insurance company are insisting on seeing receipts or some proof of ownership of all the items stolen � in some cases he is able to provide these but in most not, after all who keeps a receipt from a watch that�s six years old, or a laptop that is out of warranty? Very few of us would bother to keep such things. We have the goods, they work, they�ve been paid for and every now and then we de-clutter, getting rid of their boxes and receipts pertaining to them. Apparently we aren�t meant to do this �just in case� some low life decides to divest us of our worldly goods. Now, in the future he will of course keep such receipts, he�s learning the hard way, but how much worse would it have been if his medals had been stolen? Like most of us collectors he buys at auction (for which he will have proof of purchase) or on-line (again a proof of the transaction will be available somewhere) or at a medal fair/boot sale/antiques fair�for those transactions you can bet your life he has few proofs of purchase, after all why would he? He has the goods and they aren�t likely to go wrong!

This experience then got me thinking about how he would stand in the event of an insurance claim where his medals had gone missing�and the answer is �not in a strong position�. The insurance company would need him to prove he had what he says he had and for him, and most of us, that would not be that easy. Now the insurance company aren�t being unreasonable�they can�t pay out any and every claim without checking because, as we all know, fraud does go on. But how do you actually go about proving the existence, or value, of a collection such as the ones we all have? Certainly he has a written record, but that�s something he wrote himself and so no proof at all in the eyes of the insurers. Apart from that, what else could be done? Well, it seems that in this day and age you have to have as much proof as is humanly possible in order to satisfy insurers and so I�d like to make a few suggestions but if any readers have further ones then please do get in touch. Firstly, check your coins are covered in your policy�if not then take steps to insure them separately. Then, if you can, photograph your collection, both as a collection as a whole (in trays, cabinets, etc.) and individual pieces (try to do that in situ so that the insurer knows that these were actually your items and not photos from a dealer�s table at a coin fair!). Once you have taken those photos don�t leave them on the SD card in the camera or on your laptop�cameras and laptops are likely to go missing too if you get burgled�so back them up on a disk and keep that in a safe place. Also, try to log every transaction, if you don�t get a receipt at least make a note of when and where you buy things. Bona fide dealers keep records too and will be able to confirm to an insurer that you did indeed purchase what you said you did. Apart from that there isn�t much more you can do except make things as difficult for a thief as possible. Consider taking your collection to a bank (if they�ll still accept them, many don�t). Think about an alarm or maybe a safe, failing that get a lockable cabinet/box (most burglars are looking for easily portable items: they will happily stuff a few coins in a holdall but won�t run the risk of being seen or caught with a coin cabinet or case). Ensure every window and door is a secure as it can be and, if they aren�t in a bank, make sure your coins are as well hidden, or as well disguised as possible. If a burglar is determined to get in to your house he will�your job is to make it as difficult as possible for him to do so, offer him as little to steal as possible and to make it as easy as possible for you to get the value of your collection back if he does. Not a particularly happy subject for my usual �Comment� I know, but maybe one that will save you a lot of heartache and a lot of money.

Gold chain

Carol — 01/09/2011 15:57:00

Scoin Shop continue their retail expansion with the opening of their third premises in Westfield, Stratford City, London on September 13. The company have seen an unprecedented demand for gold commemorative coins over recent months with the latest UK £5 for William & Catherine proving extremely popular world wide. The company is currently the only gold coin retail chain of shops in the world.

Arrest in stolen medals case

Phil Mussell — 31/08/2011 15:51:00

An employee of the New Zealand National Army museum has been arrested and charged with stealing over 800 medals (395 groups) from the museum over a period of seven years from 1995-2002. So far some 300 medals have been recovered but police are working with Keith John Davies in an attempt to recover more. For the full story see here

The new season

Phil Mussell — 25/08/2011 14:47:00

It's almost autumn and with it the new numismatic/medal season will get underway. We will, as ever be attending a large number of shows in the forthcoming months including:

Birmingham Motorcycle Museum on September 11

The OMRS at the BMA London on September 25

Coinex on September 30/October 1

Yate on October 2 and November 27

Stratford on October 31

Aldershot on November 6

The London Coin Fair on November 19

Britannia on November 20 (of course)

Wakefield On November 27

Watch this space for further details of these and the others we hope to get to!

Record Price for Aussie VC

Phil Mussell — 29/07/2011 13:41:00

The Medals of Ted Kenna fetched over $1million (Australian) at auction on Thursday (July 28) selling in Melbourne to an unidentified buyer. the group of ten which included one of only 20 VCs awarded to Australians during World War II was in the same sale as the medals to Captain Bligh (of the "Mutiny on the Bounty" fame). For more details see "The Australian website here

Plastic Fivers

Phil Mussell — 29/07/2011 13:35:00

News has reached us that the Bank of England has been in secret talks to print the £5 on polymer paper (as used in Canada, Australia and others) there is no official line on this story but the Australian based new site " The Age" reports that a bribery scandal at the company the Bank of England were planning to use to supply the "paper" has scuppered the whole deal. For More information see The Age

Record Price

Phil Mussell — 29/07/2011 12:09:06

Guide Lines

THE 2012 edition of the much acclaimed MEDAL YEARBOOK will be launched, as ever, at the OMRS convention in September (September 24�25 at the British Medical Association, London) and once again we hope it will be a book to treasure. We�ve added in as many of the new medals as we know about (the design for the Diamond Jubilee Medal being announced just in time�it would have been a shame not to be able to include it in the 2012 book) and, of course, all prices have been revised in line with the current market which, although not as manically buoyant as it was say five years ago, remains strong even in the face of the recent credit crunch and subsequent recession. The prices are the central point of the book, yes it is an exceptionally useful tome for reference and identification but the pricing is what makes it unique and every year we are asked how we price the YEARBOOK medals and what criteria we use when doing so.

To put it simply we enlist the help of a number of dealers/collectors associations when pricing medals and take an average of their prices, along with those on other selected dealers� lists and an average of those fetched at auction. That said, auction prices are notoriously difficult to factor in because a single sale where two bidders are fighting for a particular medal may skew the final figures and may not be a true reflection of market prices, so they have to be examined very carefully. This is particularly true with on-line auction prices where true market values often have no influence on the bidding. It is all very well to say something is worth what someone is prepared to pay for it but when you have the case of a British War Medal fetching over �100 because two people with the same surname are fighting over it and when the next one with the same surname comes up it fetches the standard price because person A already has one and so doesn�t need to bid against person B you will see why that adage doesn�t always ring true. All prices are based on the medals being awarded, unless otherwise stated, to an �ordinary� ranked recipient, e.g. a Private Soldier, in a �standard� line regiment (or equivalent), i.e. not one involved in a particular action for which the regiment is famous (for example, the Light Brigade at Balaclava, the 24th Foot at Isandlwana or the �Glorious Glosters� at Imjin River). That recipient will be male unless the medal is usually awarded to women (Suffragette Medal, various nursing medals, etc.) and will not be a casualty (wounded or killed). In other words the price quoted is a starting point, other factors will, as a rule, only increase the value of a medal. We don�t include different price points for different �grades� of medal as generally speaking condition doesn�t affect value overmuch. In this respect medals are utterly unlike many other collectables (particularly coins) where condition is everything and the price of an �EF� example can be many times that of one in average condition. Yes, it is true that a particularly worn or battered medal may fetch less than a shinier counterpart (particularly if the naming is damaged or illegible in places) but that isn�t always the case, indeed some collectors actively welcome polished or worn medals as they show they were worn with pride by the recipient themselves�all adding to the story.

We are sometimes asked why we don�t value groups in the same way as �singles��we do value the more commonly found groups�such as the World War I Trio�but to go further would be to open up a can of worms (we would inevitably omit some that collectors considered �common� whilst including others considered rare) and, with the vast permutations available, it would prove nigh on impossible to include everything.

Valuing medals can never be an exact science�the rank of the recipient, their regiment, squadron or ship, the actions they were involved in, what other medals they may have, or may not have, their gender, their age, their service record, their home town, their place of birth or of death all can have a marked effect on a medal�s price and to draw up a definitive list of exactly what something should be worth would be impossible, and slightly pointless. The only true value of a medal or group is in what you as a collector are prepared to pay for it, and having done so whether you are happy with the deal. If you find a group to a recipient who shares your surname, fought with your old regiment and once lived in your village then to you its value will probably be many times what the book says�but you will, I�m sure be very happy to own it. Always remember�what something costs you and what its true value is can often be very different things. Our MEDAL YEARBOOK is a guide, a useful one I hope but a guide nonetheless, the true worth of your collection can only ever really be known to you. You collect for your own reasons and base your purchases, and the price you�re prepared to pay for them, on your own criteria�that�s one of the very reasons this hobby is so fascinating and so diverse. And one of the main reasons I love being a collector!

Elephant coins

Phil Mussell — 20/07/2011 14:01:50

Whatever next?

THE recent sale at Bonhams of Alderney�s one off gold �John Lennon� coin for �60,000 (see news and views page 10) had echoes of a similar sale at Stacks-Bowers of an Australian $30,000 gold 10 kilo coin (see COIN NEWS, May 2011) and indeed other sales before that, where coins with mintages in single figures fetch way beyond their precious metal spot price, with results in the tens if not hundreds of thousands of pounds/dollars. The fact that the Lennon coin sold well above its lowly estimate of �2,000 should come as no surprise to most, if only because of the ever-popular Beatle�s connection and the fact the proceeds of the sale were going to charity (the coin had originally been given to Yoko Ono who then donated it for sale to help the Alder Hey Children�s Hospital�s �Imagine� Appeal). But even with these factors taken into account, �60,000 is a huge sum and COIN NEWS contributor Michael Alexander of the London Banknote and Monetary Research Centre and Bonhams auctioneers are to be congratulated on promoting the sale so well. However, the question we are left asking is what, if any, relevance such a sale, indeed such a coin, has on our hobby at large.

There have always been limited edition coins of course. The Royal Mint regularly produce small numbers of precious metal versions of circulating coins and these prove ever popular with collectors who are happy to pay a premium over the spot price to get the latest issues. But such coins are not so expensive that the actual price of them bears no resemblance to the price of the precious metal therein and purchasers always know that should all else fail their acquisitions can always be sold for scrap and they will get a good percentage of their money back. With coins that fetch many, many times their melt value, the purchaser has to rely on a secondary market should they ever wish to sell their coin on and I am left wondering whether such a secondary market actually exists. Of course, it could be argued that the rarity of the coin: the fact that only a very, very limited number exist (usually less than five, often as with the Lennon coin, just one), will in itself be enough to create that secondary market, with certain wealthy individuals always prepared to shell out for unique items to add to their collections. But if this is the case, then what is to stop the mints across the world from producing countless �one-offs�� unique gold or platinum coins to sell on for hundreds of thousands of pounds? Will such results as those at Bonhams and Stacks-Bowers make the mints look again at their issuing programmes and produce more and more such coins just to cater to a few wealthy individuals? You may think this far-fetched, but it is exactly what happened in the phone card market with issuers realising that collectors were eager for rarities, so they started making them to cater for the demand. Soon practically every phone card was a �limited edition� and the market soon collapsed. Those of you who visited the early Dublin shows at Kilmainham Hospital will remember the mania surrounding the phone card business there�visit the Dublin show now and you may find one or two cards around, but they will be selling for a few euros each, certainly not the hundreds (or Punt equivalent) they were a few years ago. Could such a thing happen in numismatics? It�s unlikely perhaps�after all,a large number of coin collectors are probably not interested in that particular market, with the rarities they seek being the small mintages from years gone by. With phone cards it was all a �new issues� market and so could be manipulated, coins aren�t like that but it is worth wondering whether the new issues side of the hobby could fall victim to the same problems. To a certain extent it is already happening, with far more �limited edition� coins being produced than ever before�you only have to look at the new Krause Standard Catalog of World Coins 2001�date to see the vast numbers of coins the worldwide mints produce. Few of them will never be seen in anyone�s pockets or purse but collectors still seem eager to buy such coins and as long as they are the mints will keep striking them. That, of course, brings us round to the second part of the question asked above: what relevance the Lennon coin itself has to the hobby? Yes, it is a coin, it was struck by the Royal Mint, it has a denomination, it�s a proper �coin� as opposed to a medal. But can it really be considered in the same light as a Gothic florin or Shield reverse sovereign? Can it even be considered in the same light as any of the standard �new issues�? Isn�t it rather a golden gimmick�a memento in metal that in effect is a �thank you� for a �60,000 donation to charity? There will be those who argue that is exactly what it is, and the fact that it appeared in the Bonhams Entertainment sale rather than their numismatic auction rather seems to back that idea up. Others, of course, will argue that it is a bona fide coin and should be seen as such, the fact that it is a new issue and a one-off being irrelevant. Both views carry weight and both will have their supporters, but personally I�m just happy to see numismatics in the news and once again happy to be part of a hobby that is so diverse that we really don�t know what�s coming next!

All change at Bushey -AGAIN

Phil Mussell — 19/07/2011 14:15:00

The date of the next Bushey Coin Auction is now Thursday September 15 not Saturday August 27 - the venue has also been changed to Bushey Golf and Country Club not Watford Football Club! For further details see their website

Paul Dawson - update

Phil Mussell — 19/07/2011 11:36:00

According to various people we saw at the York Fair Paul Dawson (of Spink York) is, thankfully, on the mend following the dreadful car crash back in June. He's still in hospital in Nottingham and will have to undergo further medical procedures but he is getting better!

We wish him all the very best

Gold Still Climbing

Phil Mussell — 19/07/2011 11:32:00

With uncertainty still surrounding the global financial markets Gold (and silver) continue their upward trend with the yellow metal reaching over $1600 on Tuesday July 19. For the full story see the BBC website

An amazing Charity auction

Phil Mussell — 14/07/2011 11:12:00

An incredible 30,000 coins, all minted in the auspicious numismatic year of 1933 (think 33 penny, 33 double eagle...) are being auctioned off on eBay by their owner Jim Jacobs who has been collecting for most of his life. Jim, who was born in 1933 reckons that his collection represents some 1/700th of all the coins minted that year, a year that saw the US's lowest mintage figures for decades.

The auction, which goes live on July 20, will comprise 28,0000 lincoln cents and 2,000 Walking Liberty Half Dollars with a starting bid of $200,000.

The proceeds of the sale will go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis

York - again!

Phil Mussell — 10/07/2011 09:47:00

I can't quite believe it but the York Coin and Medal fair is almost upon us once again (and swith it summer is almost over).

This Friday and Saturday will see the Knavesmire Stand at York Racecourse play host to a large number of dealers all of whom are guaranteed to carry some fantastic stock!

The fair starts at 11.00am on Friday (July 15) and 10.00am on Saturday and, as always, entrance is completely free!

We'll be there of course, it's a long way from Devon to York but if we can make it we're sure you can too!

Want something specific?

Phil Mussell — 30/06/2011 14:40:00

Whilst we try to bring a good selection of products to all the fairs we attend we simply can't carry everything; so if there is something specific you'd like bringing to a show then please give us a call on 01404 44166 and we'll make sure we pack it for you!

Beatlemania

Phil Mussell — 30/06/2011 14:38:00

BONHAMS Memorabilia sale on June 29 drew gasps of amazement and a round of applause when the unique John Lennon gold coin struck for Alderney as part of the Great Britons series sold for a staggering £60,000 (pre-sale estimate £2,000). Issued in 2010, the coin originally issued in both cupro-nickel and sterling silver, with a “one-off” 22 carat gold coin struck and presented to Yoko Ono Lennon who kindly then gave it to the Alder Hey “Imagine” appeal—the children’s hospital in Liverpool of whom Yoko is an ardent patron.

Stolen BEM

Phil Mussell — 29/06/2011 15:41:00

A British Empire Medal awarded to Richard Frank Barnes has recently been stolen from an address in Petersfield, Hants - if anyone has any information regarding this please contact

PC 24215 Richard Jones on 01962 875059 or richard.jones@hampshire.pnn.police.uk . Quoting crime reference: 44110258489.

York? Already?

Phil Mussell — 28/06/2011 11:07:00

Well not quite - but it won't be long before the second of the year's two York Coin and Medal fairs is upon us. This summer's event takes place on July 15 & 16 - again at the Knavesmire Stand, York Racecourse. Ever popular amongst dealers and collectors alike it is one not to miss - get those dates in your diaries now!

Diamond Jubilee Medal unveiled

Phil Mussell — 28/06/2011 10:55:00

The long awaited design of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal has been released. Sporting a "diamond" design on the reverse and a ribbon in keeping with other "Royal event" awards the medal, designed by Timothy Noad, will be awarded along similar lines to the QGJM - i.e. to those members of the uniformed services (armed forces, prison officers, police and other emergency service personnel etc.) who have served a full five years in uniform (and are still serving) on February 6 2012. It will also be awarded to VC and GC holders and members of the Royal Household.

Full details can be found on the Government's website

Stratford on Sunday!

Phil Mussell — 23/06/2011 11:53:00

Don't forget the Stratford Upon Avon Medal and Militaria show takes place this Sunday (June 26).

We love going to Stratford, the town is lovely and well worth a visit and Mark Carter's show, held at the Leisure centre right in the centre of town isn't too shabby either!

As with all of Mark's fairs "preview" for the early birds (all welcome, it just costs a little more) is from 9.30am with main entry at 10.30am. It's all over by 2.00/2.30pm so get there as soon as you can. We'll see you there

Peter Ireland

Phil Mussell — 20/06/2011 09:48:00

It is with great sadness that we learn of the death, after a short illness, of coin dealer Peter Ireland of Blackpool. Peter was a founder member of the BNTA and has been a stalwart of the numismatic world for many many years. Our condolences and thoughts go out to his family.

Unbroken Tradition

Phil Mussell — 17/06/2011 12:00:10

Fair chance

THE London Coin Fair at the beginning of June, held as ever in the Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury, was a great success�a large number of people eagerly queued in the foyer before the 9.30am opening and throughout the day a steady stream of visitors ensured that the event felt busy right through to the afternoon. As always COIN NEWS was there and as always it was great to see so many old friends�even if we had seen some of them only the week before at Eddie Smith�s excellent Leeds fair (a fair that goes from strength to strength and is now so over-subscribed that the only place we could fit in was outside the main room in the foyer�and glad we were to get that spot too!). Both shows were, of course, business. We were there to do a job: to sell books and subscriptions and generally �fly the flag�, but at the same time it was good to catch up on the news, both coin-related and personal, from people we have known for years. Such events are always a pleasant mix of business and pleasure and as one collector who spoke to us in London pointed out, many of the people who come to the fairs treat them as much as social occasions as �hobby� related ones. Now that�s all very well, and it really is great to see so many familiar faces at these fairs but I couldn�t help thinking that too often it is ONLY the familiar faces coming through the door and that, having been doing the shows for more years than I care to think about, I can actually more or less guarantee exactly who I�ll see at which event.

Don�t get me wrong, it really is great to see people and catch up; being based down in Devon we can sometimes feel a little out of the loop and the fairs are a great way to stay in touch, but seeing the same people from week to week does mean that we, and every other dealer who �stalls out�, has to try to keep their stock reasonably fresh. That�s obviously quite difficult for us as there are only so many numismatic books available. But it is difficult for the coin and banknote dealers too�seeing the same people all the time means they have to turn stock over quickly. If they don�t those same people quickly tire of seeing the same old same coins and in due course they�ll not bother visiting that dealer�s table at all. But the simple fact is that there isn�t that much material around and as a consequence dealers will buy and sell to each other just to keep things �going round� and keep the customers coming back.

If there isn�t that much ready stock to be found then the obvious answer is to try to sell the coins that are around to more people: get a new set of customers through the door. But that in itself is as problematic as finding new items to sell to the old customers. The challenge is, of course, how does an organiser get out to new people whilst at the same time maintaining the safety and security of the show (there are, after all, hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds worth of material on the tables at some of these events) and without filling the place with well-meaning members of the public keen to ask questions about the 20p without a date or the �2 coin with the Queen wearing a necklace but not so keen to actually buy anything? I remember talking to a dealer once who stated that he would far rather �ordinary� members of the public (i.e. non-numismatists) didn�t come to shows at all�he wanted only serious buyers prepared to spend serious money. Of course he did, he was there to make his living�but if everyone thought like that we�d end up in an exclusive little club with dealers only selling to a select few and to each other and whilst that might be great for some it isn�t really going to help the hobby long term. Conversely, advertising a show indiscriminately may well attract new people but they may well be exactly the sort of people not wanted: the kind of people that cost the dealers money either through theft or wasted time. What then is the answer to this quandary? How can an organiser attract new people who are both interested in coins and willing to spend money at a dealers table? The answer is simple: we sell 10,000 copies of COIN NEWS every month and we estimate that it�s read by three times that number or more and yet the same 500�1,000 people are the ones we see at the coin shows week in week out. Now, taking into account that some of our readers are overseas and therefore won�t come to a UK show (although many do, as the London Coin Fair demonstrated) and others are unable to travel, but I still estimate that there are over 20,000 coin collectors who could easily get to a fair�they simply choose not to. Therefore I would like to put out an appeal to all of you out there who have never been to a show in your lives: look at the calendar in the back of COIN NEWS every month, check our website and find out where we are going to be and then make an effort to come along and say �Hello�. We love seeing the familiar faces at these events and really enjoy catching up with the news We love greeting old friends every week, but we�d also like to make some new ones from time to time�and that�s where you come in. See you at the next fair!

Afghanistan Medal for Civilians

Phil Mussell — 10/06/2011 13:28:00

A new medal has been announced for those civilians serving in Afghanistan. Similar in intent to the Iraq Reconstruction service Medal (MYB 204C) this new award recognises service by civilians and others involved in the transition to democracy in Afghanistan. It will be awarded to all those who have completed 30 days continuous service in Afghanistan since November 19 2001(or 45 days of service on working visits within Afghanistan aggregated over a period of one calendar year, provided that the visits are for a minimum of 48 hours each.) The grant of a British honour, decoration or medal (other than the Operational Service Medal Afghanistan and the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal) for services on operations during the qualifying period not amounting to the qualifying criteria specified above, will also qualify the recipient for an award. As is common if qualifying service is brought to an end before completion of the specified qualifying period on account of death, capture, wounding or other disability due to service in Afghanistan, then the award will be given. For more details see MEDAL NEWS August

Paul Dawson

Phil Mussell — 05/06/2011 13:34:00

Many of you will know Paul, formerly of B J Dawson Coins and now of Spink (he runs the York Shop in the Shambles in York). On Thursday evening he and his girlfriend Heather Hardcastle were involved in an accident with a lorry on the M1 in Nottinghamshire. Both were taken to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham where Heather, tragically, later died.

Paul is currently in intensive care having undergone a long operation on his head injuries. Our thoughts go out to his and Heather's families and we know you'll join with us in hoping Paul makes a full and speedy recovery. We'll let you know more news as we get it.

Update 28/7/2011

As of today there has, to our knowledge been no change to Paul's condition. We will of course let you know of any developments

A fine tradition

Phil Mussell — 02/06/2011 14:33:00

A Corporal from the 1st Gurkha Rifles has been awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for his gallant defence of his post in Afghanistan. In the best traditions of Gurkha soldiering Cpl Dipprasad Pun manged to fight off over a dozen Taliban insurgents - even resorting to using his machine gun tripod when his ammunition ran out! For full details see the BBC website

Medal Yearbook 2012

Phil Mussell — 02/06/2011 14:29:00

We're about to start work on the next edition of the acclaimed MEDAL YEARBOOK - which will be launched at the OMRS convention in September. If you have any corrections, additions or amendments now is the time to let us know - please email phil@tokenpublihing.com and we promise to look carefully at every comment sent in.

COIN YEARBOOK 2011 - another sell out!

Phil Mussell — 02/06/2011 14:23:00

Once again the COIN YEARBOOK has completely sold out! 12,000 yearbooks delivered to us in October have all gone and whilst our warehouse isn't empty (we sell an awful lot of other numismatic and medal related titles) there is definitely more space than there was!

The next edition - 2012 - will be launched at COINEX in October - we'll be taking pre-orders very soon so make sure you don't miss out next time

London Coin Fair June 4th

Phil Mussell — 02/06/2011 11:41:00

Don't forget the London Coin Fair this Saturday....!

As always this show is at the Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury, starting at 9.30am we will, of course, be there with our full range of books and magazines including the BRAND NEW Roman Coins and their Values IV and all the Krause titles...See you Saturday

Boney's Doctor

Alyson Thomas — 01/06/2011 09:19:33

Dangerous ground

WE REPORTED in the April issue of MEDAL NEWS that the Australian Government was planning to set up an inquiry to look at the issue of retrospective awards�particularly the Victoria Cross�for certain individuals. It appears that on April 16 an �independent Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal� was announced with a view to looking at �unresolved recognition for past acts of naval and military gallantry and valour�. Senator David Feeney, Australian Secretary for Defence has announced that 13 cases will be looked at and that he has �directed the Tribunal to make recommendations on the eligibility of the listed naval and military members to receive the Victoria Cross, the Victoria Cross for Australia or other forms of recognition for their service�. Now this is bound to become an emotive issue and one that is likely to polarise the medal hobby, the armed forces, historians and even the general public and if you thought the debate about the legitimacy of the Victoria Cross for Australia was heated, might I suggest �you ain�t heard nothing yet�.

My own opinion on this matter should be well known to readers�I am firmly against changing history and really do feel that once you start by opening a can of worms like this there simply is no going back and the whole thing gets quickly out of hand. It seems to me that over the past decade or so there has been a movement towards righting the perceived wrongs of the past�we have had Governments apologising for things that happened centuries ago, plans to pardon those who broke hard and fast rules and now, apparently, a fresh look at honours and awards for acts that took place decades ago. Now, of course, it may seem very noble to reward people for gallantry years after the act and it may seem honourable to apologise for making mistakes�but is it right? And is it necessary? Throughout history there have been countless examples of those in authority getting things wrong. Sometimes their mistakes are acknowledged at the time and sometimes it isn�t until decades later that their actions are perceived as incorrect. When such mistakes are noticed in time, when the wrong can be righted and the effect of the mistake negated, then I am all for ensuring that something is done. But when the mistake is one only noticed years later, with the benefit of hindsight and a different moral code, then I am not so sure that trying to �right the wrong� does anybody any real good at all. After all, who is to actually say a mistake has been made at all�yes, by today�s standards it might be seen as wrong, but that doesn�t automatically make it so in the context of the time it was actually made.

Plainly the act of apologising for certain foreign wars, etc,. is pointless�the government that apologises has no real connection with the government that went to war, and even if it did the fact remains that the war was perceived as correct at the time, by men who believed it to be justified. Today we might not agree with or even understand such justification, but that is irrelevant�we aren�t living their lives or in their era, so to judge their actions by our own morality is ridiculous. Similarly, to pardon those who we today see as victims rather than criminals is equally nonsensical; again we can�t put ourselves in the shoes of those who made such judgements a century ago, so why should we even try. This being the case, the same must be said when it comes to retrospective gallantry. Undoubtedly many men on the Australian list deserved medallic recognition and undoubtedly many others throughout history have been overlooked (Paddy Mayne, DSO and three bars but no VC comes to mind immediately) and there are probably hundreds of cases where medals, honours and decorations weren�t awarded when they perhaps should have been. Perhaps the awards weren�t made because of politics or maybe the individual was overlooked for personal reasons (rubbing your CO up the wrong way was always a good way of not getting a medal). But whatever the cause, the fact is that the awards were not made at the time and to try and gauge today whether they should have been or not is asking for trouble.

If this Tribunal does recommend 13 new VCs, where does such an inquiry stop? If any of the men on the list are posthumously given a medallic award of any kind what is to stop families or regiments from petitioning to have their man thus honoured�if not with a VC why not a DSO, MC, DCM or MM? To allow such retrospection now, to tinker with history and try to view it with the rosecoloured spectacles of today, can do no good. Yes, the families of the men so honoured will be justly proud; they will, undoubtedly, be pushing to have their loved one honoured in the highest possible way and I don�t want to take that away from them, But looking at the bigger picture I fear that if they are successful it could prove not only contentious but also very divisive�after all, if we are looking to retrospectively award then isn�t there the potential to retrospectively strip a man of a medal too? If governments are to start giving out new honours to men whose actions took place decades ago, then what is to stop them looking again at some awards that were made and deciding�in the spirit of the righting of wrongs�that actually, using the brand new moral compass of today, such and such an award was not justified and that it was made for political reasons only (or worse jingoistic, if not racist ones) and thus shouldn�t stand. Dodgy ground undoubtedly but ground that is already being trod with this Tribunal. I await the outcome of it with interest.

Don't forget Birmingham

Phil Mussell — 31/05/2011 19:46:00

The ever popular Midland Coin Fair at the Motorcycle Museum, just by the NEC is on this coming Sunday. The show is a regular one (every second Sunday of the month) but it's so popular that we can only get in quarterly when it moves to the larger Britannia Suite - that suite is available this weekend so we'll be there!

It starts at 9.30am on Sunday June 13 and we really hope you can make it!

Record breaker

Phil Mussell — 24/05/2011 09:48:40

Stretching the limits?

AT COIN NEWS we pride ourselves on being reasonably broad in our Editorial stance�yes, we have to cover the coins that fetch over �3 million at auction, to ignore them would be silly, but we also try to ensure that we include a range of stories, features and articles on items from across the numismatic spectrum. This month, however, there was one coin-related story that we feel is stretching the bounds a little too far. It seems that a coin has been issued on behalf of the British Virgin Islands, to commemorate the 475th anniversary of the death of Anne Boleyn . . . ! Now the mints have always been known for their diverse offerings and just about every other conceivable theme has been tried and many have proved extremely popular and have become part of numismatic folklore. However, I cannot help but think this is stretching the thematic genre just a tad. Collecting along a theme has always been popular, we know that; people who would never consider themselves �coin collectors� per se would happily buy coins featuring cats, cars, fairies, rabbits, Royals, sports, etc., etc., just because that is what they are �in to�. They are the people who have the flower fairy lampshades or the cat tea towels, the Beswick figures, the commemorative mugs and all the other paraphernalia of their chosen topic and whilst we will never see them at coin shows they are as every bit a legitimate collector as someone collecting a date series of shillings or a collector accumulating as many coins from the reigns of the adoptive Emperors as he can.

The �Royalty theme� which this new BVI coin is obviously designed to fit in is, clearly, a popular one too�Royal coins have always sold well and the sight of a million people lining the streets of London to be part of the recent Royal Wedding and the news that nearly two billion watched it on television, shows that the public�s appetite for all things Royal seems undiminished. But I do feel that when 475th anniversaries of deaths are commemorated, then the theme is being stretched a little thin. It isn�t only this issue of course: the Royal Mint celebrated the 100th anniversary of the end of the Victorian era back in 2001, the 450th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth I in 2008 and in 2009 came the 500th anniversary of the accession of her father Henry VIII! One could argue that perhaps 100, 450 and 500 are more significant milestones than 475, thus giving the Royal Mint coins slightly more weight (after all where do you stop? 455 years since this, 360 years since that, 211 years since the other), but that isn�t really the point. What is important is whether or not this is a road the coin producers should be going down at all. Don�t get me wrong, I really do believe thematics has a genuine place in this hobby and there will always be a steady stream of such coins coming from the mints of the world, but I do think that when the subjects start getting a little obscure, the links to the main theme a little tenuous and the anniversaries a little less obvious, then perhaps it is time to look again at what is being produced.

But then what do I know? The good people at the various mints aren�t stupid, they know their market and must believe such coins as these will sell, but I would still like to sound a note of caution. A theme can only be stretched so far. People only have so much money to spend and I do hope that we won�t start going down the route of the car manufacturers who, having run out of niches to fill, have started creating their own, with cars noone ever thought they�d want or need!

Every year is an anniversary of something or other and the marketing departments at the mints could, if they so wished, create a hundred coins every year for any theme they wanted: coins commemorating the start of this thing, the death of that person, the invention of that gizmo, the marriage of that couple and so on�and such coins would sell, just as these quirky new cars have. But just because something is possible doesn�t mean it should come to pass and I for one hope that, whilst we will continue to give you as much COIN NEWS as possible from across the spectrum, the spectrum itself doesn�t become too broad. �60th anniversary of the electric toothbrush� piedfort crown anyone?

Roman Coins Volume IV

Phil Mussell — 23/05/2011 10:18:00

It's been a while coming but it's here at last - the latest Volume in David Sears' wonderful ROMAN COINS AND THEIR VALUES series

This latest volume contains a comprehensive listing of the Roman coinage of the period AD 284-337 together with background information on the history of each reign. Featuring:

The Tetrarchies and the rise of the house of Constantine:

The collapse of Paganism and the triumph of Christianity,

Diocletian to Constantine I, AD 284-337

Order yours today - just click here

From Artillery to the RAF

Alyson Thomas — 12/05/2011 10:43:52

No easy answer

THIS month DNW have not one but two big collections going under the hammer with the Bill and Angela Strong collection and the Alan and Janet Woodliffe Collection of items related to the Sudan. Big �named� collections such as these have always been popular at auction (not just medal auctions either: they can be found across the collectables world) and you will often see past sales referenced in catalogue descriptions; however whenever I see them coming up I tend to find myself asking whether or not I would sell my medals that way were I to have the chance. Part of me loves the idea of the �Mussell� collection being sold all in one go, a lavish catalogue, the eager anticipation of the day, the congratulations (and maybe some commiserations) when lots soar way past estimate or perhaps fail to make reserve, the knowledge that in one hit my bank balance will swell and the pride when I see my name referenced in future catalogues. However, if I�m honest I think that�s more to do with my ego than the practicality of such a sale and, if I�m really honest, I have to accept that whilst I�m proud of my own acquisitions no auction house in the world is going to make a big song and dance about them. The forthcoming collections are stunning, they seem to have something for everybody and I am glad they are being sold as they are rather than being drip fed into the market piece by piece without us mere mortals getting the chance to see them in all their glory in one catalogue. My own humble collection could not command such attention and so, I fear the �Mussell� collection must remain a pipe dream. That, however, means that I have to think of some other way to dispose of my medals when the time comes, that�s assuming the time ever will come. And that leads neatly on to the �Comment� this month.

What will happen to our collections when we don�t collect anymore? Now, I don�t want to be morbid about this but there will come a time in all our lives when we look at the mass of metal and silk we have accumulated over the years and have to ask ourselves: what is to become of it all? I�m assuming here that the thoughts of selling are not forced�marriage breakups, ill health, sudden emergency expenses may well force our hand when it comes to disposing of our beloved collections and in those cases we may not get a choice as to how they are sold. No, in this instance I�m talking about the thoughts that come to us all in time: the realisation that we are mere custodians of these little pieces of history and that once our time as custodian is over, either because we really feel someone else ought to get the chance to appreciate them or because we recognise time is no longer on our side, we really do need to dispose of or disperse our collection properly. Of course many of you may well not be looking to get rid of your medals at all �deciding instead to leave them to your family, or perhaps you have decided to leave them to a museum. Both are good options but ask yourself these questions: does your family really want them? It�s your passion after all and if they don�t want to keep them, will they lose out by not knowing how to dispose of them properly? And does that Regimental museum who so often helped you with your research really want more medals? Most of us who are familiar with museums know that they are often overflowing with items that they simply will never get a chance to research or even display. So whilst they may well appreciate a few choice pieces, handing over an entire collection probably wouldn�t be that ideal. Assuming then that your family doesn�t share your passion and the museum of your choice gets one or two items, what happens to everything else? Money will, I am sure, be an issue�we have all spent a fair bit on our collections over the years and whilst I am sure very few of us have done it purely for profit, we don�t actually want to make a huge loss either. So what best to do? Well, if you have an eclectic mix, a collection that appeals across the board, with gallantry and campaign medals to officers and men (and indeed from different periods of history if you�re very lucky), then perhaps a one-off sale at one of the specialist auction houses would work. Who knows, if your collection is as awesome as the Strong and Woodliffe offerings you might even get your name on it�but if you have spent your time and money buying and researching maybe one or two battalions of one regiment in one conflict, then pushing them all onto the open market in one go probably wouldn�t be wise. A collection comprising a couple of hundred trios all to the same unit might look impressive, and indeed will have been a project to be proud of over the years and a worthy collection to work on, but if you try and dispose of them in one hit the chances are the price you achieve won�t be the price you paid. Selling them in one go to a dealer might work�he will obviously take his cut so you wouldn�t get full market value (he has to live you know), but he will be able to control the flow of them onto the open market and you won�t need to worry about prices dropping. You could try disposing of the collection piece by piece either to dealers, auction houses or on-line (or all three), but do remember there will always be commission or similar to pay. You could try to sell them to fellow collectors either on-line or through private adverts�you�ll get full market value for them but the hassle might not be worth it and it might take longer than you�d hoped. Realistically there is no easy answer. How you decide to dispose of your medals will depend on the type of collection you have and how quickly you want to realise the assets. What is right for you might not be right for another, so I can�t really give any concrete advice. All I will say is that if my daydreams over the �Mussell� collection are anything to go by, working out how things are going to leave your collection can be almost as much fun as working out how to get them there in the first place!

Arctic Controversy goes on

Phil Mussell — 26/04/2011 11:07:00

Whther you feel there is a place for an Arctic Convoy medal or not there is no denying that this emotive subject continues to make waves (if you'll excuse the pun) as this story from the Portsmouth News demonstrates

Martin Hewitt

Phil Mussell — 26/04/2011 10:47:00

It is with great sadness that we learn of the death, on Maundy Thursday, of Leicestershire dealer Martin Hewitt, stalwart of the "fair" scene and known to many after years in the trade. Martin was taken ill at the Harrogate show and admitted to hospital there, although he was later transferred back to Leicester he sadly never made it out of hospital.

His mother, who used to "stall out" with him at London, Birmingham, Harrogate et al predeceased him by only a few weeks. They will both be missed by collectors and dealers alike. We'll let you know more details as we have them.

The Royal Wedding

Alyson Thomas — 20/04/2011 12:05:17

Who are we�?

THIS month�s cover features the new Royal Wedding Crown, and within the pages of the magazine you will find an interview with the designer of that Crown, Mark Richards. For those of you who collect new issues such an interview will be of great interest�to those of you who aren�t seduced by the offerings of the Royal Mint or similar it probably won�t appeal that much. In fact for those of you who collect ancients, Celtic, Hammered or even early milled, the sparkle and glitz of the new issues market is probably something you have little time for and find that these new-fangled alloy pieces just aren�t for you, instead you prefer the purity of a numismatic item from history; you aren�t interested in a coin because it�s a little piece of metal used to buy something, you are interested in it because of its position in history. You�re a coin collector because coins are the most tangible evidence of an historical period that fascinates you and undoubtedly you surround yourselves with other items from that era too. Your home is a shrine to the Roman Republic, a tribute to the Celtic kings, a hallowed ground dedicated to the moneyers of the dark ages. Or maybe not. Undoubtedly some of you will have enhanced your collections with additional pieces from the era when your coins were minted, it is a period of history you will have an interest in and know something about and probably will have found a Roman lamp or Celtic amulet caught your eye at a fair or at auction and you can imagine that the person who used/wore it may very well have used some of the coins that now reside in your collection. But still more of you won�t have gone down that route, you will have coins, coins and more coins and nothing but. Not for you the wonderful antiquities you see at shows these days, you aren�t interested in anything other than the coins and that is fine but it does rather make me wonder just who we coin collectors are.

On the continent new issues are big business, they always have been, and the queues every year at the Dublin Coin Fair for the latest offering from the Irish Banks show that our cousins in the Emerald Isle have caught the new issue bug too. In the US the States quarters programme has caught the imagination of the public and has proved so popular it has been extended with a new programme covering National Parks and other areas. In the UK the new issues market has always been a little bit �different� from other areas of numismatics with many purists never dreaming of buying a modern coin or reading an article on one. Now that�s fine, if you�re a Roman or Greek collector, then a modern coin won�t sit well in your collection�any more than a collector of old photographic postcards would want a 2011 colour picture sitting in his album�but I have never quite understood the active dislike some seem to have for modern coinage or the aversion some people have with even acknowledging they are part of numismatics. If you are one of those collectors who collects �Roman� and has the lamp, the artefacts, the jewellery, the maps and everything and anything to do with Rome alongside his coins, then I can accept that modern crowns are going to be of no interest and you can gloss over the article on the Royal Wedding Crown with no censure from me whatsoever�Rome is your theme and coins are just part of it. However, if you are simply a collector of coins then may I suggest that you take a look at that article, and similar. Look a little bit more closely at other periods of history, other minting techniques and other types of coins because it is coins you are interested in and the new issues, regardless of whether you approve of them or not, are simply the successors to what you already own. New issues aren�t totally different products from the items that reside in your collections, they are simply different versions of them and really do deserve your attention, if not your devotion. Reading an article on how coins are minted now, how designs are worked on and rendered on today�s coinage may well give you a valuable insight into your own side of the hobby and you may well find it more rewarding than you ever thought possible. The reverse, of course is true too, maybe even more so. If you are a new issues collector determined only to look at the coins minted in your lifetime then I implore you to look further afield, don�t ignore everything pre-decimalisation, don�t turn your nose up at those coins made by hand rather than a machine. Reading up on hammered pennies, Celtic gold and Athenean owls might not be something you would normally do readily but take some time to delve back in history a little and you will be amazed how the coins of yesterday have shaped your collection today. The simple fact is if you are a �coin collector� rather than someone purely interested in an historical period, then the more you know about coins, from whatever era, the more rewarding and fascinating your hobby will be.

Aldershot Medal Fair Sunday April 17

Phil Mussell — 14/04/2011 12:01:00

Are you coming to the Aldershot show at the Prince's Hall this weekend (April 17) Preview for the early birds is at 9.30am with "main" admission at 10.30am. We'll be coming along all the way from Devon so we hope to see you there too.

Always remember if there's something specific you want from our extensive (that's extensive not expensive) stock and want to save yourself the postage charges you can always call us on 01404 44166 or email phil@tokenpublishing.com and we'll bring it along to a show for you if we're attending! We do carry most items to these shows but we can't always guarantee we'll have what you want (although we'll try) - after all we might have sold out before you get there - but a simple phone call or email will reserve it for you!

�3.7 million coin sold!

Phil Mussell — 08/04/2011 15:23:00

Congratulations go to Morton and Eden whose recent sale saw an Islamic coin fetch a staggering new record - the Umayyad dinar, dated 105h (723AD) was struck from gold mined at a location owned by the Caliph himself - known on the coins as the “Mine of the Commander of the Faithful”. An additional legend which reads: “bi’l-Hijaz” (“in the Hejaz”), makes it the earliest Islamic coin to mention a location in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It had been expected to realise £300,000-400,000, but four bidders in the saleroom sent the price spiraling ever higher to the fantastic sum of £3.7 million! Making it the most expensive Islamic coin sold at auction and the second most expensive of all time after the 1933 double Eagle (sold in 2002 for $7.59million)

A second, slightly earlier dinar (92h - 711AD) struck from gold from the same mines sold for £648,000. It had been estimated at £250,000-300,000.

All in all a good day on teh rostrum - more news on the sale in the June issue of COIN NEWS

Maastricht time again

Phil Mussell — 07/04/2011 12:56:00

Yes it's that time of year again - time for the "Maastricht" papermoney show (actually held in the town hall in Valkenburg - a lovely little market town to the east of Maastricht).

The Token team are making the long journey down there (the journey from Devon to Dover is, in reality, far worse than the journey on the Continent - that bit's a breeze!) so if you're around come and say hello. The bourse is open this Saturday and Sunday at 9.00am and we're launching our brand new BANKNOTE YEARBOOK - so don't miss out!

Medal Yearbook Pictures needed

Alyson Thomas — 30/03/2011 11:31:00

Pictures of the following medals are required to bring the MEDAL YEARBOOK up to date. If you are able to help with a high resolution picture (or indeed anb original medal) please do let us know by emailing phil@tokenpublishing.com or calling 01404 46972 - thanks!

27 Distinguished Service Order

49 Kings Police Medal South Africa

54 Distinguished Service Medal

63 Queens Gallantry Medal really

68 Sea Gallantry Medal (Foreign Services)

93 Naval Gold Medal

107 Candahar, Ghunzee, Cabul Medal

133 General Gordon’s Star from the siege of Khartoum

136 Imperial British East Africa Company’s Medal

147a Uganda Star

164 India General Service Medal - Edward VII

174 General Service Medal 1918-62 - Northern Kurdistan

176A Sudan Defence Force General Service Medal

196 South Africa Medal for Korea

198A Operational Service Medal 2000

203C Kings Hussein Medal

206b European Community Monitoring Mission Medal

208 Royal Naval Meritorious Service Medal

209 Royal Marines Meritorious Service Medal

210 Army Meritorious Service Medal

217 Royal Household Faithful Service Medals

218 Royal Naval Long service and good conduct

220 Royal Naval reserve long service and good conduct

221 Royal Naval volunteer reserve long service and good conduct

223 Royal Fleet Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct

239 Army Emergency Reserve Effiency medal

242H Air Transport Auxiliary Lapel Badge

247 Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal

248 Colonial Long Service and good conduct Medal

252 Trans-Jordon Frontier Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal

254A Royal Hong Kong Regiment Disbandment Medal

256 Victoria Volunteer Long and Efficient service medal 1st type obv

278 Ceylon Police Medal for Merit

279a Royal Falkland Islands Police Jubilee Medal

281A Hong Kong Disciplined Services Medal

286A Association of Professional Fire Brigade Officers Long service Medal

286B British Fire Services Association Medal

291AA NATO Meritorious Service Medal

293 Jubilee Medal 1887

299a Lagos Diamond Jubilee Medal

300a Visit to Colonies Medal

308a Visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to India

312b Visit of the Prince of Wales to India 1921-22

318 Golden Jubilee Medal 2002

327 Indian title badge

353 Automobile Association Service Medal

357 New Zealand Cadet District Medal

364 Royal Warrant Holders Medal Association Medal

L2 Glasgow Humane Society Medal

L26 Humane Society of New Zealand Medals

L41 Southern Railway Meritorious Service Medal

Foreign Medals found in British Groups:

Belgium: Decoration Miniature

France: Medaille Militaire

Greece: Greek War Cross

C41 Ontario Medal for Firefighters’ Bravery

C42 Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal

SA47 75th Anniversary Medal

Unique Falklands medal group

Alyson Thomas — 30/03/2011 09:31:29

Missed Chances?

WITH the sad but inevitable news that Frank Buckles, last of the US Veterans of World War I passed away aged 110 on February 27, there are now only two people who served in the �War to End Wars� left alive and only one with any medallic entitlement from that conflict. These survivors�Claude Choules who served in the Royal Navy and who witnessed the scuttling of the German Fleet at Scapa Flow and Florence Green who joined the WRAF in 1918 and of course never saw active service abroad (she worked as a waitress in a base in Norfolk) are both �super-centenarians� at 110 and it is of course inevitable that they too will leave us soon. When they do there will, of course, be a raft of newspaper articles about their lives, television programmes dedicated to their memory and a renewed interest, for a while, in the �Great War�. That we remember those who fought and died, or who survived is of course only right and proper but as I read about Frank Buckles� passing I did start to wonder if we aren�t in danger of losing those from World War II before we know it. Great store has been placed in recent years on the tales of those who fought in World War I: Harry Patch and Henry Allingham became almost celebrities in their twilight years, but as we listened eagerly to their stories and marvelled that they had witnessed the horrors that they had, so we failed to notice that one by one those who fought in the next global conflict were leaving us�and often we hadn�t realised they had fought at all. Last month�s MEDAL NEWS featured the sad news that Ted Carter, known to many of us who attend his son Mark�s regular medal and militaria shows, had passed away quite suddenly. This in itself was a shock but of equal surprise to an awful lot of us was the fact that he had served in the RAF in World War II. Sadly, a quick look at �Fading Away� each month within the pages of this magazine, or at the obituary column of any newspaper, will show you that his story is just one of many. That brave generation is slowly but irrevocably leaving us and it won�t be too many years before we feature the last of them.

I fear that actually we may have already lost veterans whose passing should perhaps have been noticed more than it was. Are there, for example, any veterans of Dunkirk left? Of Alamein? Of Monte Cassino? Of the Battle of the River Plate or of the Battle of Singapore? Most of you will scoff and say �of course there are� and you may indeed know some veterans who fought in these campaigns and battles. But ask yourself this: if you don�t know any such veterans, do you know anyone else who does? And if you don�t, then does anybody? Have we perhaps lost the last survivor from one or more of these battles, or others, without realising it? Have their stories, their tales, their history gone forever? It is certainly possible that there simply isn�t anyone around any more to tell us about the Dunkirk evacuation from a first-hand perspective or tell us about what it was really like at Tobruk. The quantity of World War II medals that is slowly finding its way onto the market these days is testament to the fact that more and more of these Old Soldiers really are fading away and more and more of their memories are lost forever.

The simple fact is that World War II ended 66 years ago and so any survivor from that conflict must now be in their 80s. Of course, they could go on for another 20 even 30 years but sadly many of them won�t and as they do leave us so their story will fade too. That�s part of the cycle of life of course, their passing really is inevitable, but as they become fewer and fewer so I am struck again by the responsibility we medal collectors have. The medals that these men and women won might well one day be all that is left to show what they did and where they did it. Their medal groups will be the only survivors for generations yet to come. Diaries and papers will fade and crumble, tunics will succumb to moth and mildew, but metal medals will survive, their presence all that remains of a generation that is already leaving us far more quickly than any of us would like. So, if you are a collector of World War II medals please realise that you may soon be responsible for passing on the stories we all grew up with, because those whose actions gave us those stories just won�t be there any more. Keep that research up to date, keep the items that make a group attributable to one man or one action together, and don�t always assume that there will be �someone who was there� to go to to ask questions of. One day there just won�t be and the baton will have passed to us�after that there really is no going back.

Extra Special

Alyson Thomas — 28/03/2011 10:11:55

Designed To Matter

THE Royal Mint has announced that there will indeed be a �Royal Wedding� �5 crown to celebrate the marriage of Prince William and Kate (sorry Catherine) Middleton on April 29. It was perhaps inevitable that such a crown would be minted, after all the Prince�s parents had their own crown struck in 1981 and both the silver and golden weddings of his grand-parents have been celebrated numismatically too. What was also inevitable was the amount of criticism levelled at both the decision to strike a coin and the design. Whether it is right to strike such a coin in the first place is very much a matter of personal preference and there is little point in joining that debate here, however the debate about the design is very much within the remit of this magazine.

Personally I like the simple design of the happy couple facing each other, apart that is, from one thing, Miss Middleton�s teeth! I have never yet seen a coin that properly predicts somebody smiling with their teeth. I always think it makes them look something like a vampire about to go in for a bite. You will note that no obverse bust yet has a toothy grin and very few of the commemoratives ever feature anything other than a closed mouth. There is a reason for this�a smile is a temporary thing, a flash of happiness that should always be mere seconds in length, any longer and it becomes a fixed, maniacal grin, the grin of the evil or the insane and to render it in metal for all eternity is to fix it and lose its warmth and genuineness. That and the fact that numismatic designers can�t seem to do teeth.

. . . Of course this is just one aspect of a design that otherwise is quite charming, although you wouldn�t know it to read the press. As ever, various sections of the media have decided they don�t like the coin and have been happy to say so, but I wonder why? They do this every time a new coin is launched: there was criticism of the new Matthew Dent Series, of the �2 coin, of the 20p of the �1 and there will be criticism of every new coin from her to eternity�it�s what these people do. But why does it matter so much? Why in fact does numismatic design matter at all? A coin, after all, is merely a token these days: it represents a unit of currency and ultimately serves one real purpose�to be exchanged for goods or services. It no longer has to have an intrinsic value (I�m talking about circulating coins here of course, not bullion) and doesn�t really have to do anything apart from tell its owner and the person with whom they are negotiating what its value is and whether or not it is legal tender in that country. Coins could, ultimately, simply denote their denomination and country of origin, they don�t have to look pretty or have intricate designs on them, they do, I suppose have to be different shapes and colours to help differentiate between them but they certainly don�t have to commemorate anything or represent anything. And yet they do, and we care that they do. But why? Don�t get me wrong I�m very pleased that our coinage is not utilitarian, that some thought has gone into the design, that coins are issued to celebrate and commemorate and that the press devotes large amounts of its time talking about how important a design is, or how well/badly a subject has been rendered. I�m also very glad that the public take enough trouble to care what is on their coins and some of them even care enough to start becoming collectors, I know they do because I�m one of them but I�m still puzzled as to why we care that much. As mentioned a coin is really just a token to be used for purchasing and yet across the country, indeed across the globe, what goes onto coins (and notes come to that) is hugely important to a lot of people. Is it perhaps an extension of national pride, national identity, a need to be proud of our money because it represents who we are as a nation? (Look at the furore surrounding the need to have national designs on the Euro coins rather than �standard� ones and the apathy with which the designs of the Euro notes was met). Is it because having designed coins it is just something we�ve always done and, having got used to it we simply carry on? Or is it because we actually like to surround ourselves with things that are aesthetically pleasing and actually want something attractive to use every day rather than something simply utilitarian? I am sure anthropologists, psychologists and sociologists would have a field day trying to work out why we like beautiful coins why we care so much about what is featured on the pound in our pocket and I shall leave such ponderings to them, all I shall say is that I am glad the Royal Mint takes time to come up with new designs on a regular basis and I am glad that the press and public care enough to criticise those designs (justified criticism or not). We would all, I think, be far worse off if no-one cared at all.

Operational Honours

Phil Mussell — 25/03/2011 13:36:00

The latest Operational Honours list has just been announced by the MOD (April -September 2010) and includes three Conspicuous Gallantry Crosses and 13 MCs including one to a feamle medic - for more details check the MOD's Website

More �5 for cash machines

Phil Mussell — 22/03/2011 10:17:00

It's official more of the little blue notes are to be put in Britain's "hole in the wall" cash machines. Currently most "ATMs" only dispense £10 or £20 notes and £5 notes don't enter circulation that readily meaning those that are out there are grubby, dirty or torn. Look forward to getting some crisp fivers from a machine soon.

The Bank of England naturally states that this move is to encourage more £5 notes into circulation - no mention of the fact that in straitened economic times smaller notes might be more necessary than larger ones....

Frome Hoard to stay in Somerset!

Phil Mussell — 22/03/2011 10:11:00

The largest hoard of coins ever found in Britain is to stay in the County where it was discovered

Thanks mainly to a National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) grant of £294,000 the Museum of Somerset has raised a total of £320,250 to keep the Frome Hoard, found last year by metal detectorist Dave Crisp from Wiltshire. It had been thought the coins might go to the British Museum in London or even abroad.

Now they will go on display in Somerset when the Museum's £6.9m revamp is completed in the summer.

Don't forget Stratford

Phil Mussell — 09/03/2011 14:56:00

Whilst I am sure most of you are gearing up for Britannia on March 20 that's no excuse not to come along to the first Stratford of the Year this coming Sunday. We'll be there with some sneak preview copies (for sale) of the MIDs to the Armies and hope you can make it too.

Doors open at 9.30am and the venue is, as always, the Leisure Centre bang in the middle of the town (with excellent if a tad expensive car parking). Stratford is such a lovely town why not make a weekend of it...? The Holiday Inn is right next to the Leisure centre so you can go out the night before (Edward Moon's is very good, as is the Oppo) stay in the hotel that night then just roll out of bed on the Sunday ready to grab the bargains - that's what we do anyway!

See you there

Dealers at Britannia

Phil Mussell — 08/03/2011 23:43:00

The first Britannia of 2011 takes place on March 20 at the Victory Service Club, Seymour Street, London with the best range of medals on offer anywhere so far this year.

Dealers and auctioneers in attendance include:

Baldwins

Bonhams

Andrew Bostock

Phil Burman

John Cannon

Mark Carter

Chelsea Military Antiques

Jonathon Collins

Peter Cotrel

Chris Dixon

DNW

Bill Friar

Great War Medals

Ian Laidler

Andrew Litherland

Liverpool Medals

Bob Lynes

Peter Morris

Morton and Eden

David Nuwar

The OMRS

Murray Shaw

Spink

Fred Walland

Steve Wheeler

VJC Collectables (Barry Hobbs)

And of course Token Publishing!

Unfortunately a couple of the dealers listed in March Medal News are unable to attend. Malcolm Gordon can't make it this time due to ill health and Andrew Jukes is unable to make the trip south because of family commitments (which he insists he can't get out of, putting family before medals - whatever next...!) - both will be back in November!

Baldwins at Britannia

Carol — 01/03/2011 15:10:00

Despite being left out of the Britannia double page feature in the March edition of Medal News, Baldwins will most definately be in attendance on March 20. As at previous shows, David Kirk of Baldwins will have on offer an interesting range of orders and medals as well as discuss consignment options for their next auction. Make sure you come along to see David as well as the 30 other medal dealers attending the Victory Services Club, London.

Official Royal Wedding Coin Announced

Phil Mussell — 01/03/2011 11:05:00

As predicted (and hoped for) by COIN NEWS the Royal Mint have announced that there is to be an official Royal Wedding Crown for the marriage of Kate Middleton and Prince William on April 29. The £5 Crown, which features the profiles of the couple facing each other, the wedding date and the names William and Catherine (you will note Catherine not Kate) will be struck in cupro-nickel, silver, gold and platinum. We also understand there is to be a gold plated silver version and a silver piedfort.. For more information see the Royal Mint's website

For Valour

Alyson Thomas — 28/02/2011 10:56:43

Medal not metal

AS we go to press in the last weeks of February 2011 the �FTSE� is almost back at pre-credit crunch levels, hovering around the 6,000 mark and the commodities market continues to go from strength to strength, particularly for precious metals. Gold is being a little bit �jumpy� but is still ridiculously high, but as medal collectors it�s the price of silver that we should actually be watching. It currently stands at around US$30 or �19 an ounce and whilst you may consider that to be an indicator that people have money and therefore we�re all on the road to recovery, I�m afraid it isn�t as simple as that. Silver, which has actually gone up more than gold in percentage terms (surging by about 80% in 2010), is now at its highest since 1980 when the Hunt brothers tried to corner the World�s silver market. Now, admittedly, the highs of 30 years ago which saw the metal touch $50 an ounce are unlikely to be repeated (the circumstances are quite different and, if you factor in inflation and currency fluctuation, silver would actually need to be at about $135 an ounce to be comparable), but that doesn�t mean these new highs aren�t having some affect. If you are a coin collector you may well relish these developments�true it might make buying coins a little difficult but that inconvenience is likely to be offset by the knowledge that your collection is worth that little bit more, but for medal collectors it doesn�t work that way. Values of precious metal coin collections have always been linked to scrap values and whilst it is true that most �collectable coins� have a value separate from their �melt� price there is always a link and indeed certain coins can and do have a scrap value higher than their numismatic worth (think �standard� pre-1947 or pre 1920 coins�they have a lesser or greater amount of silver in them and in many cases their catalogue price is based solely on what they would fetch as scrap, numismatically they simply aren�t collected as coins that much but rather as lumps of metal. Medals of course are different.

The thing about coins is that when you have a run of millions they really are all the same and only condition tells them apart; when you have a �run� of even millions of medals every one is very different, every one awarded to an individual and, whether named or not, they simply should not and must not be seen just as �lumps of metal�. Of course, we all know this. We collectors value medals not for their numismatic or aesthetic appeal per se (although they can be beautiful works of art in their own right there is no doubt about that) but rather for what they are representations of. As a rule we don�t care over much for their condition (although I do accept that some collectors will only buy the very best, but usually that is done within the framework of a collection not based solely on condition) and most importantly, apart from when it comes to storage and occasionally cleaning we don�t really care whether they are made of precious or base metal. Certainly we�ll always have opinions on the composition of medals, maybe preferring one substance to another and perhaps looking unfavourably at new strikings, etc., but I have yet to meet any medal collector who has put together his or her collection based solely on the metal the medals are made from.

Were no medals made from silver at all, were they all struck from the basest of metals I think we would still collect�for most of us it is the story behind the medal that is the more important thing rather than the medal itself, regardless of the metal it was produced in. Unfortunately that isn�t the case for everyone. Increasingly nowadays we are seeing those who really should know better but don�t seem to, valuing medals (particularly the British War Medal) more for their silver content than their historic worth. There have been lots on internet auctions that actually show the medal on a set of scales proving its weight�these are lots that talk not of the man and the history but the metal. But what can be done? As collectors we know a British War Medal to a Private in a �standard� regiment is worth, in our market place, approximately �15�17, but now the silver makes them worth nearly �20 as scrap. Are we suddenly meant to start paying 30 per cent more for British War Medals to save them from the melting pot? Theoretically that would be the best scenario as ideally we, as dedicated collectors, would ensure that not a single man�s history was wiped away because of greed, not a single medal lost to the �pot�. But that is easier said than done. Most of us do not have limitless funds and we aren�t capable of buying up every medal we see, and that puts us in a difficult situation. If we don�t have the spare cash to buy whatever is on offer do we have to sit back and watch another generation of unknowing or uncaring scrap merchants destroy groups as they did in the 1970s? Well no, there is something we can do. We can do our best to educate those who would destroy part of our heritage for a few pounds. We can educate those who simply don�t know, explain to them that these disks are not coins and that once a medal is melted a part of history is lost forever. They might not listen, they might well simply carry on as before. But at least we will have tried and that, I think, is the least we collectors can do to preserve the memories and mementoes of those who have gone before.

An impressive group on offer

Phil Mussell — 25/02/2011 13:38:00

Smiths Newent Auctions are offering the medals of a former Director General of the Army Medical Services at their sale of March 4

The group of 22 to Sir Arthur Sloggett, which includes the KCMG, KCVO, KCB Egypt Medal, Queens South Africa Medal, Kings South Africa Medal, 1914 Star and bar trio (he was mentioned in despatches seven times in WWI!)Legion of Honour and the Order of King Leopold, charts the remarkable history of a remarkable man. It seems that at Khartoum he was gravely injured when his horse was shot from under him and he was then, apparently, he was shot in the heart. His granddaughter related how he was laid out with the dead until one his grieving nurses placed a mirror in front of his lips and realised he was still alive. He is then famously quoted as having said that he only survived the incident since ‘his heart was in his mouth’ at the time.

In 1914 he was promoted to Director General of the Army Medical Services and when war broke out one month later he was sent to the front in France where

he served until 1918. Sir Arthur was not only a brave soldier but was also found to be an excellent administrator and was much admired for his management of the Medical Services during the Great War.

The group goes on sale with an estimate of between £10,000 and £15,000

The deatils of the sale can be found here

The CBE DSO group of medals to Arthur Sloggett's son, also Arthur, were sold at DNW in December 2002 see here for details of that sale

Balloon AFM at Lockdales

Phil Mussell — 23/02/2011 16:27:00

One of the highlights at Lockdales' next auction of collectables (Sunday March 27 2011), is the the medals and ephemera of balloon pilot George Ernest Long. The group comprises the AFM (GV) named 2nd Coxswain G E Long HMA R33, 1914 Star Trio mounted as worn to J.5952 G E Long AM. IGR RNAS, a cased Civil Issue British Empire Medal (named), a boxed 1935 Jubilee Medal, a WWII Defence Medal in named box of issue, and an original set of miniatures.

Long's AFM was awarded for the successful recovery of the Airship R33 on 16th April 1925, when it broke away from its moorings. His Ministry of Aviation Recommendation for the British Empire Medal states that 'Mr Long has contributed more, probably, than any other single individual in the country to the experience which has been built up on the subject of balloons. His part in the work of Cardington has been unique and many difficult and dangerous experiments have been successfully carried out, mainly because of his ability and skill.'

Long was a co-designer and pilot of CARD 1, the great balloon at the Festival of Britain, and among his ephemera are a fantastic series of press photographs of this event. Among other things he was consulted for the film Zeppelin, and a photograph of himself with the actor Michael York is also included.

For more details see www.lockdales.com

Platinum

Alyson Thomas — 22/02/2011 12:32:04

Fair comment

On Sunday, February 6, the Token Team (well, Phil anyway) took a rather pleasant dawn drive across the New Forest to attend Rick Coleman�s brand new South Coast Coin and Medal show at Wide Lane Sports Centre, Eastleigh. We always like to support new ventures and, as we have known Rick for some years, we felt it important to give him as much encouragement as possible, especially as this was the first new show on the south coast since 1988. However, with the best will in the world we couldn�t pretend to say the show was �busy�. There were certainly people through the door and a good number of dealers in attendance. It wasn�t a disaster by any means�we have �stalled out� in far quieter places and it was good to see some new faces, both behind tables and through the door, but there were a number of people who we know live locally who didn�t attend and we feel they really should have. This is a small hobby and ultimately we�re all in it together and really should support new ventures whenever we can. Rick plans to continue to run the show on the first Sunday of each month, so those of you who live near Southampton get yourselves along there! It�s easy to get to from the M3 and M27 and there�s ample parking, or for those coming from further afield it�s very close to the airport! We wish Rick lots of success with this new venture. Of course, now I�ve preached at everyone I must confess that we won�t be able to be there every month as we have other fair commitments�quite a lot actually (remember, we attend medal fairs as well as coin fairs), and that brings me to the point of the �Comment� this month�the subject of �fairs�.

Already this year we�ve had a number of successful high profile events, both in the North and the South of the country, as well as some big events abroad. Before 2011 is over there will have been dozens more covering the length and breadth of the land. If you want to (and have the means) you can attend a coin or collectables fair somewhere in the country every weekend. And if there isn�t one local to you then there is bound to be an antiques fair or similar event where coins are to be found. But are they worth the effort? In this day and age isn�t it easier just to sit in front of your computer or in an armchair perusing a dealer�s list and buy direct? Isn�t it easier not to have to get up early and make that effort to be at the front of the queue to get the bargains? Yes, of course it is, and many do just that. But if that is the only way you buy coins then I�m afraid you are missing out. The actual purchase of coins is, I accept, far simpler from a list or website: you choose the coin you want, call the dealer or send an email, pay and lo and behold! a coin arrives in a few days. Easy. But by doing it that way and no other you are missing out on one of the most important things this hobby has to offer: the camaraderie. Let�s be honest, most of us don�t tend to talk about our hobby when we�re with non-coin people; we don�t discuss our new acquisitions or numismatic �wants� with our loved ones; instead we tend to be rather insular about our hobby. By attending Coin Fairs (or of course numismatic society meetings) we suddenly find ourselves surrounded by like-minded people: people who won�t blanch at the mention of an �overdate� or look blankly at us when we mention �roses and plumes�! These are people we can relate to, talk to, people who �get� us, and there is something particularly pleasant in sitting round a table chatting away to likeminded collectors over coffee and a cake. You just can�t do that elsewhere; start talking mintmarks to people who haven�t a clue what they are and see how quickly the conversation turns to other things�you�ll be talking house prices and the state of the economy before you know it! If you do attend fairs you�ll know exactly what I mean but if you don�t, then may I encourage you to do so as often as you can, not just to support the organisers (although that�s always a good motive for going) but also because you may be pleasantly surprised!

The Token Team will be at the Harrogate Spring Coin Fair on March 18/19 and we are organising the Britannia Medal Fair in London on March 20 should any COIN NEWS readers with a taste for medals want to come along.

All that glisters....

Phil Mussell — 14/02/2011 11:02:00

For months now we've been saying that the "Cash for Gold" companies aren't giving their customers a fair deal - it seems that the Office of fair Trading (OFT) agrees with us. See the BBC's article.

As always we would urge anyone who has gold coins to go to a bona fide coin dealer to sell and not one of these "new" companies that are cashing in on the gold boom and getting rich by some dubious practices!

Come to Southampton

Phil Mussell — 02/02/2011 16:46:00

There's a BRAND NEW show on in Southampton this weekend (Sunday 6 Feb to be precise) - it's the SOUTH COAST COIN AND MEDAL SHOW and is taking place at the Pavilion, Southampton University Wide Lane Sports Ground, Wide Lane in Eastleigh, Hants (SO50 5PE for all you with Sat Navs!)

It's a brand new event and we'll be there to support the organisers so why not come along? Doors open to the public at 10.00am - see you there

Houghton Militaria Fair

Phil Mussell — 01/02/2011 15:43:00

Please not ethe Houghton Militaria Fair is on March 6 not February 6 - the advert in this month's MEDAL NEWS is correct, the diary date isn't

Sorry for the confusion!

With the Marines in Murmansk

Phil Mussell — 28/01/2011 15:22:54

Opening a can of worms

The subject of who gets what medal and why has always been a thorny one�from how long someone has to serve with an exemplary record to get an LS&GC, through to why an MC is awarded rather than a CGC. There are always those with differing opinions, and never more so than when it comes to the subject of campaign medals. The criteria for campaign medals will always provoke debate: there will always be those who feel their service wasn�t recognised properly whilst others, who seemingly did little, are feted and rewarded with a chestful of gongs. The very fact that so many unofficial �commemorative� medals exist shows the strength of feeling amongst veterans that �they should have got a medal� and, sadly, the attempts by the last government to put a lid on the issue by instituting badges rather than medals has pleased few, if anyone. The debate was rejoined in January of this year when Prime Minister David Cameron announced in the House of Commons that he had �been in contact with the Ministry of Defence� about the idea of instituting a medal specifically for the Arctic Convoys: something veterans have been campaigning for for many years.

Currently those Royal and Merchant naval personnel who served aboard the ships that helped supply the Soviet Union during World War II are eligible for the Atlantic Star (subject to six month�s service and the award of the 1939�45 Star). However, their argument is that this medal is also awarded to those who served for that length of time anywhere in the defined area (Atlantic or home waters) and whilst those who didn�t serve on the convoys were still subject to the usual dangers of war, their service was far less dangerous than those serving in the Arctic. They have a point�Churchill himself praised those who took part in the convoys and recognised just how dangerous they were and the Russian Government has, on many occasions, awarded its own medals to veterans as a mark of appreciation (the 40th anniversary medal, awarded in 1995, has been �recognised for wear� and so may be mounted alongside British medals, subsequent awards have not). On the surface it seems logical that those who faced the hardships of the Arctic Circle should be honoured with a different medal to those who patrolled the English Channel or Irish Sea and apparently faced less hazards (U-boats notwithstanding). But the simple fact is, if you do that, where do you stop? Take the France and Germany Star for example�that was awarded for service from June 6, 1944 until May 8, 1945 in France, Belgium, Holland or Germany. In the Army service in �any operation� counted. Of course �any operation� in those fraught days would have been dangerous, but surely those who went in to the normandy beaches on June 6 itself faced more danger than those who went in to the Operational area a few weeks later. Don�t they deserve a special medal? It could be argued that those parachuted in behind enemy lines or who crash landed the gliders just short of Pegasus Bridge faced far more danger than those who came in the boats later on that week, so why don�t they have a specific medal? And what of those in the first wave on the beaches themselves, when casualty rates were expected to be between 50 and 80 per cent? Couldn�t those veterans argue that they deserved some more recognition than those who came in on the third or fourth waves? Then take Operation Market Garden? Couldn�t those who fought at Arnhem argue that they faced greater danger than those who fought at Nijmegen? Don�t they deserve their own medal? look at the humble Defence Medal: there were towns and cities in Britain that suffered devastating enemy action (London, Bristol, Coventry, Plymouth, Exeter and so many others) and those on the Home front during those raids routinely put their lives at risk, whereas in other towns and cities around the country the Home Guard and other eligible personnel had little to do but �keep calm and carry on�. Do those who were unfortunate enough to live in a place regularly targeted by the luftwaffe deserve more recognition than those who escaped the constant bombings?

Yes, the criteria for the World War II medals are perhaps inadequate and, yes, I can fully see why there are those aggrieved by what they see as having been �cheated� out of proper recognition and they do have my sympathy; but I cannot help but feel that by opening up the Arctic debate again, the Prime Minister is in danger of opening the flood gates to a torrent of appeals from other aggrieved parties, all of whom believe they too have been �cheated�. every one of those parties will have an excellent argument for why they should get a medal. every one will be able to back up their claim with cold hard facts and it will be difficult to ignore them. far better, I say, to leave things as they are�no it�s not ideal, and yes, there will be some who feel hard done by. But the trouble is, there always will be, no matter what criteria are laid down, and sometimes it is better just to stick to the rules rather than try to bend them. You start bending rules and all too often they break and then they may as well not be there at all�and that will be of no help to anybody.

The year of the Rabbit

Phil Mussell — 25/01/2011 09:42:21

Rise or fall?

AS we enter 2011 so the stock market volatility that has marred the past two years is abating somewhat and the �FTSE� is almost back at pre-credit crunch levels. However, this return to �stability� has not been reflected by the commodities market which is still seeing record prices for everything from wheat to copper and of course precious metals. As we go to press the price of gold is hovering around the $1,360 mark and silver around about $29�both down a little from recent highs, but nevertheless still at astonishing levels. To put it into perspective: silver, which has actually gone up more than gold in percentage terms (surging by about 80 per cent in 2010), is now at its highest since 1980. Now admittedly the highs of 30 years ago which saw the metal touch $50 an ounce are unlikely to be repeated (no-one to my knowledge is trying to corner the silver market and, if you factor-in inflation and currency fluctuation, silver would actually need to be at about $135 an ounce to be comparable), but that doesn�t mean these new highs aren�t having some affect. On the one hand this rise is a positive thing�we see the value of our collections increasing almost daily and the dealers are happy because more and more people are turning to coins, etc., as investments, meaning that more money is coming into the hobby and that can�t be bad. Unfortunately there is also a downside� and I don�t mean just the increase in the average price of the coins we collectors have to buy to carry on with our hobby.

Most of us by now know that pre-1947 �silver� coins are worth far more than face value (numismatic interest notwithstanding) and those minted before 1920 are worth even more as they really are pure silver. How many of us have made small profits (or indeed large ones) by buying �job lots� of coins from friends, antique shops, boot sales etc. and sifting through to find those coins with an actual silver content and happily, selling on those which do contain the precious metal to jewellers and melters? More than would be prepared to admit it I think! Now this is all very well. After all, if you have a collection of worn George V sixpences or even shillings where Victoria�s head is barely visible, then unfortunately there is little to be done with them as coins�they really do have to be viewed as lumps of silver and if you can make a bit of money to fund your next �proper� numismatic acquisition then so be it. Unfortunately, though as silver increases in value more and more, people will, I fear, be wise to the idea of apparently common coins being worth something and we will soon find people with no real interest in coins at all doing what we have done for years and searching for the early items just to sell on to be melted. Of course, I would be a hypocrite if I criticised the newcomers for doing what we collectors have been doing for years; we don�t, unfortunately, have the monopoly on old coins (no matter how much I wish we did) and if others are now cashing in then that�s life. What worries me though is those cashing in with no regard whatsoever for the actual numismatic rarity of the coins they are condemning to the pot. Those seeking just to make money on �job lots� are unlikely to bother to really research what they have. They perhaps won�t notice a 1905 shilling amongst an array of those from other years of Edward�s reign and won�t spot a 1944 threepence when there are so many others in the bag; instead they�ll simply check that the date is early enough, throw them all together and take them to their local jeweller or dealer. If we�re lucky, the coins will go to a proper bona fide coin dealer who will have the sense (and the time) to check through them all and save those worth keeping. But we all know that the chances are the bag will be taken to a local jeweller who will know the price of what he is offered but not necessarily the value. From there they will be lost forever, destined to become an ingot to be traded rather than stay a numismatic piece to be treasured.

Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s countless coins (and medals) were lost forever. I hope that such scenes will not be repeated in the �Twentyteens�, but I fear that if the world�s financial state continues as it is then it is not an impossibility. There is little, of course, that any of us can do except try our best to educate those who might otherwise condemn some wonderful rarities to the pot; sadly as I watch the rise of the �we buy gold� companies offering a fraction of the true worth of the pieces they are proffered, I fear that educating the British public on the true value of what they have might be an uphill struggle. Still, if we don�t do it no one else is going to!

A second Victoria Cross of Australia

Phil Mussell — 23/01/2011 22:57:00

Corporol Ben Roberts-Smith was awarded the second "Victoria Cross of Australia" on Sunday (23 January) for single handedly taking on (and taking out) no fewer than three Taliban machine gun posts in Afghanistan's Shah Wali Kot Region in October 2010. His Citation reads as follows:

For the most conspicuous gallantry in action in circumstances of extreme peril as Patrol Second-in-Command, Special Operations Task Group on Operation SLIPPER.

“Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith enlisted in the Australian Regular Army in 1996. After completing the requisite courses, he was posted the 3rd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment where he saw active service in East Timor. In January 2003, he successfully completed the Australian Special Air Service Regiment Selection Course.

“During his tenure with the Regiment, he deployed on Operation VALIANT, SLATE, SLIPPER, CATALYST and SLIPPER II. Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith was awarded the Medal for Gallantry for his actions in Afghanistan in 2006.

“On the 11th June 2010, a troop of the Special Operations Task Group conducted a helicopter assault into Tizak, Kandahar Province, in order to capture or kill a senior Taliban commander.

“Immediately upon the helicopter insertion, the troop was engaged by machine gun and rocket propelled grenade fire from multiple, dominating positions. Two soldiers were wounded in action and the troop was pinned down by fire from three machine guns in an elevated fortified position to the south of the village. Under the cover of close air support, suppressive small arms and machine gun fire, Corporal Roberts-Smith and his patrol manoeuvred to within 70 metres of the enemy position in order to neutralise the enemy machine gun positions and regain the initiative.

“Upon commencement of the assault, the patrol drew very heavy, intense, effective and sustained fire from the enemy position. Corporal Roberts-Smith and his patrol members fought towards the enemy position until, at a range of 40 metres, the weight of fire prevented further movement forward. At this point, he identified the opportunity to exploit some cover provided by a small structure.

“As he approached the structure, Corporal Roberts-Smith identified an insurgent grenadier in the throes of engaging his patrol. Corporal Roberts-Smith instinctively engaged the insurgent at point-blank range resulting in the death of the insurgent. With the members of his patrol still pinned down by the three enemy machine gun positions, he exposed his own position in order to draw fire away from his patrol, which enabled them to bring fire to bear against the enemy. His actions enabled his Patrol Commander to throw a grenade and silence one of the machine guns. Seizing the advantage, and demonstrating extreme devotion to duty and the most conspicuous gallantry, Corporal Roberts-Smith, with a total disregard for his own safety, stormed the enemy position killing the two remaining machine gunners.

“His act of valour enabled his patrol to break-in to the enemy position and to lift the weight of fire from the remainder of the troop who had been pinned down by the machine gun fire. On seizing the fortified gun position, Corporal Roberts-Smith then took the initiative again and continued to assault enemy positions in depth during which he and another patrol member engaged and killed further enemy. His acts of selfless valour directly enabled his troop to go on and clear the village of Tizak of Taliban. This decisive engagement subsequently caused the remainder of the Taliban in Shah Wali Kot District to retreat from the area.

“Corporal Roberts-Smith’s most conspicuous gallantry in a circumstance of extreme peril was instrumental to the seizure of the initiative and the success of the troop against a numerically superior enemy force. His valour was an inspiration to the soldiers with whom he fought alongside and is in keeping with the finest traditions of the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Force.”

For further details see here

Lost in transition

Phil Mussell — 18/01/2011 11:59:00

LOST IN THE POST: between UK and Australia:

Death Plaque to Ralph Blackwell (L/26599 Pte R. Blackwell RFA).

Any information to Philip Blackwell at phil@colourpatch.com

Medals forthe Convoys?

Phil Mussell — 12/01/2011 15:03:00

The debate over whether Veterans of the Arctic Convoys should get their own separate medals (as opposed to "just" the Atlantic Star which they are currently entitled to) has raged for decades and with the introduction of the Arctic Emblem (lapel badge) in 2006 it had been thought that the matter was dealt with. Not so, as Prime Minister David Cameron has publicly declared his support for a separate and specific medal....

For the full story see here and look out in MEDAL NEWS February!

Stop thief - again

Phil Mussell — 10/01/2011 16:20:00

Stolen during a house burglary at Epsom, Surrey on 15 December 2010:

Nato Service Medal with Clasp 'ISAF' (Afghanistan);

Operational Service Medal with bar, 'Afghanistan'

Named to Act.Lt.Cmdr.:T.R.W.LAPAGE-NORRIS, RNR.;

Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal;

Volunteer Reserves Service Medal, also named to Act.Lt.Cmdr.: T.R.W.LAPAGE- NORRIS, RNR.

Medals are swing mounted on a brooch-bar for wear: Any information should be passed to Detective Constable NICKY DELL at Surrey Police, CID. - Tel: 0845 1252222 quoting Crime Reference Number EP/10/5618.

Coming Soon - for God, Queen and Colony

Phil Mussell — 23/12/2010 11:54:00

For God, Queen and Colony - by Terry Sole

The muster rolls and histories of the Colonial Units in the Zulu War of 1879 - this is one book all you Zulu War enthusiasts won't want to be without! Watch this space for further details!

Spink Standard Catalogue

Phil Mussell — 23/12/2010 11:42:00

Apologies for the delay in getting this title out - we only received them in the office on December 23! All UK order have been processed and sent out via first class mail. We can't guarantee Christmas delivery anymore I'm afraid and would like to apologise to all those who were hoping to get the book in time for Christmas - we simply didn't have stocks here.

Lost, stolen or strayed. Medals to Lt Col. C J Nunn RM

Phil Mussell — 23/12/2010 11:39:00

Lost at Bordeaux, France on Friday December 10, 2010, following the Operation " Frankton " Commemoration Parade, - (canoe raid on Bordeaux harbour, December 1942.) group of medals Court Mounted as follows :-

1. OBE un-named.

2. GSM 1962 clasp "Northern Ireland" with MID bronze emblem, named to 2nd Lieut. C J Nunn RM

3. South Atlantic Medal with rosette, named to Capt. C J Nunn RM

4. NATO "Former Yugoslavia" unamed as issued.

5. QGJM unamed as issued.

Any info to ericr241@aol.com please.

New roll at the NA

Phil Mussell — 17/12/2010 14:58:00

The medal roll for the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service Long Service Medal has recently been made available at The National Archives at Kew.

The roll consists of a large sea green book containing the names of all those men and women who qualified for the medal and any appropriate bar(s), between 1967 and 1995. Arranged in alphabetical order, it records the surname and initial(s) of the recipient, if they were a Mrs or Miss is also recorded, the dates of qualifying service and to which command the medal was sent for onward presentation to the recipient.

The roll is available under the reference ADM 171/203 and it is not included in the recent release of medal rolls by Ancestry.

Christmas Opening Times

Phil Mussell — 17/12/2010 14:51:00

Yes it's almost upon us once again and, whilst we'd like to be open over Christmas we do feel it only fair to give our staff the odd day off. So we'll be closing at 1.00pm on Thursday December 23 and reopening again at 9.00am on January 4 2011. We'd like to wish all of our customers a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year

George Medal for Bomb disposal hero

Phil Mussell — 17/12/2010 14:48:00

WO Karl Ley has made safe more Improvised Explosive Devices IEDs in Afghanistan than anyone else - some 139 to date - losing seven of his comrades in the process. Today (December 17 2010) his courage and heroism was honoured with the award of the George Medal, presented by HRH Prince Charles. For the full story see here

New Year, new coins

Phil Mussell — 17/12/2010 14:38:02

No secret, no exception

HAVE made no secret of my support for the Royal Mint over the years�maybe the �year sets� aren�t great on the secondary market and, yes, it is a great shame when someone believes that their �nest egg� collection of Uncirculated coins and base metal commemoratives will net them a fortune when they come to sell. The arguments for and against �new issues� and their so-called investment potential have raged for years and it isn�t for me to go over them again here. No, my support for the Royal Mint comes because I believe that they are the single most important body in this country when it comes to encouraging the general public to view coins as something to be collected rather than just spent.

Without the thought that goes into our coins� designs, without the excellent designers themselves and without their desire to make excellent products, our coinage would comprise bland utilitarian discs suitable for transactions and nothing else. Numismatics, as we all know, is as much about the aesthetics of the coins as their rarity and we all appreciate the beauty of some of the gems from the past: the Athenian Owls, the Three Graces, the Gothic Florins, etc., etc. I believe the Royal Mint carries on the tradition of beauty on coins very well indeed. Certainly some of their designs have been, shall we say, �challenging� in recent years. Some have been unusual, some down right odd (my favourite �odd� design has to be Roger Bannister�s legs on the 50p), but rarely are they dull. This year is no exception as you can see from this month�s front cover. Not only do we have the next two in the �1 cities series: Edinburgh and Cardiff (has anyone come across the London or Belfast designs yet? I have yet to see them in change), but we also have two artfully crafted �2 coins�one depicting the 500th anniversary of the launch, and sinking, of Henry VIII�s flagship the Mary Rose (with typical British timing the Mary Rose herself will not actually be on display throughout the entire year as a new museum being built to house her won�t be ready until 2012!) and the second depicting the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible.

There will also be a very modern-looking 50p (as well of course as the plethora of Olympic 50 pences) that shows the work of the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) and a particularly striking �5 Crown to celebrate the 90th Birthday of HRH Prince Philip. Added to that we are confidently expecting there to be a Royal Wedding Crown to celebrate the marriage of Catherine Middleton and HRH Prince William on April 29 (at present the Royal Mint has only announced that there is to be an Alderney Crown to celebrate the Engagement. May I respectfully suggest, with no ill-will directed at Alderney, that this is not enough to celebrate the wedding of our future King and that as other countries will undoubtedly be producing commemoratives, the Royal Mint really should look at striking something a little more high profile). Of course, not all of these designs will appeal to everyone, but there is no denying they are impressive�the Prince Philip Crown in particular is more art medal than coin and regardless of your views on the monarchy in general or his Royal Highness I defy you not to appreciate the design for its numismatic qualities!

Of course the Mint will always have its detractors. There will always be those who criticise its work, believe it shouldn�t be in the marketing game and should simply produce coins for us to use to buy things. But to want that is to miss one very important point. The vast majority of the Great British public will never, ever, come across any coins other than the ones they use in shops . . . they won�t go to coin fairs on a whim and won�t bother checking antique shops just for fun. They will only ever come to appreciate coins as more than mere spending tokens by learning to like the coins they handle every day. By learning about the coins they have in their purses and pockets and by seeing them as more than a means with which to buy things, they can and do become bona fide collectors. Most of us started that way: by looking out for rarities and unusual coins in our pre-decimal change. There are no rare dates any more, there are no Victorian shillings to be scooped up and squirrelled away as we used to�there is only the aesthetics of coins, their beauty, their design. These are the things that get people hooked, and with that in mind I think the Royal Mint do a very good job indeed. This year is no exception.

Spink Standard Catalogue

Phil Mussell — 11/12/2010 19:53:00

Sorry if you're waiting for COINS OF ENGLAND- Spink won't release them to us yet they want to be first off the blocks- we should have them sometime next week!

Christmas Post

Phil Mussell — 11/12/2010 19:49:00

We're doing our best to get everything out before Christmas but please do get your orders in ASAP - by Monday 20 at the latest to ensure delivery by Christmas Eve and even that's pushing it a bit!

And don't worry if you haven't had your orders already placed yet - the terrible weather recently meant that our supplier wasn't as quick off the mark as they usually are - it's all on its way now and will be with you next week!

Gallantry On display

Alyson Thomas — 01/12/2010 15:39:32

The true worth

AS YOU can see from this month�s front cover, MEDAL NEWS was privileged to be amongst the first invited to view the exceptional new Lord Ashcroft Gallery and its Extraordinary Heroes exhibition with more than 240 Victoria Cross and George Cross groups. A full report on the Gallery�which you really should visit if ever you get the chance�appears within the pages of this issue where mention is made of the opening reception. What is only touched on in the article is just what an occasion that was�not because it was full of red carpets, glitz or glamour, indeed whilst not a modest affair it certainly wasn�t OTT in any way�but rather because of just who exactly was present. There weren�t many �celebrities� per se, at least not of the instantly recognisable TV/film type (although one or two more recognisable faces did stand out), but from a medal point of view it was incredible. Lord Ashcroft was there of course, his pride in the new gallery obvious for all to see, as was the emotion he showed when telling us of his love of the medal hobby, his passion for the Victoria Cross and his interest in gallantry that stretched back to when he was a boy hearing tales of his father landing on Sword beach as a Lieutenant in one of the first waves in on D-Day, and watching such classic films as �Cockleshell Heroes� and the like. But his presence was to be expected as this gallery quite fittingly bears his name (he donated �5 million to make it a reality and his collection makes up by far the largest part of its exhibit) and he couldn�t not be there. But what came as something of a surprise, admittedly a very pleasant one, was the sheer number of Victoria Cross and George Cross recipients, not to mention many others� next of kin, who had come along to see the Gallery opened at last.

As medal collectors we are thrilled if we are able to meet one recipient of a high level gallantry award, and here in one place were dozens, all recipients of the very highest awards for gallantry and valour that their countries could bestow upon them. We managed to meet, and chat to, Johnson Beharry, VC, Matthew Croucher, GC, Tony Gledhill, GC, as well as Willie Apiata, VC and Mark Donaldson, VC (both of whom, incidentally, have viewed the debate in MEDAL NEWS about their VCs not being �proper� ones with some interest and not a little derision. We are hopeful that Trooper Donaldson will write in as promised and give us his definitive answer!). We also got to chat to John Gregson, one of only two men still eligible to wear the Albert Medal (he declined the 1971 George Cross exchange) and managed to briefly meet the three Gurkha VCs still alive: Tul Bahadur, Lachiman Gurung and Rambahadur Limbu. It was quite an evening, and to see them all marching at the Cenotaph for the brief ceremony there the following day was again something we were very privileged to experience. However, the point of mentioning them being at the reception isn�t to crow about who we met and how lucky we were to be there, but rather because as we met them and chatted to them one thing became more and more obvious, something that perhaps many of us are guilty of forgetting: that the medals proudly worn, and those on display at the Gallery are not simply artefacts. They aren�t collectables in the same way as stamps and coins are; they aren�t merely things to be gawped at and hoarded, but rather they are symbols of very real acts and, in these cases, symbols of some of the most heroic deeds man is capable of. Many of you who have served, or are still serving, will not have overlooked this most obvious of points of course. You will know full well what medals actually mean, but often those of us who have never been involved with the forces directly, and who perhaps have come to this hobby through an interest in history or indeed just because medals are fascinating things to collect, are guilty of forgetting just what a medal actually is and failing to realise that whilst we pride ourselves on owning some fantastic groups, the real pride came long before as those medals and decorations were first awarded. Whilst most of the time the vast majority of collectors, whether private individuals or trusts, museums, etc., do appreciate exactly what they have, it cannot be denied that often medals get treated just like other �exhibits��by museums and collectors alike�either put on show in frames like butterflies or hidden away in safes like coins and jewellery without their true worth ever really being acknowledged. The Lord Ashcroft Gallery, thankfully, isn�t like that, but that�s because Lord Ashcroft isn�t like that; his belief that those who won these awards should be honoured and remembered with dignity is obvious and perhaps it is because of that belief, and the way he has gone about making it a reality, that so many of the recipients of these most prestigious awards, and their families, were there at the Gallery opening.

St James's

Phil Mussell — 24/11/2010 12:44:00

Unfortunately details of the forthcoming sale at ST JAMES'S AUCTIONS were ommitted from their recent advert so just to make sure no -one forgets here's a little reminder!

Auction 16 takes place on DECEMBER 7, 2010 it starts at 10.00 am and will include:

Ancient, British hammered & milled coins, British & world Banknotes,

Part IV of the Gardner Collection of Indian Coins,

World Coins including German & Austrian Thalers & multiple Thalers

Happy bidding!

Thief Stopped

Phil Mussell — 23/11/2010 16:57:00

Former para, Simon Rogers, has been gaoled for three years after stealing campaign medals, including those awarded for service in Iraq and Afghanistan, from fellow Soldiers staioned in Colchester then selling them on eBay. See the BBC's Website for further details

Spectacular results

Alyson Thomas — 23/11/2010 15:34:51

Going mainstream

I OFTEN mention in this �Comment� about the autumn being the start of the new numismatic �season� and indeed it has traditionally been the case that some of the strongest sales and best attended shows have been in the late September/October/November period. However, even I, a seasoned veteran of such new seasons, have been taken aback this year by the sheer strength of the market. Take a quick look at the Market Scene pages in this month�s magazine and you will see no fewer than seven pages crammed full of the reports on no fewer than 12 sales from four London Auction Houses�sales that each did exceptionally well in the few days before Coinex. I won�t divulge the details here and steal John Andrew�s thunder, but it is sufficient to say that large amounts of money changed hands in those salesrooms with buyers being found for just about everything numismatic, from cut and countermarked coins through medallic portraits and on to more �standard� coins and banknotes. Such was the strength of the sales that you could be forgiven for thinking that all the money in the hobby was being spent at auction. But no, reports from Coinex itself demonstrate that over the two days of the show there were more than enough collectors in the room prepared to part with their cash to make the show a great success�a success repeated at the recent London Coin Fair which had a buzz about it that seems to belie any talk of cuts and recessions. And it isn�t only in the capital that such a buzz is to be found�the provincial auction houses are all still reporting excellent figures, with the fairs likewise. Eddie Smith�s most recent Leeds show saw more attendees both through the door and �stalling out� than ever before. The doomsayers have been predicting the end of this numismatic bubble for months . . . telling us all in leaden words how the price of gold will force people out and how the moment the stock market comes back to strength those with money will rush back to their old stomping grounds in the City. But that hasn�t happened. Gold still rises (as does silver�pro rata it has risen more than gold although it isn�t such a headline grabber) and the Stock Market is almost back at pre �Crunch� levels and yet as the salesrooms and bourses show there is still an insatiable appetite for coins, banknotes, et al.

There is a recession on out there of course; cuts will bite and unfortunately many people in the UK may find the next few months, indeed years, quite tough. But this is a strange recession�on one hand the low interest rates have led to some people having more cash in their pockets than ever before as mortgage rates come down. That cash has to go somewhere and with the public mistrust of banks and financial institutions they are turning once again to the things that people have turned to for centuries when things get a bit rocky: physical money in the form of coins and notes. On the other hand, those without mortgages and with savings are finding their money is no longer growing as once it did because of those very same low interest rates and so are turning to more reliable, and more fun, ways of getting a return and they too, distrustful of the sharp tongued sharks in suits who got us in this mess in the first place, are looking at something they consider more solid: good oldfashioned physical money.

In times of financial uncertainty people like to keep their money close, like to be able to actually see what they own, and those who realise that keeping wads of banknotes under the mattress is all very well but hardly ideal, are taking that to the next level as they sit in eager anticipation in auction rooms and happily search through dealer�s stocks and at the fairs for their next acquisition. They are the new collectors and there are a great many of them.

Don�t be fooled, these buyers are not from the corporate investment funds, the pension planners keen to diversify � most of those have long since gone back to stocks and shares now the FT index has stabilised. No, these are simply ordinary people unsure of what to do with their money now that they no longer have the faith in the banks that once they did. How many catch the long term numismatic bug, as we all have, remains to be seen. Personally I think it will be far more than many of us think. I�ve seen these new collectors at sales and met them at fairs . . . they like this hobby and I fear our secret is out: coin collecting isn�t just for us funny, fussy few anymore�it�s gone mainstream.

Honour those Mentioned - the Air Forces

Phil Mussell — 15/11/2010 16:20:00

The BRAND NEW book by Michael Maton - Honour those Mentioned the Air Forces being a complete list of all Mentions in Despatch awards to the Royal and Dominion Air Forces during World War II is being launched at Britannia this Sunday (November 21) and is available to pre-order now!

Those of you familiar with Michael's other "Honour...." Books will know just how useful they are and this one will be no exception. Priced at just £75 it is an absolute essential reference work for any and every RAF or Air Force collector. Order your copy today!

Britannia - November 21. IT'S THIS SUNDAY

Phil Mussell — 15/11/2010 16:19:00

Britannia is almost on us - it's THIS SUNDAY

Entry is ABSOLUTELY FREE and all the major dealers and Auction House will be there

The full list is as follows:

ARL Collectables

Baldwin's

Bonhams

Andrew Bostock

Ray Brough

Phil Burman

John Cannon

Mark Carter

Chelsea Military Antiques

DNW

Dixon's Medals

Bill Friar

Gordons Medals

Great War Medals

The Register of the Anglo-Boer War (Meurig Jones)

Andrew Jukes (The Medal Centre)

Liverpool Medals

Ian Laidler

Peter Morris

Morton and Eden

Murray Shaw

Our Heritage War Medals (Bob Lynes)

Steve Sewell

Stephen Wheeler

Spink

VJC Collectables

Fred Walland

And of course MEDAL NEWS

Entry is from 9.30am and the venue is the Carisbrooke Hall, Victory Services Club, Seymour Street London - see you there

The Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum

Phil Mussell — 09/11/2010 15:18:00

I've just been lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the wonderful Ashcroft Gallery at the IWM and there is little I can say except "wow"! Over 200 Victoria and George Crosses on display along with associated ephemera (Jonson Beharry's battered helmet, Matt Croucher's shredded backpack). This is a display the like of which the medal world has not seen before, it eclipses anything that has gone before. A fuller picture will appear in MEDAL NEWS next month but in the meantime if you get the chance to go along to this then do so. It opens officially to the public on Friday November 11 and is, without a shadow of a doubt something that you really should make the effort to see.

London Coin Fair November 6

Phil Mussell — 05/11/2010 11:57:00

The last London Coin Fair of the year takes place at the Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury on November 6 and, as ever, there will be plenty of dealers on hand to cater for your every numismatic whim. The Token team will be there too - complete with the new "General issues" Krause banknote book, the brand new COIN YEARBOOK, the brand new MEDAL YEARBOOK and the exciting "Standard Catalogue of the Provincial notes of England and Wales"

What more reason can you want to come along from 9.30am -5.00pm...!?

The RN to the rescue

Phil Mussell — 05/11/2010 09:57:17

Rights and Wrongs

The annual service of Remembrance held on the Sunday nearest Armistice Day (November 11) and the march past the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, is a splendid opportunity for us collectors to view a stunning array of medals as worn by those who won them. Sadly there are no recipients of World War I medals with us in the UK to take part any more and the stock of World War II veterans is inevitably dwindling as they fade away or simply become too old and frail to take part, but nonetheless there are still some amazing groups to be seen. Indeed they are to be seen up and down the country in local church parades and across the globe as veterans of many countries, and those still serving, gather to remember those who fell in the two World Wars and all those conflicts since. of course we must not forget that these parades are not held for us to gawp at the gongs on show, these men and women are not walking showcases for us to stare at with envious eyes�they are the men and women who actually won these medals, often at very great risk to themselves, or they are the next of kin of such personnel now fondly remembered but too often taken from their families far too soon. That said, it is exceptionally difficult to be a collector and ignore the rows of medals glinting in the autumn sun and we are probably all guilty of looking on in awe at the medals, as well as at those who wear them. Often of course there will only be one or two medals worn�if the recipient was a national Serviceman in the 1950s he�s unlikely to be able to match the chest full of stars and medals that a World War II veteran might be entitled to . . . or so you may think.

Every year around this time one subject manages to split the medal collecting community and every year the same, very good, arguments are wheeled out in support of both sides. Unfortunately the positions of both sides are so entrenched that arguing does little to help and to be honest the subject is so emotive, the two �sides� so deeply entrenched in their views, that I don�t think there will ever be a solution anyway. this most serious of subjects? the cause of such deep divides? . . . : the wearing of unofficial awards and the inevitable appearance of such awards at the Cenotaph parade and elsewhere.

I know that this has been covered many times before and I know that nothing I say here will change anyone�s views one way or the other. There are those who firmly, indeed passionately, believe that the purchase and wearing of such awards should never be countenanced, indeed should actively be outlawed, whilst others believe, just as passionately, that those who wear such things have every right to show the world where and when they served and if their government hasn�t allowed them to do that through official channels then they should be allowed to do it for themselves. The arguments on both sides are complex and numerous and I won�t go into them here. I will say that if you yourself have served and have earned your official medals, then I bow to your views on this subject. You have every right to agree or disagree with the practice of wearing such awards as you see fit. However, for those of us who haven�t served I think we need to take a different view of things and look at it not from a moral but from a collector�s viewpoint.

Recently I heard of a couple of collectors who have actually removed the �unofficial� medals from groups that they have acquired, stating that if it isn�t official then they aren�t interested, and I can�t help but feel that somehow this is missing the point. You may not like this so called �bling�. You may feel that those who wear it are cheapening themselves and end up looking like Christmas trees�that�s your prerogative, but I don�t believe it is anyone�s prerogative to start messing around with somebody�s history. If a veteran, now long gone and whose medals now reside in a collection somewhere, decided that he wanted to apply for an unofficial medal or two, or even three, or four, then that was his choice (and there are many who make that choice)�the collector may think it wrong but it isn�t up to him. Those unofficial medals are part of the story, part of the history of that serviceman and whilst you may personally feel they shouldn�t be worn on parade, the fact is that they often are and that�s just the way it is. The debate on the rights and wrongs of such awards is unlikely to ever reach a conclusion. As I said, the two �sides� are simply too entrenched in their perfectly valid and understandable views, but as collectors it isn�t necessarily our right to get involved in that debate anyway. The medals we now own aren�t ours by right, we didn�t win them, we didn�t serve in campaigns and wars to earn them, all we did was buy them (our own and family medals aside of course) and if we start messing around with groups in our collections just because we aren�t completely happy with the way they are, and thus start messing around with history, then I would suggest we probably shouldn�t be collecting in the first place. We aren�t the owners of these medals, we are simply the current custodians of them and personally I don�t believe it is our place to judge those who wore them first.

The eagerly awaited Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum, London, housing the World�s largest Collection of Victoria Crosses and George Crosses, opens on November 12, 2010�we�ll be at the opening so look out in next month�s Medal News for more details!

In honour of a well decorated soldier

Phil Mussell — 01/11/2010 17:07:00

The new home of Joint Medical Command and Headquarters Surgeon General has been formally opened by HRH Princess Alexandra in Lichfield - and it's named after a man who won no fewer than five gallantry awards, including the VC, during World War I. Coltman House is named after named after Lance Corporal William Harold Coltman VC of The North Staffordshire Regiment - a stretcher bearer who won the VC, DCM and bar and MM and bar. For more details see the Burton News website

Don't forget Britannia

Phil Mussell — 27/10/2010 12:06:00

November 21 - Victory Services Club, Seymour Street, London.

A full list of dealers attending published in NOVEMBER MEDAL NEWS and posted here shortly.

Dates for 2011 are Sunday March 20, Sunday November 20 - put them in your diary

Edwardian Elegance

Phil Mussell — 22/10/2010 14:24:09

What price knowledge?

HAVING just returned from Coinex, held once again at the Millennium Hotel, Mayfair, I feel it safe to say that the event has now probably �settled in� to its new venue and is happy with the role it is playing in the coin hobby and trade�this is a prestigious, showpiece fair attracting a large number of dealers and collectors from across country and across the globe. The hotel, in the heart of one of London�s most salubrious districts is the right one for this kind of event and I am sure that it will remain the home of Coinex for some time to come. There is little point, I think, in giving a full report on the fair here�it was as you would expect such a premier event to be, with an excellent range of dealers exhibiting and some superb coins on offer. It was exactly how the BNTA want it to be and whilst the show is never going to break records for attendance, which it had never set out to, instead the aim was to attract the �numismatists� rather than those simply coming to nose around and there were indeed a decent number of �serious� collectors through the door on the Friday (when you had to pay �35 for entry if you wanted to come in before 2.00pm) and an equally respectable number in on the Saturday when the price of entry was cheaper but the real choice pieces and �bargains� were likely to have gone�or were they . . . ?

We all assume these days that it is the early bird that catches the bargains, or the mistakes, at these shows�that�s why there is always a scrum to get in and often a higher price to pay for early entry. We also assume that there are few real �bargains� to be had these days anyway, as the breadth and depth of knowledge amongst dealers and collectors is such that there is no chance of spotting a hitherto missed rarity on a table unless you�re first in, as everybody knows exactly what they are looking at these days. However, a story circulating amongst the dealers at Coinex this year shows that to be far from the truth.

Eagle-eyed readers may well have spotted two adverts in COIN NEWS last month that both featured the same coin. According to the �gossip� the coin originally appeared in a dealer�s stock at a recent fair and was spotted by an English auctioneer who, knowing it to be a rarity, advised the dealer to put it in auction to see what it would fetch on the open market. This was duly done and it made far more than the vendor originally had it on sale for, apparently some 70 times the original price�that�s quite a mark up and if the story had ended there it would have been worthy enough to tell, but it didn�t. It seems that the coin was bought by another dealer who had also spotted it as a rarity and he believed he could get more for it elsewhere � he was right and it subsequently sold in an auction in the United States for more than 20 times what he had paid for it�that�s 1,400 times the alleged original price! Now, the exact figures aren�t set in stone�you know what rumour mills are like, but the fact is that the coin sold once in one auction for far more than the vendor had believed it to be worth�so well done to the auctioneer for spotting it in the first place�and then again for a huge some that no-one could have believed possible�apart from the second dealer who obviously knew his stuff�so well done to him too!

The reason for me mentioning this here is to say that whilst we all confidently try and convince ourselves that the coin world just doesn�t have those exciting bargains any more, and that the only way any of us will ever find a true rarity is if we rush to tables before anyone else gets a chance to look, or if a collection turns up at a boot sale where there isn�t another coin collector to be found, that plainly isn�t the case. I don�t know the exact circumstances of the original discovery of this particular coin. I don�t know whether it had been sitting in the original dealer�s stock, overlooked by collectors or his contemporaries for a while or whether it was brand new to him, so I can�t comment as I only have �trade tales� to go on. But I do know that the first auction that it was placed in was a popular one, attended by dealers and collectors alike with no early bird advantage to be had, and whilst there was obviously enough interest in the coin to get the price to way beyond the original figure its true potential was missed by all except the eventual buyer. The man who bought the coin knew enough to realise it was an important piece, knew enough to realise where the best market to sell it was and knew enough to realise a very handsome return on his outlay. They say knowledge is power and nowhere is it more obvious than in a case like this. So if you want to be the one to make that kind of return, or if you want to have in your collection a coin so valuable that under normal circumstances you�d never own it, you really, really, have to know your stuff. Read all you can, talk to as many fellow collectors as you can, attend as many society meetings and fairs as you can, gain the knowledge that can net you that bargain. Be the one to know what others don�t and who knows? In fact you can start your quest for new knowledge today with the COIN YEARBOOK 2011 which we launched at Coinex and is available now!

The Strangest Hoard?

Phil Mussell — 19/10/2010 11:59:00

Buried treasure hoards aren't that unusual in the UK - they come up from time to time as the wonderful Frome hoard shows - but usually they are comprised of Celtic or Roman coins or similar - so it was quite a shock for a couple of gardeners in Hackney of all places to come across 80 American gold "double eagles"! There's no logic behind the find - the coins all date from the middle of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th so it's unlikely they were hidden to keep them away from ravaging hordes of barbarians - so archaeologists and police are scrtaching their heads in bemusement. For more details take a look at teh Evening Standard website

Frome hoard valued

Phil Mussell — 19/10/2010 11:51:00

The magnificent Frome Hoard of over 52,000 coins discovered in April of this year (see COIN NEWS September 2010) has been valued at the interesting sum of £320,250 that's £6.10 a coin...! For more details see the BBC website here

Olympic 50p designs unveiled

Phil Mussell — 13/10/2010 15:41:00

The biggest coin programme in the UK since decimalisation took another step forward today with the release of the 29 designs that members of the public will be able to look out for in their change over the next 18 months. Comprising a vast array of different Olympic and Paralympic sports the series will, we hope, capture the imagination of the "casual collector" as they check their change for the varieties.

Look out in COIN NEWS every month to see which coins are due for release - and let us know when you see one!

The first eight sports released this month to purchase are: Aquatics, Archery, Athletics, Cycling, Gymnastics, Hockey and Rowing. The next set of eight coins will be made available to purchase direct from the Royal Mint from next month. The remaining thirteen coins will then be released from the end of this year until the start of summer in 2011 However we are assured that they will also go into general circulation with up to 87 Million coins being available - will they regularly appear we wonder - or will they be squirrelled away....!!?

Medals stolen

Phil Mussell — 13/10/2010 15:22:00

Stolen from a private house in Basildon recently - family medals to Fletcher

WW1, B.E.M, I.S.M to 184212 ALBERT FLETCHER

1939-45 STAR, AFRICA STAR, DEFENCE & WAR, RNR LSGC and Bar to RNRC/JX 343570 R.A. FLETCHER.N

RNR LSGC & QUEEN'S SILVER JUBILEE (ENGRAVED) to D111440V A.G.FLETCHER RN

Any info to the MEDAL NEWS office please

Nelson's Star to shine

Alyson Thomas — 11/10/2010 16:48:48

Changing times

THIS time last year I was sitting at my desk trying to word a tactful �comment� about the new OMRS Convention. We had always been supporters of the event, choosing to launch our MEDAL YEARBOOK there rather than anywhere else. We were thus disappointed that the 2009 version was very much �convention lite�, with far fewer attendees and far fewer dealers than in years gone by. The move to the British Medical Association was seen by many as a retrograde step, with a smaller room and rather austere security measures meaning the atmosphere created at previous Conventions was pointedly missing. So it was that this year we seriously considered whether we were going to make the trip up from Devon�the fact that the Pope was visiting and half of London was going to be closed (or so we were led to believe), didn�t help our mood. However, we were told by the OMRS officials that they had moved the venue from the smaller upstairs room to downstairs and that the security measures, that had meant you had to pre-register last year and couldn�t just �turn up� on the day, had been dispensed with (or at least circumvented). So we felt we owed it to them to give Convention another chance and decided that, whilst the Saturday events wouldn�t be practical for us, we would �stall out� on the Sunday at the Medal Fair. Happily it wasn�t a decision we regretted. True to their word, the OMRS committee had done their best to encourage a large number of dealers to attend and that, inevitably, gave the attendees far more choice than was on offer last year. This year the dealers were spread over two rooms and, whilst that meant there wasn�t the same atmosphere of the palatial New Connaught Rooms, it did mean there was a lively buzz going on� something we were worried might not happen this time around. Reports on the Saturday talks and exhibits were as positive as they had been last year (the first day being the undoubted highlight of 2009) and so it seems that the future of Convention is secure.

Of course, one of the reasons last year�s event might not have been as well attended as when it took place in the New Connaught Rooms was the simple one: that some people just don�t like change. This year they were more used to the idea that the BMA was the new venue and so came back. That may sound simplistic but it happens that whenever there is a change of location of a fair that we attend (be it coin, banknote or medal), there is a certain reticence amongst some of the �old guard� who are disgruntled that the change has taken place and there is a drop off in numbers. It often takes a while for things to get back to normal, sometimes years, and occasionally that delay is too long and the fair ceases to be. We are acutely aware of this ourselves as we consider the future of the Britannia Medal Fair. The venue for the next fair (November 21) is the same as it always has been: the Carisbrooke Hall of the Victory Services Club, just off Marble Arch�but with more people than ever wanting to come along, and more dealers than ever hoping to take tables, we are considering a move. It won�t be a drastic change, if change takes place at all, but it has to be considered. What also must be considered is the feelings of those who like it just how it is. If we move will there be those who will miss the intimacy of the venue? The familiarity of the place and the people? The chicken curry�? The answer is of course, yes there will be, but will that fear of change be offset by the excitement of being able to see even more medals than ever before (and not having to negotiate the stairs�?). It isn�t something I have a ready answer for.

One event that doesn�t have to worry about the change of venue (because they are so used to it), is the annual OMSA Convention which takes place in a different US city every year. The 2010 Convention was held �out west� in Portland, Oregon. As ever the Token Team (well one of us) was represented and we were as pleased as ever to meet up with our friends from that side of the pond, many of whom have just made the trip this way to come to OMRS. Interestingly there was talk at OMSA of changing the �roving� format and holding it in the same place each year so that people could get used to the venue and not have to try and hop from one end of the country to the other all the time (well annually anyway). I�m not sure that the geography of the US would allow that. With collectors spread over thousands of miles, the �new year, new venue� approach allows most people to get a taste of a convention once every three years or so at least, whereas a static site would encourage only those local to attend and would marginalise those further afield. However, the very fact that there was even talk about such a bold move does rather highlight the need amongst some to have the comfort of familiarity�holding OMSA in the same place every year means that people can get into a routine and many of us thrive on such routine and are happier with what�s known. Fortunately for the OMRS Convention the hiccough of last year�s break in routine is now forgotten and hopefully the new venue will serve them well in years to come. Whether such a move outside the comfort zone for OMSA will be as easily dealt with is debatable and I for one would suggest it isn�t practical, with the current format allowing as many collectors to be included as possible. As for Britannia? Well, I like the current venue, I like the familiarity, I enjoy the show immensely and it was because I enjoyed it that I was happy for MEDAL NEWS to take it over. But that doesn�t mean I�m completely adverse to change and would be willing to look at alternatives. Whether you, our readers, would be is another matter but we would love to know what you think!

One change I did approve of at OMSA was the addition of sweets and confectionery alongside medals! One particular stand holder at the show had a veritable tuckshop on his table and I can�t help but think it was a cunning ploy to lure more buyers to his stand, despite his protestations that he knew nothing about where the treats had come from! It got my vote anyway, with the M&Ms being particularly delicious!

Stop Thief

Phil Mussell — 30/09/2010 12:01:00

Medals Stolen in a burglary 23^rd September 2010

Any information contact Alan Seldon 07884187446 or DC Ian Lawson Art & Antiques Unit Metropolitan Police New Scotland Yard 02072302150 Crime Ref Number 5221697/10

Naval general Service Medal bar Syria to William Hall Clerk HMS Rodney

St Jean D’Acre Medal in silver

Army of India Medal bar AVA to John Duffell Carpenters Crew HMS Alligator

Maharajpoor Star to 966 Pte William Carnell 40^th Foot

Candahar Ghuznee Cabul Medal to 347 Pte Thomas Williams 60^th Foot

Scinde Medal Meeanee Hyderbad to 972 Pte Thomas Kemp 22^nd Regt

South Africa Medal 1853 to 2208 Pte Thomas Holyland 1^st Btn Rifle Brigade

Baltic Medal to Thomas Waterfield HMS Driver

Crimea Medal bar Sebastopol & Turkish Crimea Medal to 1593 Pte James Bagnall 1^st K D G

New Zealand Medal dated 1863-66 to Pte James Bell 1/12^th Regt

East & West Africa bar 1891-2 to 146897 O.S. Henry Lake

Second China War Medal clasps Taku Forts 1860 and Pekin 1860 to 2025 Pte Thomas McCormick KDG

Abyssinian Medal 172 Gnr Thomas Archer 5 Bty 25 Bde RHA

South Africa General Service Medal bar 1879 to 14012 Sapper C Scott R.E.

Ashantee Medal bar Coomassie to James Wilkinson LS HMS Active

British South Africa Company Medal Rhodesia 1896 to Tpr H L K Hughes BSA Police

Tibet Medal bar Gyantse to 6967 Pte A Campion 1^st Btn Royal Fusliers

East & Central Africa Medal bar 1898 to 1116 Pte Zahirullah

Transport Medal 1899-1902, 1 clasp, S. Africa 1899-1902 H. A. J. Kershaw

Africa General Service Medal 1902 clasp Kenya to 23024525 Pte B C Irwin, Devonshire Regiment in box of issue.

Natal Medal bar 1906 to Gnr C P Sperryn A Battery Natal Field Artillery

India General Service Medal 1908-35 clasps, Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919, Waziristan 1919-21 (Maj. 84-Pjbs,), Lieutenant Colonel C.A. Brown, 84th Punjabis, British War Medal (Capt.), 32 pages of papers from the India Office.

India General Service Medal 1908-35 three clasps, Malabar 1921-22, Waziristan 1921-24, North West Frontier 1930-31 7869367 Pte. F.P. Luck, Tank Corps.

India General Service Medal 1908-35 clasp Waziristan 1921-24 British War & Victory Medals 3835 Rfn Dharamraj Gurung 2-3 Gurkas

GSM GVI bar Malaya to 14083989 S/SGT W Trafford R.M.P.

CSM bar Northern Ireland to 24101849 Pte S Hughes Queens Own Highlanders with service details & copy photograph.

CSM bar Northern Ireland to 23930037 Pte W Innes Queens Own Highlanders with service details & copy photograph.

CSM bar Northern Ireland 23961304 Cpl N S Sidebottom RCT in box of issue with issue letter Leeds address

South Atlanticwith rosette (ALCK T G Rendle D150894K HMS Glamorgan), in original named card box of issue

Iraq Medal clasp 19 Mar 28 Apr 2003 to 24849073 Sgt C J McCaldin RLC

British War & Victory 2LT Frederick Alfred Cash R.A.F. with officers’ papers showing killed in a flying accident 24/7/18

Victory Medal 25214 SJT. T. JONES R.F.C. a Pilot in the Royal Flying Corps . Shot down and killed in action while piloting a plane, with his Observer in the rear seat surviving and being taken prisoner by the Germans.

Medal of the Order of the British Empire to David Ross Brown LG 2/3/1920 for meritorious services in connection with the production of munitions and materials of war in India. In case of issue.

Medal of the Order of the British Empire to 10456 Wkr J J Dippie WAAC / QMAAC military in box of issue with extensive original documentation & 2 original photographs. LG 23/1/1920

Medal of the Order of the British Empire to Robert Burton in case of issue with sons medals LG 6/7/1920 as Fireman LFB for conspicuous courage in rescuing persons from buildings wrecked by hostile aircraft.

Medal of the Order of the British Empire London Gazette 7.7.1920 Arnold, William Richard, Fireman, Barking Fire Brigade ‘For conspicuous courage and devotion to duty on the occasion of a fire at a munitions factory.’ (? For the Ajax munitions factory disaster in Barking in 1917 that killed 13 women workers)

Medal of the Order of the British Empire 12984 Sgt Alice Emily Harrold Q.M.A.A.C. London Gazette 23/1/20 in box of issue.

Medal of the Order of the British Empire, Military Division, un-named extremely fine, in John Pinches, London, case of issue

CVO in box of issue

OBE Group of Five to Sir William Walter Carlile: The Medal Of The Order Of The British Empire, London 1917, Silver Hallmarks; together with 1914 Star with Bar (W. W. Carlile B.R.C.S. & O.ST.J.J.); War Medal (W. W. CARLILE. B.R.C. & ST.J.J.); Victory Medal (W. W. CARLILE B.R.C. & ST.J.J.) and Special Constabulary Long Service Medal (Sir William W. Carlile. BART.) Very Fine to Extremely Fine, in a Spink And Son Case.

'1918' D.C.M. for Egypt Group of Four to Sergeant R.T.Coles, Bedfordshire Regiment and Royal Engineers,

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (208846 Cpl.- A. Sjt:- R.T. Coles. R.E.); 1914-15 Star (29795 Pte. R.T. Coles, Bedf. R.); British War and Victory Medals (2979 Sjt. R.T. Coles. Bedf. R.), good very fine or better (4)

D.C.M. London Gazette 3.9.1919 '208846 Cpl. (A./Sgt.) R.T. Coles, R.E. (T.F.) attd. 20th Ind. Infy. Sig. Section Bde. For devotion to duty in the field. He had rendered most excellent service, not only in training the signal section to a high standard of efficiency, but by his own example in the front line, and during the operations towards Shunet Nimrim in May, 1918, was responsible for the delivery of important communications. He carried out his duties with entire success.'

British War Medal, Victory Medal to Rear Admiral Philip Wylie Dumas RN also entitled to St Vladimir 4^th Class 1917 & Union South Africa medal 1910 The Liddle Collection has 8 boxes of his personal diaries covering the period 1881 - 1920!! (left behind other medals awarded to him).

DSO GVI, 1915 Star Trio with MID, Union of South Africa Commemoration Medal, to Capt & Adjutant / Lt Col Lancelot Edward Becher R.E. & original issue certificate for the Union Medal.

Union of South Africa Commemoration Medal in box of issue un-named

Foreign awards to Colonel Bernard Ramsden James D.L. J.P. General Staff late Royal Warwickshire Regiment and East Surrey Regiment being:

Russian Order St Stanislas 2^nd Cl

Order of the Star of Roumania with Swords Commander 3^rd Cl

Belgium Order of Leopold with swords Officer 4^th Cl

Russian Order of St Vladimir with swords 3^rd Cl

Belgium Croix de Guerre

Serbia Order of the White Eagle with swords 3^rd Cl

Siam Order of the Crown Grand Officer 2^nd Cl

France Legion of Honnour Officer 4^th Japan Order of the Rising Sun 3^rd Cl

Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Bronze Award for Animal Life Saving (Inspector T.J. Nolan 1968), with For Humanity top brooch bar, extremely fine, in Marples and Beasley, Birmingham case of issue

BEM GVI Civil to George Flattery, with London Gazette 31^st October 1941 Civil Defence Rescue Service Liverpool. For brave conduct in the rescue of a man & child from a burning partly collapsed building during an air raid etc.. In Royal Mint case of issue.

BEM GVI Military to Volunteer Arthur Eric Jane Home Guard “Arcadia” Laira Plymouth, with London Gazette 2^nd December 1941 for gallant conduct in carry out hazardous work in a very braze manner. In home made wooden box

Territorial Decoration GVI with Territorial Suspender dated 1951 in Royal Mint case of issue.

Efficiency Medal, E.II.R. 'T.&AVR scroll suspension', with Bar (22982667 S. Sgt. S.F.Martin. Para), nearly extremely fine, in named card box of issue

ISO GVI star shaped in case of issue hallmarks 1932

ISM St Clare Carlyon Stutchbury Rudland GVI Ind Imp

NGSM Minesweeping 1945-51 Sub Lt S P Hornung RN with 1939/45 star France & Germany star and War medal.

Mercantile Marine & British War Medal Master Ernest William Hyde Furlong Born 1883, with photograph and copy of mercantile record card.

Korea Medal to 22525868 Fus R. Gothard R.N.F.

Korea Medal to 22539485 Tpr R Beveridge 5^th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards

Korea Medal to 22081117 Pte W A W Prentice Corps Royal Military Police

CSM bar Northern Ireland to RM29099 W Hutchinson MNE RM

Gulf Medal bar 16^th Jan to 28^th Feb 1991 to 24904134 Spr T Pike R.E.

Special Constabulary LS&GC Medal QEII to Supt Thomas Smith

Yate time again

Phil Mussell — 24/09/2010 14:50:00

Yes it's almost time for the penultimate "Yate" of the year (the last one is on November 28) and Phil will be there on Sunday October 3rd at the Leisure centre in Yate to once again represent the "Token Team"

The fair starts at 9.30am (for "early preview"; 10.30am for "normal" opening) - which means he has to leave home by 7.00am in order to get there to set up in time - not a great hardship in the normal course of things but as he'll have been at COINEX in London over the previous three days and that Sunday is also his birthday we think he deserves some sympathy - so we expect as many people as possible to come along, say hello and buy a BRAND NEW MEDAL YEARBOOK! It's only fair...

Coinex next

Phil Mussell — 24/09/2010 14:41:00

Yes the "season" starts with a bang next weekend at the Millennium Mayfair Hotel, Grosvenor Square, London with the BNTA's flagship COINEX show.

Taking place on Friday October 1 from 11.00am (£35 "early bird" entry - or £5 from 2.00pm) and Saturday October 1 (from 10.00am £5 or free with your ticket in COIN NEWS) the show is always a popular one and once again we're using it to launch our COIN YEARBOOK, we'll see you there...

Up North again

Phil Mussell — 24/09/2010 14:37:00

It's our last trip to Yorkshire this weekend when we'll be attending Eddie Smith's Leeds(Wakefield) show at the Cedar Court Hotel just off the M1 - we wont have the new COIN YEARBOOK with us (it's out next week but you can pre-order it at this show post free) however we will have stocks of the new MEDAL YEARBOOK, the STANDARD CATALOGUE OF PROVINCIAL NOTES OF ENGLAND AND WALES and EAST INDIA COMPANY AND ITS COINS - as well as all the old favourites - see you there...

Operational Honours

Phil Mussell — 24/09/2010 14:32:00

Some 131 Men and women have been honoured for their service in Afghanistan with no fewer than five Conspicuous Gallantry Crosses and 18 Military Crosses awarded. There was also a George Medal awarded to Acting Warrant Officer Class 2 Karl John Fairfax LEY, The Royal Logistic Corps for neutralising 42 bombs in 72 hours and three distinguished Flying Crosses including one to a helicopter pilot who managed to land his craft despite being hit eight times by enemy rounds - once on his helmet!

This full list appears on the MOD website here

Coins of Auguste

Phil Mussell — 23/09/2010 16:17:27

An old chestnut

WHAT on earth was that? Ah yes, that was summer 2010 and as the nights draw on, the weather gets colder (not that it ever really warmed up much) and as the Christmas cards start appearing in the shops we numismatists can look forward to the start of another �new season�. Admittedly the days of July and August being quiet in our hobby are long gone and fairs and auctions still abound over the summer months, but as the August bank holiday fades into distant memory and people start putting their serious �work heads� back on (for a couple of months before Yuletide at least!), there is always a feeling that autumn is very much �our time�. There�s Coinex of course, always the traditional start to the new numismatic year, with a host of excellent auctions with all the major houses eager to get you to part with your hard-earned cash, and the launch of the new price guides and catalogues�our own COIN YEARBOOK will be hitting the shelves in early October after a Coinex launch with over 2,000 pre-ordered and the promise of a bumper year to come (we�ve increased the pagination again whilst keeping the price at just �9.95 making it beyond doubt the best value price guide on the market).

This year however it won�t only be us old style collectors looking forward to the autumn as the Royal Mint�s promised Olympic 50p series is due to be launched very soon and, as I have mentioned before, having seen these coins I can pretty much guarantee that they will soon disappear, squirrelled away by those who have no idea they are even coin collectors. And that brings me to the point of this Comment. Yes, I�ve spoken about this before but I think it relevant so forgive me if I bring it up again.

Basically we are a fairly close community us collectors and I know that when I visit Coinex, The London Coin Fair, the Leeds show or Birmingham this autumn I will see many of the same people I see every time; that�s no bad thing of course, many of them are old friends and we enjoy catching up, but it is rare to find too many brand new faces in the crowd. Of course there are always some new people, but on the whole I�ll recognise the majority, they will be collectors of long standing, long term readers of COIN NEWS who have watched the hobby, and this magazine, go from strength to strength �in short, people like yourself! That�s great in one way�any hobby needs a bedrock of dedicated followers to keep it going and without you numismatics would have gone the way of the telephone card! But we need new people too and that�s where the problem lies. We know that the Royal Mint has over 100,000 people on its mailing list�people who buy coins regularly. We also know that come the autumn and the release of the Olympic 50 pences, most will vanish as people try to complete the set. We know that coins are newsworthy and that they interest people�you only have to look at the stories surrounding the �undated� 20p or the fake �1 coins or the fact that such respected institutions as the BBC and the Daily Telegraph are even reporting on the potential new composition of our coins (see page 10). That all being the case why don�t we see hundreds of new people coming into the hobby every month? Why is the circulation of COIN NEWS not 100,000 plus (well I can dream can�t I?). Why don�t we see more new faces at coin shows than familiar ones? Quite simply because those people on the Mint�s mailing list, those people who squirrel away the commemorative issues, those people who soak up the news reports so avidly, those people who phone into radio shows every time a coin expert appears would never, ever consider themselves to be coin collectors. But why not? Why don�t they take what is already an interest and take it further? It�s something I simply cannot work out. You could blame us�say we�re not doing enough to attract new collectors; blame the societies and tell them they are too dry and set in their ways to attract new members; blame the dealers and explain to them that they should be encouraging those just starting out as much as those with big money to spend and you might be right. But it isn�t as simple as that. You aren�t going to get these fledgling collectors to buy COIN NEWS or visit a local coin club or even coin fair simply because they don�t consider themselves to be in the same bracket as the people who do. They don�t think of themselves as collectors at all and whilst they may well visit on-line forums from time to time, they often do so simply to find out the value of their coins or find out where they might acquire something they are missing�rarely do they think of themselves in the same way as the others who take part. How then can we persuade them that the act of bringing coins together in a collection makes them a collector? How can we persuade them that they are just like us (whether they like it or not!) and that if they were only to take a more active part in the hobby they could find it very rewarding? I�ve lost count of the number of times people tell me they have coins at home but wouldn�t dream of thinking of themselves as a �collector� �how on earth can we get around that? If you have any ideas please do drop me a line�it�s a problem that�s been on my mind for some time now and, quite frankly it�s beginning to annoy me!

ATC Event Biggin Hill

Phil Mussell — 07/09/2010 11:33:00

A fundraising day is being held at the Air Training Corps, Raf Enclave., Main Road Biggin Hill on Saturday September 18. The event, which will include WWII Vehicles, living history displays, a flight simulator and militaria/collectables stalls, all against a backdrop of 1940s music, goes on from midday until 6pm with a 50p entry fee. For further information - or to take part if you're a dealer - contact Mike van den Dobbelsteen on m.vddobbelsteen@btinternet.com

There is also a 1940s Charity Dance taking place at Biggin Hill that evening with all proceeds going to 2427 (Biggin Hill) Squadron ATC - for tickets or information call 020 84602830 or visit www.stagedoorcanteen.co.uk

Embassy Icon

Phil Mussell — 06/09/2010 12:03:00

A piece of real history EVERY once in a while comes an event so dramatic that it is burned into the collective consciousness. We all have something that we will never forget, depending on our age: some international or national event captured on radio, television or the internet that we will remember forever. It might be Chamberlain’s announcement that “this country is at war with Germany”; Churchill’s exhortation that “never has so much been owed by so many to so few”; the day Kennedy was assassinated; the moon landings; the Challenger space shuttle disaster; the day Mandela was released, maybe the day the Berlin Wall came down or the horrors of 9/11. Every one of these has been important enough to stay with those who witnessed it throughout the years, regardless of what else has happened in their lives. Of course, as I reel out that list of iconic events there is one missing—an event that was to change the way British Forces were seen across the world and a day that has been re-enacted a thousand times across the decades by small boys eager to be heroes. I’m talking about an event that enthralled the country, if not the world, as pictures of it were beamed live by the BBC and we watched in wonderment as the Iranian Embassy Siege was finally brought to an end on May 5, 1980 by the black-clad members of B Squadron Special Air Service. The circumstances of the siege are well known, it has been written about and dramatised many times in the intervening 30 years, not least in the “Special Forces Heroes” television series on Channel Five, and for anyone over the age of 35 with even a vague interest in military (or indeed television) history it has become one of those iconic moments never to be forgotten. Even those too young at the time to know what was really happening (or those not even born) are aware of the siege and few who have ever watched the footage (now available on You Tube—I urge you to watch it again if you haven’t seen it for a while) will ever forget it. The SAS’s reputation was forged on that day and no-one who talks about that elite fighting force can avoid mentioning such an important part of their history. Later this month part of that history will come up for sale at Bonhams in their “For Valour” sale when the QGM, Northern Ireland and Dhofar, Falklands, group of three to Sergeant Tommy Palmer, SAS, comes under the hammer. Tommy was one of three SAS troopers to be awarded the Queen’s Gallantry Medal that day (with one other, and PC Trevor Lock, being awarded the George Medal) and there is little doubt that this is one of the most interesting if not important medal groups to come up for sale for some time. Sgt Palmer was one of the “abseilers” who came down from the roof of the Embassy on May 5 and threw in the first stun grenades. He was one of the first men in action and in fact was almost the first casualty when his abseil rope got caught and he found himself hanging in front of a burning window with his protective clothing catching fire—the hood he wore that day is included in the lot, complete with burns! The rope was eventually cut and Tommy survived to be one of the first into the Embassy killing at least one terrorist. Of course, such a group as this—a gallantry award with a South Atlantic and a Northern Ireland GSM to an SAS trooper—would be beyond the pockets of most of us even were that gallantry award not for the SAS’s most famous action. Factor that in and you’ll understand why I’m not thinking of bidding myself. This should fetch some serious money and with Lord Ashcroft’s stated interest in the Special Forces I would be surprised if he didn’t feature in the bidding somewhere on the day. In short, this is a group few of our readers will get a chance to own (if any of you are in a position to bid then I envy you greatly and wish you luck!) but that doesn’t actually matter. The fact is that this is an amazing group with an amazing story behind it and whilst there are medals that have fetched more in the past, and others that will fetch more in the future, few, I think, have the cachet of being for actions so indelibly printed in our memories, actions we actually witnessed. But that of course is an integral part of what makes our hobby so fascinating. Most of us collectors tend to content ourselves with the “run of the mill” groups—the trios, the singles, all named up to men whom we can’t research as individuals, instead we have to “make do” with Battalion or Regimental histories and, if we’re honest we are quite happy with that. Every now and then we are able to delve further with the research—maybe with medals to an officer or a casualty, but in the main we don’t know too much of the exact circumstances in which the award was won and even if we do the chances of the BBC actually having filmed the whole event are pretty slim . . . So when something like this comes along, something out of our past that immediately conjures up the adrenaline of such a memorable day, we look on with awe and whilst we wish we could afford it ourselves we don’t actually begrudge the future owner his purchase, instead we are happy to be part of a hobby that allows history to come alive in this way. I call it the Top Gear affect and I’ve mentioned it in this “Comment” before—we might drive a Ford Mondeo but that doesn’t stop us coveting the Ferraris or looking at one in envy and admiration as it passes us on the M1. It’s the same with medals—whatever this group makes at Bonhams most of us will be content to look on from the sidelines and remember when we saw those black-clad figures clambering across the Iranian Embassy balcony and think to ourselves that maybe one day we too will be the owners of such a prestigious group—well, we can dream can’t we?

STOP PRESS: The Group made £98,750 at Bonhams on Wednesday October 29 2010

Oh Canada...

Phil Mussell — 03/09/2010 13:23:00

For those of you on that side of the "pond" unable to make it over to this side for the OMRS or Coinex there's always the next Jeffrey Hoare

Numismatic and Militaria Sale taking Place on September 18 and 19 at the Ramada Inn 817 Exeter Road, London, Ontario.

The sale is something of a mixed bag with lots to cater for all collecting tastes from coins through tokens ad banknotes on to militaria - there is also, somewhat unusually, a large collection of "letters of credit" on offer! For full details email jhoare@jeffreyhoare.on.ca or visit www.jeffreyhoare.on.ca

Beautiful art medals

Carol — 25/08/2010 11:12:00

Collectors of post-war art medals will be spoiled for choice with Simmons Gallery's next postal auction. The superb on-line catalogue features medals from all over the world including Britain, France and Germany. Closing date for bids is September 21 and further details are available at www.simmonsgallery.co.uk.

Biggest ever

Phil Mussell — 24/08/2010 11:08:05

Taxing issues

THIS �Comment� has taken many forms over the years�I�ve talked about new coins, old coins, the state of the hobby, coin fairs, banknotes, tokens�you name it, I�ve covered it. However, it is rare that I give out and out advice, preferring instead to offer my opinion�advice gets complicated! In last month�s COIN NEWS I decided that the recent budget had been so important in terms of tax changes that both an opinion on what that meant to coin collectors, and some advice for them, was necessary. Graeme Restorick of Chards had been kind enough to pen a letter regarding the position on VAT and Capital Gains Tax (CGT) for collectors and I decided to use that letter on this page to give our readers an idea of what was going on. Unfortunately whilst Graeme�s letter was very useful it did make a few omissions and, if read wrongly, could have misled one or two readers�as a couple of people pointed out to us shortly after the magazine came out.

With this in mind we went back to Graeme, and asked the advice of a couple of other people �in the know�, and can, this month, clear up a few of the issues that were troubling our correspondents. Before we do that however, I would like to stress that we are NOT tax experts and nothing you read here (or indeed in most other places) should be taken as gospel�this is meant for guideline purposes only and anyone who thinks that there may be an issue is urged to talk to an accountant and/or the tax office! If you get it wrong please don�t blame COIN NEWS!

The key issues omitted last month concerned the assertion that gold coins issued after 1800 were free of VAT. This, according to HM Customs notices 701/21 and 701/21a (do read these if you can, they are very useful), is not strictly the case as it only applies to a gold coin that is of a purity of not less than 900 thousandths (90% or .900) that is, or has been, legal tender in its country of origin, and is �of a description of coin that is normally sold at a price that does not exceed 180% of the open market value of the gold contained in the coin�. Now this will cover most gold coins in our hobby, but there are one or two exceptions and readers should be aware of them�they would include, for example, the 1813 British Military Guinea; some foreign gold coins issued in 18ct, 14ct, 12ct, 9ct gold (or any other sub 90% gold); pattern coins (because they are not legal tender) and �off-metal� gold proofs such as those in the 2002 gold 13-coin Golden Jubilee proof set. The penny from this set would still be legal tender, but gold pennies do not normally sell for under 180% of their intrinsic gold content value, so again this would not be covered. This status can of course change because of the secondary market.

Another point that troubled some was mention of �investment gold bars�, for whilst they are VAT free, as was detailed, the definition of what makes an �investment gold bar� is quite strict�just any old bar won�t do I�m afraid and that wasn�t made clear. To qualify as �investment gold�, a gold bar must be �gold of purity not less than 995 thousandths and that is in the form of a bar, or a wafer, of a weight accepted by the bullion markets�. In other words �home made� bars of the type seen occasionally are not acceptable to the taxman.

These issues are important of course (as is the assertion that certain items were subject to CGT at 28% when it should have read �up to 28%�) but the main concern voiced by those who got in touch was regarding the example of the sale of the Krugerrand�because whilst the maths was correct there was one important omission�this particular example would not have exceeded the �6,000 lower limit set by her Majesty�s Revenue and Customs for an item to attract Capital Gains Tax. Any coin, or indeed set of coins or collection sold for less than �6,000 would NOT attract CGT. Only when a single coin or �set� is sold for more than that does CGT kick in. Below that figure and a coin is considered a chattel and thus free of tax. The whole area becomes a little murky when we talk about selling a �set� of coins compared with a collection: a set which fetched over �6,000 would be liable for CGT (on the profit element as detailed last month) regardless of the individual price of the coins therein (think an 1887 Golden jubilee 11 coin set for example), whereas a �collection� that sold for over �6,000 would not. However, if you decide to sell a �set� over a period of time to one person (i.e. with each coin being sold for less than �6,000 but the whole �set� being worth more, you�ll still be liable for CGT as set out. Then again if you sell it �piecemeal� to different collectors with each coin being sold for less than �6,000 (but the total being more than �6,000) then there would be no liability . . . see, I told you it was complicated!

And all this complication comes before we get into the realms of income tax�which is perhaps something to think about if you�re buying and selling coins on a regular basis! I hope I have made things clearer, but I suspect not, therefore I will urge you once again to get the advice of a professional if you are at all worried. Then again as we have seen, even professionals can make mistakes. So I guess sometimes all you can do is do your best.

Thanks to Edward Baldwin and Seth Freeman of Baldwin�s, Graeme Restorick and Lawrence Chard of Chards and Garry Charman of Format of Birmingham for their help in trying to straighten out this complicated subject!

Rare Civilian Awards

Carol — 20/08/2010 12:57:00

Gavin John Miller and Dean Seaward are the latest civilian recipients of the Queen’s Gallantry Medal. Miller received the award for rescuing a fire fighting colleague from a burning building on November 1, 2003. While attending a fire at an hotel, a fireman fell through the roof of the storeroom into the flames below. Crew Commander Miller entered the storeroom to rescue his colleague. Sadly the colleague he rescued later died and Miller was treated for heat exhaustion and burns but made a full recovery. Firefighter Dean Seaward rescued a family of three from a burning building on November 25, 2008. Using simple ladders, Seaward rescued one adult male before returning along a narrow ridge to rescue the man’s wife and son. Full details are recorded on The London Gazette no. 59498, dated Tuesday July 27, 2010 (Supplement no. 1).

Rare silver dollar sells for $1.2 million in Boston

Carol — 11/08/2010 17:23:00

At the Bowers and Merena "Boston Rarities Sale" on August 7, the rare 1794 silver dollar caused quite a stir when it sold for over one million dollars. With the bidding starting at $750,000, the lot quickly moved up in increments of $50,000 to its astounding final hammer price. The 1794 silver dollar was struck to replace the Spanish, English, Dutch and French coins that dominated local commerce at the time. Only 140 surviving examples of the coin are known throughout the world today. The Boston Rarities sale made a total of $9.2 million dollars.

US Resistance

Phil Mussell — 10/08/2010 10:48:00

It seems it isn't only us Brits who are nervous of change when it comes to our currency - every time a new coin or note issued the papers are full of complaints, full of those saying we ought to leave things as they are and full of people harking back to the good old days. That's as may be but to be fair we do end up using the new coins - even if we don't like them - not so in the States it seems as this BBC story tells us!

All change for change

Phil Mussell — 06/08/2010 13:51:00

Those with an interest in such things will know that our "copper" coinage hasn't been that for some years - the decimal 1p and 2p pieces were in fact bronze but that changed in 1992 when they started being minted in steel coated in copper.

Now the composition of the 5p and 10p piece is changing too with the proclamation of July 22 2010 that states all coins of these denominations will also be made out of "mild steel" - this time coated in nickel. We await to see what these coins will look and feel like and will keep you posted when they start entering circulation - if we spot them that is!

For the full proclamation take a look at the London Gazette Website

Important postal auction

Carol — 04/08/2010 15:33:00

City Coins of South Africa have advised us of an important postal auction they have coming up which was unfortunately too late to include in the Medal News August issue. Their Auction no 60 offers no less than 30 lots of decorations and more than 100 lots of single campaign medals. Don't miss this opportunity to add to your collection! Closing date for all bids is August 27. For more details contact City Coins email: nataliejaffe@citycoins.co.za or log onto www.citycoins.com.

More medals...

Phil Mussell — 04/08/2010 14:05:00

According to the MOD website many more Iraq and Afghanistan medals are about to be awarded....

The reason is a change to the qualifying criteria - formerly 30 days continuous service this has now been changed to 45 days aggregate service. These changes will be backdated to the start of each operation. For full details see the MOD Website

Outstanding result

Phil Mussell — 03/08/2010 15:55:30

Courage under fire

THIS month�s �Letters to the Editor� sees a letter from Richard Leach who feels rather strongly about the inclusion of a Victoria Cross within the honours systems of Australia, Canada and New Zealand. He feels so strongly that they shouldn�t exist (he refers to them as �bogus�) that he is rather upset that we put them in our MEDAL YEARBOOK! His letter has been included in the magazine solely to stimulate debate and I must stress that we do not agree with his sentiments that the institution of Victoria Crosses for Commonwealth countries somehow �reduces� the original award or �insults� those who received it. Of course, the inclusion of the Crosses in the YEARBOOK is inevitable: they are part of the relevant awards systems and therefore cannot be overlooked, however the fact that they exist at all has created a certain amount of consternation in some quarters, both in the UK and in the respective countries themselves, and so maybe the question of their existence should be addressed.

The first of the �new� Victoria Crosses was that for Australia as part of the ongoing revamp of their honours and awards system, started in the 1970s in an attempt to move away from the �colonial� British way of doing things. The Australian medals are indeed very different from the British ones, the designs and ribbons are very distinct and in most cases they bear very little resemblance to the awards made under the previous system�which is why it is perhaps surprising that in 1991 the Australians decided to institute a new pre-eminent award that didn�t just draw influence from an old �Empire� decoration but actually copied it completely�the Australian VC is even made of the same metal as the original Victoria Cross (the cascabels of the Chinese guns captured from the Russians during the Siege of Sebastopol in the Crimea. The New Zealand VC is also cast from the same metal and the Victoria Cross for Canada has a large amount of it in its composition). The Canadians followed their ex-colonial counterparts in 1993 with the institution of the Canadian Victoria Cross and whilst this medal�s design had the Latin Motto Pro Valore rather than the English For Valour (to reflect the bi-lingual nature of the country) and it included metals other than that from the gun cascabels in its make up (principally a Confederation Medal from 1867 and metals mined from across the country), it is still very obviously a VC. New Zealand instituted theirs in 1999 and, like the Australian version, it is true to its origins in every respect. To further cement the ties and confirm that these are very much seen as �proper� Victoria Crosses, any winners of the awards will automatically be welcomed into the very elite Victoria Cross and George Cross Holders Association.

Having established that these are �real� VCs the simple question raised by this is why did these three countries decide to go that way? Obviously there have been many incredibly brave men from Canada, Australia and New Zealand who have won the VC in the past�but they did so under the British Honours system. Surely when new systems were introduced it was right to institute a brand new �highest� honour, wasn�t it? The New Zealanders managed to do it with the George Cross�which is now superseded by the reinvented New Zealand Cross�so why not with the Victoria Cross?

Those in the UK who object to these new Crosses apparently do so because they feel that their existence somehow dilutes the �power� and �importance� of the original; those in the relevant countries who object do so because they feel there is still too much emphasis on the Colonial past, and to institute a Cross that harkens back so obviously to a potent symbol of Empire is to miss the chance to cut ties still further. I am afraid I have no sympathy with the first argument�those few men who will receive the �new� Crosses (and to date there have been just two�one for Australia to Trooper Mark Donaldson and one for New Zealand to Corporal Willie Apiata; no Canadian VCs have been awarded) are no less brave than the men awarded the original, their deeds no less worthy of the award and to suggest that the new Crosses are in some way inferior to the British one is plainly ludicrous. Similarly it has to be accepted that in countries with their own honours systems, even if they share a Monarch, to maintain a �British� award as their highest is clearly not acceptable so something had to change. So to object on the grounds that they simply should have kept what they had holds no water either.

Those who argue that the new Crosses are too reminiscent of the past do have some sympathy from me�but it only goes so far. Yes these Crosses are quite obviously meant to be seen in the same vein as the original and, yes, the VC itself is indeed a symbol of Empirical might that will be unsavoury for some, but all too often change is made for change�s sake and so I will argue that whilst the implications of keeping a Victoria Cross may be distasteful to a few, the vast majority will see it differently.

The Victoria Cross has always been the ultimate symbol of bravery, courage, valour in the face of the enemy�in all the wars, battles and skirmishes fought by British and Empire troops, encounters that have involved millions of men in the last 150 years, only a handful of VCs have ever been awarded�it really is the cr�me de la cr�me. It represents the absolute pinnacle of human bravery and is recognised as such across the globe. Look at it like that and it is small wonder that the Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians want to carry on the tradition and include the VC within their honours systems. Many of their countrymen have won and worn the VC with pride in the past and now others will have the chance to do so again. So Mr Leach, I cannot agree with you that these awards are �bogus�. I see them as part of an ongoing process to recognise the bravest of the brave and to suggest otherwise is, I think, to somehow miss the point.

OMSA Anyone...?

Phil Mussell — 31/07/2010 12:39:00

Once again we're looking forward to our annual "OMSA Pilgrimage" - this year's show is being held in Portland Oregon and, for some reason, Phil has agreed to give a talk...

The event takes place from August 12-15 at the Red Lion Hotel on the River at Jantzen Beach, Portland - for further details see the OMSA website

1 in 36....

Phil Mussell — 27/07/2010 11:05:00

No not the odds of your number coming up in Roulette but rather the estimated number of £1 coins in circulation according to the Telegraph today (July 27). I've always been sceptical of such numbers - after all they are compiled by people who actually monitor £1 coins - and a lot of those are vending machine companies. Why does that make a difference? Well think for a minute - where would you try and palm off a fake if you were unlucky enough to have one? To a shopkeeper or in a machine? Exactly - which gives a skewed view of what's actually happening. Interesting story though -and it keeps coins in the news - have a look at it here.

I think the idea of a complete scrapping of the current £1 coin is a bit far fetched- but I've been wrong before...

Krause 20th Century is here...!

Phil Mussell — 23/07/2010 12:46:00

AT last we have the BRAND NEW 20th Century Krause Catalog of World Coins in stock - those of you who know the Krause works will know how invaluable they are and this one is no exception - order your copy today! Just visit our on-line shop for details

Medal Yearbook 2011 - coming soon

Phil Mussell — 23/07/2010 12:33:00

We'll be going to press with the MEDAL YEARBOOK 2011 in August - ready for publication on September 19 2010. If you have any corrections or amendments do please let us know - you can email me on phil@tokenpublishing.com

Medal Match

Phil Mussell — 23/07/2010 12:31:00

We took the "Medal Match" feature out of MEDAL NEWS as very few entries were coming in for it - since we did we have had lots of people ask when it's coming back....! We're not sure what to do now so it's over to you - do you want it back? Do you have some lonely singles you want to get rid of? Let us know and we'll make a decision....!

Banknote error?

Phil Mussell — 22/07/2010 14:56:00

According to news reports security printers De La Rue, who print banknotes for over 150 countries (including England), have suspended production amidst fears that sub-standard paper has been used. The company has so far refused to confirm whether or not notes using the paper, which "failed to meet certain quality specifications" have entered circulation.

As well as banknotes the printer supplies security documents such as passports however it is understood that the issue of the paper is not one that affects the security aspect.

Chaplain's Medals sell well

Phil Mussell — 20/07/2010 11:27:00

The Medals of Canada's most decorated military Chaplain, Frederick Scott, have sold for CAN$28,000 at the Ontario Salerooms of Jeffrey Hoare Auctions Inc. The group of ten, which included the CMG, DSO and the Royal Canadian Humane Association Sanford medal, were purchased by the Canadian War Museum. For more details have a look here

No Comment!

Phil Mussell — 20/07/2010 10:50:00

The Editor's "Comment" is one of those features that always seems to stimulate debate - many of you are kind enough to tell us how much you like it, others are kind enough to tell us why you don't - and we value both lots of input believe me.

Invariably the subject of the Editor's "Comment" will present itself to us nice and neatly - it will be obvious what we should be talking about and we duly do so - but whilst we do our best to keep our ear to the ground and cover topical subjects of interest to most we are aware that we may well miss something. So if ever you have a subject you believe we should cover do please let us know - we'll see what we can do

York sucess

Phil Mussell — 19/07/2010 11:51:00

Lovely to see so many people at the York Coin Show this past weekend - the Friday was absolutely heaving and whilst Saturday was, inevitably, slower it was still an enjoyable weekend! The next show at the Racecourse isn't until January but we're hoping to get up to Eddie Smith's Leeds show before then - when we're not quite sure - we'll keep you posted...

Perth Mint

Phil Mussell — 19/07/2010 11:34:28

The Taxman and your coin collection

THE budget announcement by the new Coalition Government, on June 22, has put the subject of taxation back into the news. So, this month, in place of my usual �Comment�, GRAEME RESTORICK of Chard (1964) Ltd explains the implications of the new tax rules with regard to coins.

.......................................................

IN the budget it was announced that VAT was to rise from 17.5 to 20 per cent from next January and Capital Gains Tax to rise from 18 to 28 per cent for higher rate taxpayers with immediate effect. These tax increases will obviously have an effect on the price of most goods and services, including many coins, although there are some notable exceptions, as is explained below.

Since January 1, 2000, investment gold has been VAT free throughout the UK and the rest of the European Union. This includes all world gold coins struck after 1800, as well as bars. Partly because of this tax incentive, world gold coins such as Australian Nuggets, Krugerrands and Canadian Maples, as well as older coins such as ducats, 20 franc pieces and sovereigns, amongst many others, have become very popular with collectors and investors. The VAT exempt status of Investment Gold, which is EU wide, is not expected to change in the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately, whilst investment gold is VAT free, it is not necessarily CGT-free. In the UK at least, world gold coins and gold bars are now subject to CGT at the rate of 28 per cent. Although the first �10,100 worth of gains made by an individual in a single tax year is exempt from taxation, all subsequent gains are taxable. This means that if you had, for example, bought some Krugerrands (VAT free) for a total of �50,000 and you later sold them for �75,000, �14,900 of your �25,000 gain would be subject to taxation (assuming you hadn�t already used up your exemption amount for the current financial year). The other bit of bad news is that gains are not index linked to inflation. If you had bought a single Krugerrand for �350 in 1980 and you sold it for �800 in 2010, the difference of �450 would count as a gain for CGT purposes, even though in real terms, you had in fact made a loss.

However, the good news for UK residents who collect British coins is that legal tender sterling coins (including silver Britannias) are CGT exempt. The even better news is that gold coins which are legal tender sterling are also VAT exempt, making them the only coins that are completely tax free. These include all British sovereigns struck after 1837 and gold Britannias, as well as their multiples and fractions. For UK resident collectors specialising in Sovereigns and/or Britannias, this can be of enormous advantage, especially as they expect that there may come a time when they may wish to sell their collection.

Collectors of coins other than sterling and/or modern gold issues may find buying and selling coins a slightly more expensive proposition than was the case before the present budget, as a result of the recent tax increases. However, whilst they do not benefit from the tax advantages to be had from collecting modern British gold, it should not dissuade them from buying those coins which do interest them. Collecting coins is very much a matter of personal taste and most people do not get into the hobby simply to get the best return possible for their investment, and nor should they. If you are one of these collectors however, you need to be aware of the potential consequences of disposing of your collection too quickly if and when the time comes for you to sell it. Having to sell your collection at a future date may already be painful enough, without the added burden of having to pay the taxman a huge sum of money for the privilege for doing so!

.......................................................

I thank Graeme for putting this perplexing subject into perspective for us and I am sure that if any reader still has doubts or uncertainties regarding coins and taxation he would be willing to give advice�but please, ask your friendly local accountant first and then write to him, via the Editor.

York this weekend

Phil Mussell — 12/07/2010 11:28:00

I hope you haven't forgotten that this weekend sees the second of the year's Coin and Medal shows at the Knavesmire Stand of York Racecourse. As always there will be a plethora of dealers offering just about everything a collector could want. And yes the Token Team will be there too!

The fair opens at 11.00am on Friday (10.00am on Saturday) and we hope to see you on one, or both, of the days!

The Standard Catalogue of Provincial Notes of England and Wales is here!

Phil Mussell — 12/07/2010 11:07:00

Although we're officially launching the Catalogue this weekend at York, Roger Outing's fantastic new catalogue is available now! Listing as many provincial notes as have ever come on the market this incredible new work is guaranteed to become THE reference work on this fascinating subject. There is only a limited print run so don't miss out - order yours today!!

Click here for further details!

Lost in the post...

Phil Mussell — 12/07/2010 10:58:00

"Lost" in the postal system between East Anglia & Western France - 1914-15 Trio to Sgt 315783 D. Mc PHERSON. Scottish Horse/Royal Highlanders.

Any information or sightings to; Ron Withers on,ronjudy@free.fr or Philip Burman on,01553 840350

Thanks everyone!

Huge hoard discovered

Phil Mussell — 08/07/2010 11:07:00

News is coming in of the discovery of a hoard of more than 52,000 Roman Coins. The hoard, discovered after a single coin was found and reported by a metal detectorist in Frome, Somerset was first unearthed in April but details are only just emerging now. It is thought that rather than being a hoard hidden and intended for the recovery the coins were in fact part of an offering to the Gods.

More news on the subject will appear in the September issue of COIN NEWS but for more details now see the BBC's website

What? No Medal News?

Phil Mussell — 05/07/2010 11:47:00

Don't forget that the last issue of MEDAL NEWS - the June/July issue featuring "Gettysburg" on the front cover- was a JOINT ISSUE - there is no separate July offering. The next magazine will be the AUGUST issue available at the end of July

Elizabeth Cross for IRA Victim

Phil Mussell — 05/07/2010 11:41:00

The family of the last Soldier to be killed by the IRA during the Troubles in Northern Ireland have been awarded the Elizabeth Cross.

Lance Bombardier Stephen Restorick was killed by an IRA sniper at a checkpoint in Bessbrook, Co Armagh, on February 12, 1997 and in recognition of that sacrifice his parents Rita and John Restorick, from Underwood in Nottinghamshire, were presented with the medal at Nottingham's County Hall.

Read more at the Belfast Telegraph's website

Medal of Honor for living recipient?

Phil Mussell — 02/07/2010 10:28:00

According to the Washington Post the Pentagon has recommended that the Medal of Honor - the US Military's highest Award - be given to a living recipient for the first time since the Vietnam conflict. The Soldier, fighting in the notorious Korengal Valley in Afghanistan apparently ran through a "Wall of Enemy Fire" back in 2007 in an attempt to push back Taliban fighters who were threatening to overrun an American position.At this stage the name of the Soldier is not known but those of you who have read Sebastian Junger's excellent book War about the horrors of the Korengal Valley may well be familiar with the name when it is announced. In the book Junger talks about a soldier named Giunta who dashes through a "Wall of Lead" to rescue a comrade and help secure the position so it may well be him - that's just a guess mind you...!

Added July 5 2010 - it seems someone else has been reading the same book as me. Have a look here

Who next for notes?

Phil Mussell — 02/07/2010 10:18:00

With the phasing out of the "Elgar" note we now have the situation that the £50, £10 and £5 are from one "series" with the £20 from the next - which must mean that somewhere in the corridors of the Bank of England there is someone whose job it is to draw up a shortlist of those figures who will, in time, grace the other new notes when they are finally issued.

Given that we now have a Scotsman on the Bank of England £20 (an oddity considering the Scottish Banks have their own currency and their notes always features Scots) who we wonder will be next to grace the pound in our pockets? Is their room for a Welsh icon perhaps? A Northern Irish "celebrity" anyone? (dear God not Eamon Holmes please).

We await the announcement with interest - although at this stage we have no idea when that announcement may come. Watch this space!

Stop thief - again

Phil Mussell — 30/06/2010 11:13:00

Stolen from a house in Exeter three generations of family medals - a WWII framed group comprising the 39-45 star, Africa Star, Italy Star and War Medal. They were awarded to 14307011 Cpl R Harvey of the Royal Engineers and a named plaque features in the frame.

A framed WWI Trio named to 12642 Sgt C Harvey 2nd Life Guards/MMP.

A framed South Africa (Zulu War) with Egypt/Khedive's Star pair named to T/ 2265 A Harvey ASC.

Any information to the Medal News office please

Farewell to Elgar

Phil Mussell — 30/06/2010 10:41:00

June 30 was the last day you could officially use the Elgar £20 - it was withdrawn from this date and is now fully replaced by the Adam Smith £20 note issued first in 2007.

Personally I feel the loss of one of England's Greats, replaced by a Scot whom few outside the world of Economics had ever heard of before his arrival on our currency, is a great shame - but then what do I know...?

After June 30 you can change your Elgar notes at most banks, even the Post Office but shops are no longer obliged to take them

VC Stolen

Phil Mussell — 29/06/2010 12:20:00

According to press reports the Victoria Cross of L/Sgt Thomas Neely VC MM of the King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regt.) was stolen, along with the MM and his campaign medals, from the Cheshire home of his Great-Nephew Phil Jones on Sunday (June 27). Apparently Mr Jones had only had the Cross for a couple of weeks having been recently given it by his father.

Needless to say such a treasure will not be easy to sell within the medal world but collectors should keep their eyes open just in case.

$1 Million Coin sold

Phil Mussell — 29/06/2010 11:18:00

The World's Largest coin - the100 Kilo half metre wide gold CAN$1Million Maple leaf has sold for US$ 4Million at the Dorotheum Auction House in Austria. Admittedly the price of gold has had much to do with the phenomenal price but you have to ask yourself will this ever actually be melted down for its scrap value? Highly unlikely - what is likely is a rush of copycat giant coins "struck" as other Mints get in on the act. Watch this space!

Stop Thief

Phil Mussell — 25/06/2010 10:12:00

Stolen from a house in Blackler's Cross, Totnes on June 15 2 framed medal groups as follows:

WWI Pair and IGS (Clasps North West Frontier and Waziristan) to Major J. R. C V. Leir

WWI DSO Group to Major (Later Major General) E B Costin of 2/West Yorkshire Regt (The Prince of Wales’ Own).

Details to P C Chris Empson on 01803 860437

Stratford Show 27/06/10

Phil Mussell — 25/06/2010 09:50:00

Yes it's going to be a glorious weekend, yes England face the "Old enemy" Germany in the World Cup on Sunday afternoon but no that does not mean we're going to miss Mark Carter's Stratford Fair at the leisure centre....

It starts at 9.30am (for the preview - all that means is a slightly higher entry fee than "normal" membership) and officially ends at 2.30pm but in reality people start leaving a little earlier so don't worry about kick off! Come in in the morning spend an hour or two wandering round, come and say hello to the Token Team (well Phil anyway) then you can head off in time for a BBQ, a beer and an England Victory.....see you then!

Michael Fryer

Phil Mussell — 25/06/2010 09:47:00

It is with great sadness that we learn of the death of Michale Fryer of Waterloo Militaria. Michael has been a stalwart of the medal scene for many years and, despite recent ill health has still been "stalling out" regularly - at Mark Carter's Stratford Fair, OMRS North and our own Britannia. He will be missed.

A coin of Tipu Sultan

Phil Mussell — 24/06/2010 16:00:03

A golden opportunity

OVER the past few months I have speculated that the forthcoming Olympics is the best opportunity the Royal Mint has ever had to take the bull by the horns and get the general
public interested in collecting coins, using the promised 50 pence programme to stimulate the market in the same way that the American �States Quarters� programme has been so successful in the US. Things started well and while there was no established launch date or timetable for release, we were treated to views of two of the promised 29 designs and were eager to see the rest, but then nothing else happened. No coins were put into circulation and no more designs were seen. The emphasis of the Royal Mint�s marketing seemed to switch to their 2010 circulating designs and, on the Olympic side, the �commemorative crown� Celebration of Britain series was being pushed, leaving us wondering what was happening to the 50 pences. There was speculation that the number of coins was going to be reduced (it had been thought that the idea was to have 29 coins released at the rate of one a month for 29 months leading up to the Olympics but, as time raced by, that was obviously not going to happen), that the designs weren�t working as a series, that the quality of designs received wasn�t up to the high standards of the Mint, or that not enough sports were represented by the designs submitted, meaning the Mint was having to look �in house� to cover the shortfall. But such speculation was just that, it had no basis in truth whatsoever and I can now, without fear of contradiction, state that it was all totally wrong!

Having been fortunate enough to be privy to the designs for the 29 new 50 pence pieces I can now happily report that, while they are all quite different, they do all work together as a series very well and that a large range of Olympic and Paralympic sports are represented�captured by designers who, to my untrained eye, seem to be a nice blend of professional designers/artists and untrained (but obviously gifted) amateurs (the number 29 incidentally is actually the number of different disciplines that will feature in 2012 and nothing to do with a time frame at all). Some of the sports are represented in an obvious and straightforward way, leaving nothing to the imagination, while others have been tackled more subtly but all the designs are artful and tasteful and they all �work�; none jars or offends the sensibilities, they sit nicely together and all have enough gravitas to be worthy of gracing our �coin of the Realm�.

All being well, the first of these coins will be released into circulation in the autumn of this year although, as ever, there is always room for manoeuvre on launch dates and nothing is cast in stone. The idea is to launch them in limited numbers, a few designs at a time, across the whole of the UK, thus giving everyone a chance to collect the full series. But I can guarantee that some will miss out! The reason I say this is not because I don�t believe the Royal Mint capable of delivering on such a project, nor because I believe that the banks won�t be able to circulate them as they should, but rather because I truly think that these coins will disappear into collections as soon as they see the light of day.

Inevitably, with the range of sports covered in the series, some coins will be more popular than others as aficionados of a particular sport are sure to want to hold on to an example of �their� 50 pence, even if they aren�t interested in the series as a whole. This may result in coins representing some of the less popular Olympic events cropping up in change from time to time. But even then I doubt that you will see many of them in circulation. I am not sure of the exact numbers of each coin that the Mint is planning to release, but I have been assured that they will be �limited� and, such is the appeal of these new coins, that means they will disappear, and quickly.

I appreciate that this may all sound a little over the top but, having seen the coins for myself, I really do believe that the Royal Mint has got it right and, just like the Americans, we are soon going to have something in our change that will get people talking, hunting, hoarding. Of course, not every design will appeal�the armchair critics will undoubtedly decry certain depictions of certain sports and there will be those that feel things could have been done differently. That, of course, would be the case no matter what the Mint did, so forgive me if I gloss over those opinions for now and simply say that I like these coins and even if you don�t (and I�m sure there will be one or two you�re not keen on, just as there will be one or two you think controversial and one or two you absolutely love), when you do actually see them you won�t be able to deny that they will serve the purpose that we in the hobby are eager that they should. That purpose is to get the man in the street collecting coins, get him checking through his change and actually noticing these funny little pieces of metal that we seem to have such a fascination for. If he does that, as I think he will, the Royal Mint will have succeeded�and if they go further, as I hope they will in commissioning or producing a range of accessories to complement such a series (folders to keep the coins in, collectors packs, etc.), then we will, I think, see a surge in interest not seen in numismatics for 40 years. After that, I am afraid the rest is up to us as collectors�but more of that in due course!

World's Largest Coin up for grabs

Phil Mussell — 16/06/2010 11:42:00

The World's largest coin the 100kg, half metre wide $1,000,000 Canadian Maple Leaf coin will go on sale at Auction on June 25th . The coin will be sold by Vienna's Dorotheum Auction house and is expected to fetch in excess of $4,000, 000 - we'll keep you posted. For full details see the BBC Website or Dorotheum's own pages

Canada secures VCs

Phil Mussell — 09/06/2010 09:49:00

A year after a controversial auction that saw the Canadian War Museum spending nearly CAN$300,000 to ensure an historic VC did not leave the country the institute has managed to acquire two more crosses - but for somewhat less. The Somme VC of Cpl. Leo Clarke and teh Italain Campaign VC of Lt John Mahoney have both been donated to the museum by the respecive families - despite the potentially huge payday these medals could have brought had they come up for sale on the open market . For the full story see this story in the Vancouver Sun

Brand New Krause available soon!

Phil Mussell — 08/06/2010 15:51:00

The BRAND NEW Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901-2000 will be available very, very soon - to pre-order your copy visit our online shop or call 01404 44166

Missing coins

Phil Mussell — 08/06/2010 11:58:00

According to an American on-line newspaper, the Daily Reckoning, we in Britain have lost a fair few coins since the 1960s. I accept that we now mourn the loss of the farthing, the ha'penny and the threpenny bit but I am amazed that we have also said goodbye to the penny and the two pence - that will come as a shock to many of us....

Have a look here and you'll see what I mean

London Coin Fair - it's on Saturday

Phil Mussell — 03/06/2010 12:09:00

Yes it may be beautiful weather out there, yes we're in Devon and most people are heading west, i.e. our way away from the Capital but not us - no the Token Team is heading East this weekend to attend the second London Coin Fair of the Year, and the second under the auspices of Mike and Lu Veissid. Still held at the popular Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury (just off Russell Square) and still featuring all your favourite dealers this is one not to be missed. SO if you're not heading West on Saturday come and say hello to us in Bloomsbury!

Afghanistan Awards

Phil Mussell — 03/06/2010 11:58:00

Medals awarded for bravery on Afghanistan's front line have been award by Her Majesty the Queen in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Among those receiving awards was Rifleman Paul Jacobs who was blinded by a Taliban bomb. He received the George Medal for continuing to protect his colleagues despite his horrific wounds. For the full story see here

Gettysburg

Phil Mussell — 01/06/2010 12:37:39

MEDALS, awards and decorations have been given out for various different reasons over the years. Most people associate them with heroism or participation in a particular war, action or campaign, but we medal collectors know there are many other reasons why a medal might be earned: for long service perhaps, maybe to mark a Royal Visit or to show that the recipient is a good shot or particularly good at his job. Rarely though is a medal awarded for NOT doing something and yet it seems, in these topsy turvey days that such a medal may soon exist.

Apparently, according to various sources, there is a proposal doing the rounds in the Kabul Headquarters of ISAF (the International Security Assistance Force) suggesting that a new medal should be instituted for those on active service who show �Courageous Restraint� in minimising civilian casualties in a war zone. Whilst it appears that such a medal, if it were to be instituted, would probably be for American service personnel (it is apparently being currently considered by the Obama administration), the idea actually seems to have come from Major General Nick Carter - the BRITISH commander in Afghanistan, so it is fairly safe to assume that if such an idea is adopted by the US forces then a similar medal will find its way into the British honours and awards system. The argument for the medal is that today�s battlefields are not as clear cut as once they were, the enemy isn�t as obvious and the men and women who engage that enemy have a far harder job than their predecessors ever did in gauging who they should actually be fighting. As a consequence of this the potential for civilian, non-combatant, casualties is high and therefore those who show courageous restraint in the face of a potential enemy who then turns out not to be, so minimising such casualties, should be rewarded for acting thus. In other words don�t shoot anybody and get a medal . . .

On paper the idea appears to be worthy, it is a reward for those who use their judgement in otherwise hot-headed situations and, thanks to their clear thinking, avoid civilian casualties that would of course be both terrible in human terms but also terrible in the propaganda battle. But in practise such a medal cannot work�or can it?

If such a medal were to be instituted, isn�t that sending out exactly the wrong message? The message I see by even proposing such an award is that the high command believe that the majority of soldiers DON�T act with courageous restraint and in fact are happy to just blast away at anything that moves regardless of consequences. To have to introduce a medal to those who don�t shoot people they shouldn�t is to suggest that most automatically do! Although it might not seem like it at times, war, at least when fought by a legitimate army backed by a State, has rules�those rules include minimising civilian casualties and not just wiping out anyone who gets in the way. Yet the very suggestion of this medal would seem to indicate that such rules are not applied all the time and that when they are they should be officially recognised.

Madness of course, except it might not be�and there may be a case to answer for such a medal.

If you look at the Medal Yearbook you will find a host of medals that are not awarded for heroism or specifically issued to mark a particular battle or war at all. In fact there are dozens of medals that have been awarded over the years that are featured simply because the recipient did what they were meant to do, or was in the place they were meant to be at the time they were meant to be there and did it without making a hash of things and blotting their copy book. In other words they are medals awarded to people just for doing their job. So if the �Medal for Courageous Restraint� does ever come into being (although the negative reaction from the public, and particularly by those actually doing the fighting in Afghanistan, would indicate that it very well may not) might I suggest that it should be automatically awarded to everyone fighting as a matter of course as I have no doubt that every single one of them exhibits a commendable amount of restraint every day they are on the front line, that is their job, it is what they were trained to do and the vast majority do it very well indeed. It won�t make it a particularly valuable medal to us collectors�indeed those groups that don�t contain it will be of more interest than those that do, as there will be a story to tell. But it certainly makes more sense to do it that way round than to single out a few individuals who were just doing what they are supposed to do. After all do that and the implication is that all those who weren�t singled out are somehow guilty of not showing restraint and thus, in effect, are guilty of war crimes. Alternatively the whole idea could be quietly scrapped and the men and women fighting in Afghanistan ad elsewhere could be allowed just to get on with things�I think that might be the better option, don�t you?

Coin Portraits

Phil Mussell — 01/06/2010 12:37:00

Your help is needed I CANNOT quite believe that this issue marks the halfway point of the year—before we know it the York show will be here and gone, the summer will be over and I will be writing in this Comment about the start of another numismatic season in the autumn. Of course, with the new numismatic season comes the launch of our COIN YEARBOOK and that is something we have to think about before the year is halfway over! Most of you will, by now, be familiar with our COIN YEARBOOK—we have been publishing this annual price guide and collectors’ handbook for nearly two decades now and we like to think that each year it gets that little bit better. It has never been intended to be a full-on numismatic catalogue with every single variety and mintmark listed, but rather an easy-to-use guide to the vast majority of pieces found in your average collection, or indeed in the hoards squirrelled away in attics or jam-jars by people who would never consider themselves coin collectors, but in fact have been for years. It has never been a heavyweight tome but nor is it a flimsy throw-away booklet either. It is designed to be referred to regularly, used for a year, and invaluable during that time, and then replaced. But that notwithstanding we do still try to make it the best it can possibly be —we want to give our readers as much useful information as possible for as reasonable a price as possible (you will note, I hope, that we haven’t put the price of the YEARBOOK up in years—it still stands at £9.95 and we are hoping to do the same for 2011). However, making the book as good as it can be not only relies on our production team doing a first rate job but also on finding out from you, the readers, the collectors, the buyers of the book, what you’d like to see included year on year. For 2011 we have a number of new ideas that we would like your opinions on, as well as finding out what things we might have overlooked that you would like included. One of the main areas we are toying with is bringing in a “spiral bound” version of the COIN YEARBOOK — the American Red Book (which we also stock) has both a hardback and a spiral bound version, the latter having the advantage that it lies completely flat when open on a desk, with no damage to the spine. Would that be something of interest to you? We are also looking at “colour coding” the different sections. At the moment all the prices are to be found in the blue- edged sections of the book, but what if we introduced different colours for different types of coins —maybe red edges for Roman Coins, green for Celtic, yellow for Hammered, blue for Milled and black for Modern (as examples). Would that help or hinder you? And what of the Irish, Island and Scottish sections—do you still want those included? Do you want them expanded? Maybe they are just right the way they are. We never get complaints about them, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be improved. Are there perhaps other coins you would like to see included? Is our coverage of the year sets comprehensive enough? What about the Britannias? We have a limited section on them but does it need to be expanded? And what of the gold sections? In such volatile times as these is there merit in including “basic” gold like the “ordinary” sovereigns? We learned a long time ago that to produce quality products for our customers we have to listen to what they want. We now print over 10,000 COIN YEARBOOKS and sell out every year but we can only continue to do that if it is a book that 10,000 or more people want to buy—and they will only want to buy it if it contains the information they are looking for. So please, now is your chance to tell us what you would like included. We’ll be working on it over the summer (we always leave the pricing until last to ensure it is as up to date as possible but the rest of it gets started before the staff start disappearing for their summer holidays), so if you have any suggestions, tips, ideas or indeed (heaven forbid) complaints, then do let us know. We aren’t some “outside” organisation looking to make a quick buck by producing a price guide that no-one wants to buy. We are part of this hobby, we care passionately about this hobby and we want to produce quality publications that will help all of those involved in the hobby. With your help we can continue to do so. You can write to us at the usual Honiton address or contact us via email at info@tokenpublishing.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

The merry month of May

Phil Mussell — 31/05/2010 18:19:00

Since I started with Token back in 1996 I don't think there has been a single month where I haven't been attending one show or another somewhere in the country - or indeed the world - but May 2010 sees the Token Team staying put for once! That's right we aren't doing a single fair anywhere this month but June sees us in London (London Coin Fair June 5), Bromley (Ray Brough's Medal Fair June 6), Birmingham( Motorcycle Museum June 13) and Stratford (Mark Carter's Fair June 27) so don't worry you won't have to miss us for long!

500 Euro Ban

Phil Mussell — 13/05/2010 11:38:00

Apparently 90% of 500 Euro notes used in this country (The UK)are used by money launderers - that's according to the BBC who tell us that now Exchange bureaux will no longer be selling the notes over here.

I have to be honest and say that whilst I don't necessarily agree that such a high proportion of 500 euro notes are used by the criminal fraternity I do question the need for such a denomination in the first place. Surely 100 Euro notes are sufficient? The thought of losing such a large sum is enough to put the "man in the street" off of carrying the, that and the knowledge that if you try to buy your morning croissant with one you will be viewed with a less than favourable eye, so who uses them? The reason for their existence was to help "businesses" but surely any legitimate business wanting to deal with large sums of money would use other means than cash? Just a thought!

Capture of Taku Forts

Phil Mussell — 07/05/2010 14:45:00

Good times As you are reading this editorial, both Spink and Bonhams will have just held what I am sure were very successful sales. These follow on from some excellent auctions at Warwick & Warwick and, as you can read in Market Scene this month, before that there were some superb results at both Bosleys and DNW. Later this month (May) we have Wallis & Wallis, A. F. Brock and Lockdales (who incidentally were NOT the auction house mentioned in Letters to the Editor last month—apologies to them if anyone thought they were); then in early June we have Bosleys again and then Morton & Eden. We also have Baldwin’s keen to develop their medal side (it was good to see them at the recent Britannia Medal Fair), as well as the postal and internet based auctions. Wellington Auctions bi-monthly catalogue is always eagerly awaited by our readers, Neateauctions.co.uk continues to go well and DNW’s desktop sales are going from strength to strength. These are all in addition to eBay and good old Speedbid (don’t forget Speedbid, it may be David to eBay’s Goliath but there are some interesting medals on there). And, of course, you can’t forget the “provincial” non-specialist houses, some of whom, like Mellors & Kirk or Woolley & Wallis, will have sales with large medal sections, whilst others will have gems of medal-related lots hidden within their general sales. In short, there is plenty of choice when it comes to buying at auction—more choice than ever before in fact. But does that mean the traditional dealers are suffering? Does it mean that more and more people are turning towards the auctions to buy or sell, rather than going to the dealers such as Chris Dixon, Chelsea Military Antiques or Phil Burman—long established “names” in the medal world? Far from it—if you look at their stock over the past few months, indeed the stock of most established dealers, you will see that they have offered some phenomenal groups recently. You only had to see the items available at Britannia to realise that whilst the auction houses may be doing well (there was no doubt that the two VCs and Army Large Gold Medal that Spink had on display were the stars of the show), the dealers are easily holding their own with some remarkable items for sale. Yes, there is still a great deal of “standard” stuff around, there always will be, but there really are some lovely choice pieces too and that begs the question —where is it all coming from? And, in turn, who is buying it? I’ve been involved in the medal game for nearly 30 years now and in that time I have seen some simply stunning medals come up for sale at prices which, when I look back on them, seem so very cheap. But in the past couple of years I have seen more quality medals than ever appear in catalogues and lists and, of course, I’ve seen prices rise too. Every month another record seems to be set; every month another glossy catalogue featuring groups that are guaranteed to fetch mega-money lands on my desk; every month another list is perused at length and I am always left in awe at what is on offer and every month I ask where on earth does it come from? The cynics will say that the hobby is so small that it just gets shuffled from one dealer to the next and that the market isn’t as buoyant as it seems. Yes, it is true that you will see things appearing at auction that then appear on a list, and items may well be on one dealer’s website one week and another’s the next. But that’s not new, that’s how dealers make their money: by dealing, and it happens in every area of collecting. What the cynics don’t spot is the fact that those dealers aren’t so foolish as to just keep buying and selling to each other—there wouldn’t be enough money in it, so tight are their margins—so there must be customers out there somewhere who are willing to part with serious money, and so there are. Take the most recent sales for example. Choose an auction house and then choose a few random lots. You may find one or two of them appearing on the tables of dealers at Mark Carter’s next fair or at Britannia, but not many. Most of those lots will go straight into collections and you can pretty much guarantee that you won’t see them again for some considerable time to come. That being the case, I ask again: where is all this wonderful stuff coming from? It might be, of course, that as prices rise so more people, who had been holding onto what they considered to be fairly worthless trinkets, begin to realise that they could make a bob or two. It could be that collectors, eager to buy some of the choicer pieces sell off some of their own items to fund new acquisitions. Whatever the reasons it is gratifying to see so many wonderful groups (and singles of course) being offered up by so many people; it is gratifying to see that they are still selling and that prices are continuing to hold strong, and gratifying to see so many collectors able to add some fantastic items to their collections. In the past 30 years I’ve seen situations where there has been too much stock and too few collectors (or at least collectors willing to spend) and I’ve seen the opposite—too many collectors scrabbling around for too little stock, with the dealers unable to find nice pieces anywhere. Today the balance seems to be spot on. Certainly the dealers will always like to be able to get their hands on more stock, that’s just the nature of the game, but at least what they are getting is superb. The quality of items on offer today is better than I’ve seen in three decades, and all those items seem to be finding homes—this is a great time to be in medals.

Thomson Roddick and Medcalf

Phil Mussell — 29/04/2010 17:13:00

The advert for TRM Military Auctions in the May issue of MEDAL NEWS erroneously gives their next sale dates as June 24 and 25 (it wasn't our fault - honest guvnor...). The sale actually takes place the week before on June 17 and 18.

Don't say we didn't warn you - and don't miss out, they've got some great pieces coming up!

Spink Success

Phil Mussell — 22/04/2010 11:51:00

The two VC groups that Spink had on display at the last Britannia have just sold for no less than £210,000 (hammer £252,000 including premium) EACH! The first - to Major John Knox of the Rifle Brigade was a very early award being for Valour in action during the Crimean War 1854/55. It was sold with his campaign medals and a cannon ball - reputed to be the one that smahed his left arm during the assault on the Redan in June 1855!

The second lot of the day - and the second VC - was a much later award being the posthumous award to Act.Wng. Cmdr Hugh Malcolm Gordon RAF for commanding an attack on Bizerta Airfield in November 1942. Gordon was killed in Action a month later. It was sold with his World War II campaign medals.

The other wonderful group on display at Spink's table at Britannia was the GCB, large Army Gold Medal and Portuguese Order of the Tower and Sword group to Lt-Gen. Kenneth Alexander Howard, Earl of Effingham. This fetched a magnificent £58,000 (hammer - £69,600 including premium)

Look out in the June/July MEDAL NEWS for further highlights including the Battle of Britain DFC group that fetched £150,000 and the unique "Mau Mau Emergency" DCM that fetched £72,000 !

Pondering �progress�

Phil Mussell — 19/04/2010 15:06:00

Comment May 2010

I Was standing behind a gentleman in the queue at my local supermarket last week and was horrified to discover that the reason the simple transaction was taking so long was that he was paying for a £2 lottery scratch card with a debit card. Not a swipe card that requires no interaction you understand but rather a full blown “insert card/remember pin number/enter pin number/wait for transaction/remove card/wait for processing/take receipt” type of card. The whole thing, which could have been over in mere seconds had he reached into his pocket and produced a £2 coin took over a minute—not a great deal of time admittedly but multiply that across every transaction in every supermarket everyday and you will see why we are spending so much of our time queuing! So much simpler, surely, to have some kind of token, equivalent to the value of goods, that you could exchange for those items quickly. If the goods were worth less than the token you could perhaps get smaller tokens as “change” which you could then exchange for other goods later on. Wouldn’t that be quicker, easier, more straightforward than having to stand there pressing buttons and waiting for electronic approval while the people behind you get increasingly irate? I’m being facetious of course, but I think I have a valid point—in this never ending quest to embrace technology we seem to have made things more complicated for ourselves, we seem to have added steps that weren’t there before, and we seem to have forgotten that things that have been around for centuries have been around for so long because they work! Slowly, it seems, technology is replacing many of the things we know and love and while there have been some incredible advances, not everything is necessarily for the better. Just because it’s shiny and new doesn’t mean it has to be preferable to what has gone before, as people are beginning to realise. Take the recent furore about the phasing out of cheques—there was much trumpeting in the press about how the banks were going to get rid of cheques by 2018, then it was realised that actually this might not be practical after all, as even though there are fewer and fewer of them being written every year “fewer” still means millions and for some transactions there is just no viable alternative. For mail order particularly the cheque is a Godsend, not everybody wants to use on-line electronic shopping, few people want to send cash through the post and many baulk at the idea of sending all their credit card details out so openly—in this case, and for things like paying the plumber or decorator, the cheque is ideal. The banks, in their desire to embrace new technology (and save themselves money) hadn’t really thought it through and now it seems they have gone back to the drawing board. And actually I’m rather glad they have. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a Luddite—I have no desire to hang on to the past for the sake of it but I do feel we are in danger of hurtling headlong into the future without considering the consequences. Our hobby is, essentially, one that relies on history—even those who collect new issues do so because they recognise the place new coins have in the history of numismatics and those of us who collect ancient, hammered even pre-decimal milled all know how important our coins are in shaping our knowledge of the past. Often coinage is all that is left of an emperor, an era (without coins the Dark Ages would be even blacker) and they have taught us much. It’s the same with banknotes, or with cheques, issued by long forgotten banks that would have disappeared forever were it not for those little pieces of paper. Our hobby, the things we collect, help us and others understand what has gone before and only by understanding that can we truly appreciate what the future may hold. Now however, there are those who seek to do away with coins, with notes, with cheques, they are eager to see everything done electronically, but to my mind this is incredibly dangerous. Even if you ignore the “Big Brother” implications of having every transaction you ever make noted by somebody somewhere, you cannot ignore the issue of recording the now for those who come later, how much poorer would our understanding of history be if all we had to go on was little slips of paper with numbers on in the style of a credit card receipt rather than coins depicting emperors or goddesses? It’s not just coins and notes of course—we are, I fear, in danger of losing an awful lot to progress. Who, for example, keeps a diary, a proper diary, these days? “Blogs” abound but such is the transient nature of the electronic world that most will, in time, be lost forever, victims of system failures, software upgrades or similar—and as for photos? Well, the rich archive of memories committed to celluloid that make family history come alive for so many won’t be there for future generations—photographs are rarely seen outside of a computer screen these days and I for one think that’s a great shame. Technology is wonderful, it has given us things we could only dream of just a few years ago but being “whizzy” and electronic doesn’t necessarily make it better. There are some things, simple things, that just work—coins and notes work—and if it ain’t broke why fix it? So, nexttime you’re in a supermarket paying by cash remember this—you aren’t just helping preserve our hobby for the future, you’re actually helping to preserve history. Oh, and you will also be helping to preserve the sanity of those behind you in the queue!

Yate? Yep!

Phil Mussell — 19/04/2010 00:09:00

Are you coming to Yate this Sunday? As ever the Token team will be at Mark Carter's Medal Fair at the Leisure Centre Yate on Sunday (April 25th) - 9.30am start for "preview" 10.30am for the "normal opening" (but you wouldn't want that now would you - you might miss something).

Yes we know that it's OMRS North on Sunday too - and we'll be there as well (Phil's doing that one, John and Carol are doing Yate) but that won't affect Mark's show too much - let's face it if you're in the South you'll probably go to Yate - in the North you'll head to Runcorn - only the Midlanders have a dilemma!

Wither way you won't be able to escape from us - we'll see you at one of them!

Coin Quiz

Phil Mussell — 14/04/2010 21:36:00

According to the Payments Council (who? Is this where our Tax goes?) within five years coins and notes will make up less than 50% of transactions. To be honest I'm surprised it isn't lower than that already (see COIN NEWS May...) but the BBC think it's worth a mention, they've even done a quiz- have a look here

OMRS North anyone?

Phil Mussell — 14/04/2010 15:38:00

Despite the rather unfortunate clash with Mark Carter's Yate show on Sunday April 25th the Token Team (well Phil anyway) are eagerly looking forward to the biennial OMRS North - held once again at the Holiday Inn, Runcorn, Cheshire.

This will be the fifth show held by the Northern Branch of the OMRS and we have to confess the last four have been great fun - we're looking forward to seeing all our old friends and making some new ones too. If you can get along on the Saturday for the exhibits and talks (see their advert in MEDAL NEWS April for details) if not then do make sure you come along to the bourse on Sunday - you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Aldershot on Sunday

Phil Mussell — 14/04/2010 15:30:00

Don't forget Mark Carter's Aldershot show this Sunday (April 18th) at the Prince's Hall, Prince's Way, Aldershot. We try to get to at least one a year and this weekend we're heading up the A303 and M3 to Hampshire to attend. As with all of Mark's fairs a good selection of medals and militaria is sure to be on offer - the event starts at 9.30am for "preview" and 10.30am for the regular opening. For those of you who don't know "preview" is open to all - you just pay a little more!

"Youngest MC" since World War II

Phil Mussell — 14/04/2010 15:18:00

18 year old Private Alex Kennedy of the 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment has been hailed as the youngest recipient of the Military Cross since World War II. The Full story can be found here.

However no mention is made of young recipients of the Military Medal - we're sure that there must have been at least one or two awarded to soldiers of 18 or under prior to the decoration being made obsolete in 1993 when the MC was made available to all ranks and we would like to hear from readers with any information regarding such awards.

Not that we wish to denigrate the heroism of Pte Kennedy in any way but we do feel that the full story, with all the facts, should be covered!

The Red Book 2011

Phil Mussell — 07/04/2010 11:18:00

For some bizarre reason the Americans like to launch their "annual" price guide some 8 months before the year on the front cover (and we thought we were bad with our Yearbooks launched in September!) which means the 2011 (yes 2011) edition is out now!

We have got stocks of both the usual "hardbound" edition and teh spiral bound version too - order your copy from outr shop!

The role of the RN in NI

Phil Mussell — 01/04/2010 10:12:00

Medal Misconceptions The recent news that bomb disposal expert Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmidt, who was killed in Afghanistan in October 2009, is expected to be awarded a posthumous George Cross spawned a raft of inaccurate reports in some of the UK’s most respected newspapers and on radio and television. That certain amateur websites, run by enthusiasts rather than professional journalists, made errors is one thing but to have such revered organs as the Sunday Telegraph (March 14, 2010) and Daily Telegraph (March 15, 2010) stating that the George Cross was “second only to the Victoria Cross” and still others claiming it to be “the civilian award for Gallantry” is something else. Yes, mistakes do happen (we should know) but there are some fundamental items in a news story that should be correct and all too often the media get it wrong. We’re all used to seeing flagrant disregard for the history or the order of wear of medals and decorations on television and film — examples such as the ribbons sported by Clive Dunn’s Lance Corporal Jones of “Dad’s Army” fame have gone down in medallic folklore so unlikely is the combination (he is seen wearing an 1882 egypt ribbon alongside an IGS 1895, Queen’s Sudan, QSA, KSA, IGS 1908, World War I Trio, and LS&GC, a ribbon that looks like a Royal Visit to either Ceylon or Ireland and a Khedive’s Sudan — admittedly they are in the right order but assuming he had to be at least 16 to fight in egypt he would have been 48 at the outbreak of World War I and 74 in 1940 when the comedy series was set — with a service history to rival any hitherto seen!) but one assumes that news reporters, who are dealing with facts every day, would do their best to get things right. Admittedly we haven’t always got things right here at MEDAL NEWS but unfortunately the level of medallic ignorance amongst the general media beats us hands down, these reports of the George Cross being just the latest in a long, long list, but should we be surprised? The ignorance in the media simply reflects the general ignorance of the public at large, many of whom still assume that a medal, any medal, is solely a bravery award and wouldn’t know an official medal from “bling” if you paid them. The very fact that the SAS “faker” Roger Day (who had his recent conviction quashed thanks to a legal technicality) was able to fool not only his wife but apparently a good number of others, including veterans, with his unlikely display of “gongs” highlights the lack of knowledge amongst those not directly involved in the hobby or the forces. This being the case it is small wonder that the unofficial medal trade has prospered in quite the way it has in recent years—the general public have no real knowledge of what should be worn, and how. Therefore it should come as no surprise that those who seek medallic recognition but who never got it officially resort to purchasing these “commemoratives” in order to show others where they served. Whether or not this actually matters per se is a moot point and the debate would rage long into the night were we to reignite it here. We’re on the fence ourselves, we were responsible, back in the early 1980s, for the design and production of the Bomber Command Medal (through a MEDAL NEWS competition) and don’t regret that decision, however the proliferation of so many “service” medals more recently has led us to feel that it has got a little out of hand—to say the least. But again the question is raised—does that matter? If your goal is actually to be seen by others as having taken part in a particular campaign or action and the Government hasn’t given you a medal for it then buying one must be seen as the next best thing—far better, one assumes, to buy a medal to which you would be entitled were it official than to sport an array of awards that you couldn’t hope to have earned in a month of Sundays à la Mr Day! The point is that, sadly, the general public, or indeed until it’s pointed out to them the media, won’t be any the wiser, and with so many medals having been proudly and legitimately won over the years, often at great personal cost to the recipient, I find that ignorance a great shame. There is not a great deal we can do of course, when such trusted institutions as the Sunday and Daily Telegraph can’t get it right there appears to be little hope that the man in the street is going to wise up any time soon! As already mentioned we at MEDAL NEWS don’t always get it right and our mistake at showing the unofficial Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal (“news & Views”, february 2010) landed us, quite rightly and understandably, in trouble with more than a few readers. However, I still stand by my contention that it is a finer looking medal than the official one and apparently others seem to agree with me — see “Readers Letters” on page 41.

Russian Honours

Phil Mussell — 25/03/2010 11:26:00

According to this story the Russians have once again honoured those who took part in the Arctic Convoys that kept Russia functioning despite the Nazi threat. Such honours have become a bone of contention in recent years with the medals awarded on the 40th anniversary being given the "official" seal of approval to be worn alongside British decorations whilst subsequent awards have been overlooked. What will happen with this latest offering remains to be seen.

Some luck....

Phil Mussell — 25/03/2010 11:22:00

Captain Wayne Owers, who has diffused a record 93 bombs in Afghanistan and has been awarded the QGM says that he only has only survived through "sheer luck" for the full Story see the Telegraph website here

Britannia - another success!

Phil Mussell — 25/03/2010 11:16:00

If you were one of teh hundreds who turned up for the Britanna Show on Sunday March 21st we'd like to extend our thanks for helping to make the show another great success. The dealers all seemed happy, the collectors all seemed happy and the Token Team - well we were happy to - if a little exhausted!

The next fair is on November 21 2010- same place, same time - see you there!

Harrogate and our new book launch!

Phil Mussell — 25/03/2010 11:13:00

Don't forget the Harrogate show -taking place on Friday 26 - Saturday 27 March at the Old Swan Hotel in the beautiful Yorkshire Spa town of Harrogate.

The Token Team (well Phil anyway) are driving all the way up from Devon and we'll be launching our latest book - The East India Company and it's coins with the author on hand to sign copies!

Don't miss out - we'll see you there

Flying the Flag

Phil Mussell — 19/03/2010 12:39:52

An unfair dig?

AN interesting story broke in early March that had coin collectors and metal detectorists all of a lather. A Ludlow woman, Kate Harding, became the first person successfully prosecuted under the Treasure Act 1996 for failing to report a find. She was given a three month conditional discharge and ordered to pay �25 costs after failing to report a 14th century French Piedfort to the County Coroner. On the surface there are a number of worrying aspects to this story for numismatists: firstly the �coin� was, apparently, given to Ms Harding when she was only 9 years old, some 14 years ago�it had been found by her mother some time before that, i.e. before the 1996 Treasure Act came into being, so was it right that she should be prosecuted under that law? Secondly, the Act is quite clear about single coins. It states that any object found, other than a coin, more than 300 years old with a precious metal content of more than 10 per cent must be declared. Single coins, regardless of their composition, are exempt. Coins need only be declared if two or more with a precious metal content of more than 10 per cent or 10 or more (regardless of precious metal content) are found together. In other words why did this single �coin� need to be declared at all? Hasn�t Ms Harding been treated very unfairly? The first point I won�t comment on � the exact date of the find cannot be proven and thus the prosecution was made under the 1996 Act, whether that was right or wrong is not our concern�but what of the need to declare a single coin? Now that is an interesting question. The fact is what Ms Harding actually had was not a coin at all but a piedfort, which were special items designed probably as commemoratives or presentation pieces, being twice the thickness and weight of the standard coin on which they were based. This was not an ordinary circulating coin used to buy the groceries, in fact this is an important piece and one of only four ever to have been found in this country. And that is why it was necessary for her to declare it, not for its monetary but rather its historical value. In fact the real issue here isn�t actually whether she should have declared the find�after all she would not necessarily have known about the 1996 Treasure Act. But whilst ignorance of the law is no defence, one might still feel sympathy for her were it not for one salient point. Ms Harding was only convicted after taking the piedfort to Ludlow museum for identification under the Portable Antiquities Scheme and being told (after further identification by experts at the British Museum) that it was of historical importance and needed to be reported. This, apparently, she refused to do, despite repeated attempts to contact her by the Finds Liaison Officer and the Coroner. So let�s get this straight. Someone goes to a museum where they are told that what they have is important and needs to be declared, but they refuse. They are then repeatedly reminded that they really do need to declare this item and again refuse. Is it any wonder a prosecution was the result?

Needless to say there are those up in arms about the conviction and the on-line community is buzzing with talk of a miscarriage of justice, heavy handed tactics, etc., and there numerous people keen to drum up support for Ms Harding and get her conviction quashed. The same people also seem to be scare-mongering in the coin world telling us that this is just the beginning and soon every find will be snatched by the state and we numismatists will have nothing. We even had emails coming into us at COIN NEWS after we were quoted (rather worryingly verbatim) on the BBC website as saying that Ms Harding�s actions were �bloody stupid� in not declaring the find. The authors of the emails are keen to let us know that they disagreed with what we�d said and that poor Ms Harding couldn�t possibly have known the implications of the Treasure Act.

Well, sorry, in this case we do consider the actions to be �bloody stupid��not because she didn�t declare the item in the first place, not everyone can be expected to know the full Treasure Act (although if you detect regularly you really should read it) and she wouldn�t necessarily have known at first that this wasn�t a coin and therefore should be declared. No, the stupidity has come purely because she was told to do something and didn�t. She was then advised to again and again and still refused. To expect no come-back is na�ve in the extreme, stupid at best.

Of course one of the major issues about declaring an item has always been the fear that the finder will lose out, that somehow the State will snatch away your lovely finds and you will be left with nothing. The fact is that if your item is declared Treasure you may well lose it. It won�t have a place in your collection that�s true, but you won�t lose out entirely. You will get the market value for your find and something is only ever �taken away� because it is believed to be of historical or archaeological importance and is subsequently offered to museums. The Treasure Act isn�t there to rob us, and it certainly isn�t there to �destroy� numismatics, it is there to safeguard the heritage of this country and to allow far more of us to enjoy seeing coins (and other artefacts of course) that we might not necessarily otherwise get to view. But that is actually irrelevant � whether or not you agree with the Treasure Act, whether you think it is good or bad for our hobby really doesn�t matter in this case. What does matter is that if you take something to be identified or valued and someone tells you to declare it, you then get repeated requests from those in authority to do just that then you would be wise to actually do so. Anything else, well that would just be stupid wouldn�t it?

Two George Crosses Awarded

Phil Mussell — 18/03/2010 14:40:00

We knew that there might be one coming but apparently two George Crosses are to be awarded for Gallantry in Afghanistan - both to bomb disposal experts. A Postumous award goes, as expected, to Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid who was killed in October 2009 whilst the other award is being made to Staff Sergenat Hughes for his work in enabling a minefield rescue

For the full story see here

Two more for Britannia

Phil Mussell — 17/03/2010 16:54:00

We've just added Andrew Litherland and "Scotmint" to the list of dealer's who are "stalling out" at Britanni athis Sunday - not sure where we'll put them but I'm sure they can go somewhere.

Don't forget - Victory Services Club, this Sunday (March 21st) 9.30am - 2.00pm - don't miss out!

Stratford Upon Avon

Phil Mussell — 13/03/2010 14:24:00

Don't forget the first Stratford show of the year - it's on tomorrow at the Leisure centre in Stratford (in the town centre) and is always a good event - as always we'll be there - hope you will too!

9.30 am for preview 10.30 am for the "standard" entry

Canine Hero

Phil Mussell — 10/03/2010 16:56:44

All that glisters . . .

THE recent award of the PDSA�s Dickin Medal, the �Animal VC�, to the bomb search dog Treo serves as a timely reminder that our hobby isn�t always about the more obvious campaign and gallantry medals. The Dickin Medal itself is of course a gallantry award, given to animals whose bravery in the line of duty deserves recognition. Since its inception in 1943 27 dogs, 32 messenger pigeons, three horses and famously one cat (Simon of HMS Amethyst) have been awarded the medal and it remains highly prized by collectors. However, its award does highlight how diverse our hobby is. Yes, it is a gallantry award and, yes, it was awarded for action in a war zone�but it was awarded to an animal�hardly a standard issue gong like most in our collections!

It is all too easy to think of medals purely as �souvenirs� of war given to service personnel as �mementoes� of bravery or deprivation on campaign and whilst it is true that the medals with the really interesting stories attached, those awarded for famous actions or to particularly vicious battles or wars, do fetch the most money at auction or grab the headlines in the press, we must not forget that there is far more to our passion than just them. A quick look at the MEDAL YEARBOOK will reveal that of the 370+ medals in the main section of the book (this discounting the Life Saving, Commonwealth and Unofficial sections), only 48 are gallantry decorations (although some orders are awarded for gallantry of course) and 166 are included in the campaign section to denote action of some kind (this includes the badges, memorial plaque, etc., where appropriate). In other words, well over a third of the book is concerned not with bravery or war per se but rather with medals of commemoration of some kind, be they celebrating long service, Royal Coronations or Jubilees (sorry about that mistake last month!), good shooting or anniversaries of the award of other medals! And the recipients are as diverse as the medals themselves. We have medals awarded to children; medals issued to women starving themselves in the name of equality and emancipation; medals issued to members of the Royal Household and Royal messengers; medals awarded to those who excel in the fields of science or art; medals for nurses, prison officers, policemen, the fire brigade and for �loyal� government servants; medals for recruiters; medals for service in a motoring organisation and of course medals awarded to animals.

Ask any non-collector about medals and the VC will, naturally, be uppermost on their mind as bravery is what they normally associate medals with. Few, I suspect, will think about an independence medal or Coronation gong and yet often it is these very medals, the innocuous ones that hang around amongst bigger, more important-looking awards that actually make our hobby so much more interesting. It is all too easy to forget that those medals that come after page 205 of the YEARBOOK all have a story to tell too. Of course, most of us will gravitate towards the conventional campaign or gallantry collecting and many of us will not really consider the �miscellaneous medals� as important parts of the group at all. But consider this: a World War I trio or QSA/KSA pair with an LS&GC attached might not have the romance of an MC group, but the inclusion of that long service medal tells us much about a man who had to serve for a long time (21 years in the case of the early Victorian Army or Navy) often enduring terrible conditions. A bravery award can be won in a hot-headed instant but a long runner can only be achieved after years of level-headed slog. A �Royal Visit� medal can pinpoint the recipient�s historical location just as assuredly as any gallantry award. A Polar medal will speak of conditions just as harsh as those endured on many campaigns and a good shooting medal will tell of training and dedication on a par to that of any soldier in battle. Yes, it is true that the �hot-headed� bravery awards have the romance factor and the good old campaign medals have the research advantage, but don�t forget the quirky ones, the unconventional ones, they have a story to tell too!

Read more about the �unconventional� MSM in the second of Ian McInness� excellent series of articles on page 14 and, of course, don�t forget there will be a fine array of �miscellany� on offer at the Britannia Medal Fair on March 21. For a full list of dealers attending and for more details see pages 28-29. It�s not too late to send in your �wants� on the form that appeared in last month�s MEDAL NEWS.

New Medal for holocaust survivors

Phil Mussell — 09/03/2010 21:17:00

According to news reports a new medal honouring "ordinary Britons" who helped save Jews from the Holocaust has been presented to two men (with 26 posthumous awards) by Gordon Brown. We'll try to find more about this story in the next few days - in the mean time the BBC report can be found here but don't be fooled by the picture that's a Knight's Batchelor's Badge (KB) that Sir Nicholas is holding!

Canada to go plastic

Phil Mussell — 08/03/2010 12:46:00

It has recently been announced that Canada will be the latest nation to introduce the harder wearing polymer notes into circulation. Anyone who has ever holidayed in Australia will be familiar with these almost indestructible notes which last far longer than their "paper" (actually cotton) counterparts and are far more difficult to forge. For the full story see here

Elgar �20 to be withdrawn

Phil Mussell — 08/03/2010 12:41:00

It was, of course, inevitable - the Elgar £20 note first introduced in 1999 is to be withdrawn from circulation on June 30 2010. After that date it will cease to have "legal tender" status meaning there will be no obligation on the part of retailers to accept is as payment. Old notes will, of course, be able to be exchanged at most banks far into the future and the Bank of England is obliged to exchange any of their issued notes regardless of their age. In fact the Bank of England will still give you £5 for an old white fiver - but you'd be nuts to take them up on that one!

Britannia- March 21st

Phil Mussell — 08/03/2010 11:33:00

Don't forget the next Britannia show - it's to be held on Sunday March 21st at the usual venue - the Carisbrooke Hall, Victory Services Club, Marble Arch, London from 9.30am-2.00pm.

The full list of dealers attending is as follows:

Bonhams

Boer War register (Meurig Jones)

Philip Burman

Andrew Bostock

John Cannon

Mark Carter

Chelsea Military Antiques

Peter Cotrel

David Desborough

CJ & AJ Dixon

DNW

Bill Friar Medals

Andrew Fryer

Gordon's Medals

Ian Laidler

Bob Lynes

Matt Matoian

M&D Medals

John Manning

Medals of England.com

Morton and Eden

Peter Morris

Scotmint

Steve Sewell

Spink

V J C Collectables

Fred Walland

Waterloo Militaria

Stephen Wheeler

ANy subscriber who hasn't got a ticket do let me know!

When is a coin not a coin...? When it's treasure of course

Phil Mussell — 04/03/2010 15:20:00

The story of the Ludlow woman who took a "coin" into her local museum, was told it was of historical significance and that she should hand it in but didn't - incurring the wrath of the Coroner and a subsequent criminal record has split the numismatic world.

Were the authorities just being jobsworths or was Kate Harding pushing her luck? After all she'd taken it to a museum so the authorities were aware of the coin (actually a French piedfort) so to not follow it up by declaring it, even when she was told too was pretty silly - wasn't it?

Have a look at the story here and tell us what you think. Yes I was taken out of context but the crux of my argument is still valid!

Timely Auction

Carol — 01/03/2010 16:41:00

Timeline Auctions very first catalogue has arrived on the Editor's desk and very impressive it is too! This beautifully put together catalogue for their coins and antiquities sale on March 19 arrived too late for inclusion in the March issue of Coin News but it warrants a mention here. For catalogue details or view consigned items go to www.timelineauctions.com

New Look for Jersey's notes

Phil Mussell — 23/02/2010 12:47:00

Jeresy's banknotes are being given a radical new make over - the first re-design in 21 years!

For the full story see here

The Olympic Coins....

Phil Mussell — 22/02/2010 14:09:00

Looking to the future . . . THE imminent arrival of the “biggest coin programme since decimalisation” (the Olympic 50 pences) inevitably throws up questions about coins, coin collecting and, more importantly, coin collectors themselves. We all know why the majority of us started—we started way back in the days when there were such things as rare dates, errors, mint marks and die flaws, the days when getting a handful of change elicited great excitement and much poring and sorting. Those were the days when a pocketful of pennies could have included the effigies of five monarchs and when a simple thing like a different date on a coin would have had us jumping for joy. Today’s collectors can only get that joy from buying from dealers, auction houses or on the internet, and the surprises have all disappeared as every coin is catalogued and priced accordingly. Apart from the recent 20p “error” there has been little to excite the average collector in his pocket change since the last of the pre-decimals were phased out, and that has had a fundamental affect on our hobby. Whether we like it or not there are far fewer young collectors now than there were 40 years ago and whilst much of the blame for that can be put at the feet of all the other activities young people can now partake in, some of the responsibility has to lie with the whole decimalisation programme that robbed us of much of the variety that had made our hobby so interesting. With the 50 pence programme—full details of which we will give you as soon as we have them, I promise (we do know the next coin features cycling as the theme and has been designed by Yorkshire teenager Theo Crutchley-Mack, but when it will be issued is still a mystery!)—the Royal Mint hopes to stimulate the collectors once again by giving a new generation a reason to check their change and start sorting through their pockets and purses. Having spoken to the Royal Mint we are assured that there will be collectors packs, folders, etc., etc., made available so that the school children of the 21st century can have as much fun as we did searching for those elusive last few coins to complete the series and, hopefully, this will lead them on to collecting more in the future. The idea behind this programme is not just to get everyone looking out for the latest 50p but rather to get them to appreciate our coins in general—who knows where that may lead! But perhaps it isn’t as simple as that. Perhaps we’ll never get back to the heady days of pre-decimalisation and maybe to hope for such a return is to hope in vain. Whether we like it or not the “younger generation” just are not the same as we were, collecting just doesn’t feature like once it did. Oh, certainly they have their fads: they’ll collect football stickers, pokemon cards (or whatever the latest trend is), but these are flash-in-the-pan, five minute wonders, as quickly forgotten as they were once enthused about. It seems that collecting, OK hoarding, as we knew it, just isn’t part of the 21st century psyche if you are under 30! If that’s the case is the Royal Mint wasting millions on a coin programme that just won’t work or is there hope after all? If you look at the US Quarters programme, the benchmark for any such release as this, you will see that it has actually been phenomenally successful and even though American teenagers are much like our own, when it comes to their leisure habits somehow the US Treasury has done the unthinkable and has actually created new collectors. Will the Royal Mint be able to do the same? There is another possibility of course, one that hasn’t really been considered, and that is the chance that these coins will prove popular not as a series but as individual pieces, with those interested in cycling eager to pick up as many cycling coins as possible, those interested in swimming doing the same for their sport (I am assuming swimming will feature somewhere) and so on, with each new release being eagerly awaited not by the series collectors but rather by those who have a vested interest in the sport depicted. You may think this far fetched but there are mints across the world making vast amounts of money by milking the thematics market, so why should the Royal Mint be any different? Of course, all this is conjecture, we don’t know how successful the programme will be, but one thing is certain, in one way or another it will surprise us all. Collectors in the UK are an odd bunch (yes we are) and there is no accounting for what they’ll do—look at the silver Britannia series for example, originally struck as bullion coinage with no immediate collecting potential but it is proving more and more popular, so much so that we are going to have to add a Britannia section to the next Coin Yearbook! With this in mind I can pretty much guarantee that no matter what we all think the Olympic 50 pence programme will deliver, it will probably do something else entirely. I can’t wait to find out what!

Money Laundering

Phil Mussell — 16/02/2010 12:10:00

Well this is different....

Chilean error

Phil Mussell — 12/02/2010 09:32:00

The recent "dateless" 20p showed that even an institution as rigid about standards as the Royal Mint can get things wrong - but it's doubtful that they, or indeed most national Mints would make the mistake discovered in Chile recently - somehow they actually managed to get the name of their country wrong!

News reports on February 12 indicate that the general manager of the Chilean Mint, Gregorio Iniguez, and several other employees have been dismissed after it was discovered that "thousands" of 50 peso coins (equivalent to about 6p) were issued in 2008 with the country misspelled C H I I E rather than C H I L E.

Needless to say the coins have rapidly become collectors items and the Mint has not withdrawn them from circulation.

New Olympic design announced.

Phil Mussell — 10/02/2010 10:00:00

The next Olympic 50p design has been unveiled - depicting "Cycling" as the sport the coin was designed by 16 Year Old Theo Crutchley-Mack from Halifax. There's still no news as to the exact date of the launch of this new programme nor how many of each coin will be issued but we will keep you informed I promise!

Dickin Medal Awarded

Phil Mussell — 08/02/2010 08:18:00

A "bomb sniffer" dog working in Afghanistan is to be honoured with the "animals" VC - the Dickin Medal.

Princess Alexandra will award black Labrador Treo the Dickin Medal at the Imperial War Museum,making him the 63rd animal to have won the award since its institution in 1943 and thr 26th canine recipient. The last, Sadie, also a black Labrador, was also awarded the medal for work in Afghanistan back in 2005.

For the full story see here

Brazil's new notes

Phil Mussell — 04/02/2010 12:10:00

Brazil's Central Bank has unveiled new banknotes with superior print quality and new security features to prevent counterfeiting.

The new bills unveiled Wednesday are in denominations of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 reais, Xinhua reported.

The new notes have different sizes and notches so that they can be easily identified by touch.

Central Bank governor Henrique Meirelles said technological upgrading is needed to make counterfeiting more difficult.

New notes of 50 and 100 reais will start circulating in the first half of 2010, while those of lesser face value will be phased in by 2012.

Those currently in circulation remain valid until complete replacement, so people do not need to rush for new notes, said Meirelles.

Krause 1801-1900 AT LAST!!

Phil Mussell — 02/02/2010 17:04:00

Yes after seemingly months of waiting the BRAND NEW Standard Catalog of World Coins 1801-1900 is now available. We have them in stock NOW so order yours today - click here for details

Another record smashed

Phil Mussell — 01/02/2010 16:54:38

Nothing new...

MANY of you will have seen the recent news concerning the �soldier� Roger Day who appeared at an Armistice Day parade in Warwickshire sporting a chest-full of medals and proudly wearing an SAS beret and insignia. Those of us in the know instantly spotted that this character couldn�t possibly be entitled to most of the gongs he wore (which included a DSO with MID emblem, an MC with MID emblem, a QGM, an MM, a DCM an MSM, various campaign medals amongst which was the South Atlantic Medal and Gulf War Medal, some foreign awards and an LS&GC!), or if he was he should have been very famous indeed. Putting two and two together it didn�t take a genius to realise that if he wasn�t entitled to most of them, the chances were he wasn�t entitled to any. Indeed, so it proved and this latter day �Walter Mitty� with no military service experience at all was recently sentenced at Nuneaton Magistrates Court to 60 hours community service after pleading guilty, under Section 197 of the Military Act 1955, to unlawfully using military decoration�claiming that he had only started the deception to impress his third wife.

Now such bizarre characters as this are not unheard of, indeed in the US, where veterans enjoy certain privileges, the problem of �imposters� became widespread enough to warrant the introduction of the Stolen Valor (sic) Act of 2005, which addresses the unauthorised wear, manufacture, sale or claim of any military decorations or medals�an act that had US collectors worried for some time until its purpose was clarified. What is interesting is that all these oddballs, British, American, whoever, seem to claim membership of some Special Forces outfit such as the SAS or Navy Seals. Either that or, as in Mr Day�s case, they seem to sport a particularly impressive combination of awards and decorations. If they are wearing just one or two medals you can bet they�ll be biggies: the Congressional Medal of Honor perhaps or, as in the case of the man who introduced himself to me at the York Coin and Medal Fair last summer, the Victoria Cross itself (I was pleased and proud to meet him until I quickly realised he couldn�t possibly be who he claimed to be). No-one, apparently, fantasises about being in the Army Pay Corps and being awarded a long runner . . . ! As a rule of thumb you can more or less guarantee that those who talk at length about their exploits in the Special Forces and the awards they won therein aren�t worth listening to. Those that keep mum are the ones with the real stories to tell.

Now you may believe that, whilst not unusual, such �Walts� are a relatively modern phenomenon� but actually you would be wrong, as the following excerpt from the Gloucesteshire Echo, sent in by reader Mick Kippin shows:

A tall, well-setup man named George Roberts was placed in the dock at the Cheltenham Police Court on Thursday morning charged with wearing military decorations without authority. He was stated to be on the Army Reserve and to be 38 years of age.

Capt E. B.Towse, who conducted the prosecution, said the decorations which the prisoner was found wearing consisted of the ribbons of the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Conduct Medal, the Military Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Mons Star, one red and three blue chevrons and nine wound stripes. He also wore the uniform of a regimental sergeant-major, and was masquerading as such when he was seen at Gloucester on the 28th August by the Military Foot Police. On the 30th he (Capt Towse) saw the prisoner himself in the city, interrogated him and finding that he could not give satisfactory answers, he brought him to Cheltenham. There, as he was being taken into the Police Station, Supt Hopkins recognised him as a man who had served several terms of imprisonment for various offences.

Inquiries went to show that the prisoner joined the Gloucestershire Regiment in 1914, but afterwards deserted and joined the Yorkshire & Lancashire Regiment. From that he was discharged to the Army Reserve. Therefore, not only was he not entitled to the decorations he was wearing, but he had no right even to be in uniform. The only decoration he was entitled to wear was one chevron and one wound stripe. Capt Towse said the authorities looked upon the offence as a very serious one and asked for the full penalty of imprisonment.

The prisoner pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted previous convictions at Birmingham, Gloucester and Cambridge for house-breaking and theft for which he had served terms of 9 months, 12 months and 3 months respectively. He was now sentenced to six months hard labour.

This was from the Echo�s report of September 5, 1918�it seems that there really is nothing new under the sun. I wonder how Mr Day would have coped with hard labour...?

THOMSON, RODDICK & MEDCALF - OCTOBER 23, 2009

Phil Mussell — 30/01/2010 09:00:00

Market scene October - December 2009

The sheer number of sales in October, November and December 2009 means that we aren't able to accommodate full reports for each within the pages of MEDAL NEWS therefore we have highlights within the magazine with the full reports appearing here:

Thomson Roddick & Medcalf, the Carlisle auctioneers, included a smaller number than usual (46) of medal or medal-related lots in their October sale in Shaddongate.

An impressive group comprised Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Crimea Medal clasp Sebastopol, Turkish Crimea, Jubilee Medal 1887 to Lt John Ommanney Hopkins, RN [524]; the catalogue provided brief biographical details, including the fact that he was promoted Admiral in 1896, and was at one time C-in-C of the American and West Indies, and later the Mediterranean, Fleets. This easily beat the top estimate of £2,500 to reach £4,025 (including buyers’ premium of 15 per cent).

Among the World War I lots was a Military Medal (GV), British War & Victory Medals to (Sgt) R. C. Bourhill, 52/King’s Regiment [501]. Presented in a wooden frame with a photograph, the medals were, unusually, accompanied by a document setting out the impressive citation for his gallantry on September 1, 1918. This was not enough, however, to ensure that the lot met its lower estimate of £800, and it sold for £750 (hammer, £863 in total). Even more interesting was Lot 541, which was catalogued as a BWM & VM pair to Lt P. Broatch, 23/Northumberland Fusiliers, who was recorded as having been awarded the Military Cross in 1917. It was estimated at £50–80, but the Military Cross came to light after the catalogue was printed; it was sold with the pair, and the lot made £1,495. Territorial Force War Medals, even as singles, are usually popular, and the medal to Pte W. Barton, Wiltshire Regiment [518], realised the top estimate of £150 (hammer, £173 in all). Probably the most impressive sale of the day in relative terms was the 1914–15 Star Trio, Scroll and Memorial Plaque to Pte William Henry Wilson, 11/Border Regiment, who was killed on July 1, 1916 [544]. This battalion was recruited mainly from the Westmoreland area, and the lot was therefore a local group for TRM, so the estimate of £200–300 was surely a misjudgement. 1914–15 Star Trios to First Day of the Somme fatal casualties have been selling for £450–500, and this lot was bid up to £1,093; it was an exceptional price, but probably reflected the unusual completeness of medals, plaque and scroll, and the local connection.

An attractive World War II group consisting of General Service Medal 1918 clasp Palestine, 1939–45/Africa/Italy Stars, Defence & War Medals (MiD), Croix de Guerre, Dunkirk Medal, to Tpr H. L. Turrell, 11th Hussars [514]. As the group was mounted as worn, it appeared to be worthy of detailed research (neither the MiD nor the Croix de Guerre was catalogued with an award date), but it did not appeal hugely to the bidders, achieving no more than £190 (hammer, £219 in all) against a bottom estimate of £240. The same fate met the Queen’s Korea and UN Korea pair to J. E. Brown, SM RN [510], which had a lower estimate of £120, but which was knocked down at £95 (£110 in all).

Lockdales November15 2009

Phil Mussell — 30/01/2010 09:00:00

Market scene October - December 2009

Sale number 75 from Lockdales included a medals and militaria section comprising 354 lots, of which 181 were medal or medal-related lots.

The sale included two Waterloo Medals which were interesting for different reasons. The medal to Robert Hill, 1/52nd Foot [Lot 1291], just beat its top estimate of £1,900 to make £2,345 (including the buyer’s premium of 17.25 per cent), in spite of his entitlement to an absent seven-clasp Military General Service Medal. The other Waterloo Medal [1293] was clearly catalogued as “renamed” to “Wm Walker, 43’d Reg’t Volunteers”; with a top estimate of £350, it sold, amazingly, for £516.

Unusually, several lots of apparently attractive Victorian medals failed to sell, despite having realistic estimates, but others achieved good results, one of which was the Crimea Medal with four clasps, Long Service Medal and Turkish Crimea Medal to Thomas Griffiths [1179]; the Crimea Medal was catalogued as “neatly and contemporarily engraved in upright serif capitals” to him in the 13th Light Dragoons; the Long Service Medal was impressed to 18th Hussars. The catalogue recorded that this group was last auctioned at Spink (April 2007, when it sold for £2,400 hammer). Clearly the successful bidder was convinced of the genuineness of the medals, and of Griffiths as a “Charger”, paying the bottom estimate of £3,000 (hammer, £3,518 in total). Another good Victorian lot that found a buyer was an Indian Mutiny Medal with clasps Lucknow, Relief Of Lucknow, to George Reynolds, 1/23rd Fusiliers [1173]; although it did not make its bottom estimate of £450, it got as far as £420 (hammer, £492 altogether). A South Africa Medal 1877 clasp 1879 to Pte J. Clarke, 2/4th Foot [1248], appeared to have a high estimate at £420–430, but it was bought for £425 hammer (£498 in all). An 1882 Egypt Medal and Khedive’s Star pair awarded to Leading Seaman H. Walters, HMS Inconstant, in NEF condition [1100], sold for the bottom estimate of £200 (£235 in total). A well researched group comprised Lot 1106: Queen’s South Africa Medal clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Pte, 1/Suffolk Regiment) and 1914–15 Star (Pte, Essex Regiment) to George Fleming; sold with a variety of ephemera and documentation it easily beat its top estimate of £250 to realise £352. A single QSA clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State to Pte J. Carter, 2/Grenadier Guards [1220], who was wounded at Senekal, came in mid-estimate at £135 (hammer, £158 with premium).Yet another QSA with clasps Cape Colony, Wepener, Transvaal, Wittebergen appeared in this sale, named Edmund Keighley, 1/Brabants Horse [1216]; several QSAs with these clasps have been on the market in the last year, the most recent being to ORC W. Harrington, Brabant’s Horse, which achieved £380 (hammer) at Bosleys in September, and to Pte J. J. Cronin, Cape Mounted Rifles, which made £360 (hammer) at Bonhams in July. Keighley’s medal, with a top estimate of £320, sold for £380 (hammer, £446 in total), confirming the market price for these relatively scarce medals.

As usual, Lockdales offered a large number of diverse World War I lots. There is still a strong market for even single medals to fatal casualties of World War I, and this was exemplified by the British War Medal to John Brown, 1/Black Watch, who was killed in action in October 1914 [1055]; with a top estimate of £35 it made as much as £53. 1914 Star & Bar Trios are even more popular, as witnessed by Lot 1200, to Arthur Archer, a reservist in 1/Northamptonshire Regiment, killed in January 1915; the top estimate was £225, but it achieved £270. Lot 1007 was an attractive 1914–15 Star Trio to 2/Lt C. Bellamy, 2/King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (Pte, Rifle Brigade on the Star); Bellamy was commissioned in December 1917, and was also stated to have served in the Royal Air Force. Worthy of much more research, this group sold mid-estimate for £115 (hammer, £135 in total). Another 1914–15 Star Trio, this time to the Royal Navy and with a service record, was awarded to A. G. Barton [1019]; it reached the bottom estimate of £75 (hammer, £88 in all). A really fine and researchable British War & Victory Medal pair, Memorial Plaque and Scroll, was awarded to Job Munford, 1/Essex Regiment, who was killed in April 1917 [1066]; he came from Shelfanger (north of Diss), Norfolk, almost local for Lockdales, and the top estimate of £150 was easily overtaken with the successful bidder paying £235. Another fatal casualty group to beat its top estimate (of £250) was the 1914–15 Star Trio and Scroll to Frank Emms, 1/5th North Staffordshire Regiment [1199], who was killed in April 1916; together with various documents and ephemera it was bid up to £317. The BWM/VM pair and Medaille de la Rheine Elisabeth to VAD M. Kirkham [1307] was accompanied by a photograph album of wounded soldiers, and cleared its top estimate of £200 to sell for £363.

An intriguing group comprised 1914–15 Star Trio (Pte, 18th Hussars), India General Service Medal 1908 clasp North West Frontier 1930–31 (S-Sgt, IASC) and Indian Army Long Service Medal (Sub-Conductor) to F. Berry [1154]. The intriguing aspect was the inclusion in the lot of a group of miniatures which included 1939–45/Africa Stars, India Service Medal and War Medal. Together with a great deal of supporting documentation, the lot easily beat its top estimate of £250 to reach £399. Lot 1194 was worthy of much greater research, connecting as it did the two World Wars; it was awarded to William Joseph Jarvis, and consisted of 1914–15 Star Trio, Long Service Medal (HMS Marlborough), Naval Good Shooting Medal (HMS Bonaventure), 1939–45/Atlantic Stars, War Medal (as well as three Chatham Port Shooting medals). The lot included a service record, and although the medals were polished, the successful bidder had to pay £492 against a top estimate of £400.

A World War II group comprising 1939–45 Star, Defence & War Medals, Efficiency Medal clasp Territorial (GVI), Dunkirk Medal, King Albert 1 FRVRA–KVVKA Veterans’ Medal (Belgium) was awarded to William Alfred Bright, RA [1097); although the catalogue recorded that the group was accompanied by research, the top estimate of £90 was presumably low as the medals were polished, but the lot was bid up to £164, clearly a desirable buy even in this condition.

Of the post-war medals, a General Service Medal 1962 clasp Northern Ireland to L/Cpl S. C. Harris, Queen’s Lancashire Regiment [1086], possibly because of its edge knock, failed to reach its bottom estimate of £65, making £60 (hammer, £70 in all). Similarly an unusual (and unresearched) GSM 1918 with clasps Palestine 1945–48, Cyprus to Gunner F. Wiles, RA [1158], also achieved its bottom estimate of £75 (£88 total).

There was very little gallantry material in this sale, but the Military Medal and 1914 Star Trio to T/Sgt H. Barrell, 54/F Coy RE [1185], catalogued as in mint condition, and unresearched apart from the London Gazette date, was bid up to a mid-estimate of £450 (hammer, £528 altogether).

Spink November 19 2009

Phil Mussell — 30/01/2010 09:00:00

Market scene October - December 2009

Spink auction “Sherrishitti 9033” began with a section of gallantry medals, of which Lot 1 was a real bang: the Victoria Cross group to F/Lt William Reid, RAFVR (1921–2001), comprising the Cross, 1939–45/Air Crew Europe Stars, War Medal, Coronation 1953, Jubilee 1977. He won his Cross for superb courage and leadership in 61 Squadron; his Lancaster was crippled by two fighter attacks during a raid on Dusseldorf on November 3, 1943. Although wounded and with his windscreen smashed, he succeeded in dropping his bombs, and eventually piloted the aircraft back to the UK, an incredible feat of skill and determination. He was later transferred to 617 Squadron, and on a raid near Rheims on July 31, 1944 a bomb from another aircraft dropped on his, splitting it in two, and he baled out, ending up as a prisoner of war. The selling price was clearly going to be high, but it reached an astonishing £290,000 hammer, £348,000 including the buyer’s premium of 20 per cent. It has been reported that the purchaser was Melissa John, who bought the group in memory of her late brother, Christopher John, a collector of Royal Air Force medals, whose ambition was to own a Victoria Cross.

Lot 2 was almost a Victoria Cross group, but the VC was a copy, as was the South Africa Medal 1877, but the Queen’s South Africa Medal clasps Cape Colony, South Africa 1902, named for Francis Fitzpatrick, VC, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was genuine. Fitzpatrick (1859–1933) had been awarded his Cross when he was in the 94th Foot for saving the life of an officer in the attack on Sekukuni’s Town, November 1879. He sold his original pair sometime before 1906 (these medals are now held by the National Army Museum), but was known to wear this particular trio in later life in Belfast, which, estimated at £4,000–6,000, made £5,500 (hammer, £6,600 in total). The splendid group awarded to Lt-Gen James Conolly (1818–85) [Lot 4], who distinguished himself in the charge of the Heavy Brigade at Balaklava, comprised Commander of the Bath, Crimea Medal clasps Balaklava, Inkermann, Sebastopol (named Cavalry Staff), French Legion d’Honneur, Turkish Order of the Medidjie, Turkish Crimea. Conolly was a Captain at the time of the charge and was General Scarlett’s Brigade-Major; having been ordered by Scarlett to bring up reinforcements, Conolly managed to attach himself to a troop of the Inniskillings, and took part in the action. The group reached its bottom estimate of £6,000 (hammer, £7,200 in total). Another superb group comprised Order of St Michael & St George; India General Service Medal 1854 clasp Hazara 1888, India Medal 1895 clasp Punjab Frontier 1897–98, QSA clasps Cape Colony, Transvaal, Wittebergen, King’s South Africa Medal two clasps, 1914–15 Star Trio (MiD), Delhi Durbar 1911 [6], named for Colonel Thomas Daly, RAMC (1861–1917). Daly had a steady career in the medical service up to the time he was drowned when the Arcadian was torpedoed in the Aegean. This lot was bid up to £2,760 against a top estimate of £2,000. A really well researched group to the RNAS/RAF consisted of Order of the British Empire, Officer’s Breast Badge, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Force Cross, 1914–15 Star Trio (MiD), War Medal, 1935 Jubilee to Albert William Fletcher [10]. Fletcher earned his DFC in the Kronstadt Raid in August 1919, and his AFC for his work at the Airship Station East Fortune. The lot included a large number of documents, including log books and various certificates, and although the medals were catalogued as “cleaned”, the successful bidder had to pay £15,000 (top estimate £5,500). A unique group of Distinguished Conduct Medal (V), Queen’s Sudan Medal, Queen’s South Africa Medal clasps Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek, Long Service Medal (EVII), Khedive’s Sudan was awarded to William John Jack, Middlesex Regiment [19]. He was a Divisional Staff Sergeant when awarded the DCM for Omdurman (mentioned in Kitchener’s Despatch), and he was also mentioned in a despatch from Lord Roberts for the part he played at Alleman’s Nek. Perhaps the condition of the medals (lacquered, contact marks) kept the bidding to no more than the bottom estimate of £4,500 (hammer, £5,400 altogether). Although it beat its higher estimate of £1,000, the DCM (GV), 1914–15 Star Trio, Defence Medal to John Alfred Howard, 8/East Surrey Regiment [23], looked as though it should have made more. Howard’s DCM (awarded for bravery in March 1916 when he was a Sergeant) had a good fighting citation, he was wounded on July 1, 1916, and he was a Home Guard officer in World War II, but the lot reached no more than £1,800. A lot that made as much as some Victoria Cross groups might achieve was awarded to Melvill Keith Townsend. Another unique DCM (for Dhofar), it comprised the DCM (EII) (Royal Signals), General Service Medal 1962 clasps Northern Ireland, Dhofar (Royal Signals), South Atlantic Medal (with rosette) (Royal Signals [SAS]), UN Cyprus Medal, Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (Captain, WFR). Melvill won his DCM for his gallantry in the Sherrishitti battle in Western Dhofar, and this was well written up in the catalogue. Intriguingly, a second (replacement) medal group was sold with the lot, Melvill’s original medals having been reported stolen, but then returned to him. It easily beat its top estimate of £60,000 to achieve £120,000. The following lot [26] was another superb group: Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (Flying), 1939–45/Atlantic Stars, War Medal to Harold Arthur Corbin, RAFVR. Corbin was a Coastal Command Mosquito pilot who flew 42 operational sorties, and was finally shot down over France (Caterpillar Club badge included with the medals). Together with his log book and two photographs, the lot had a top estimate of £14,000, but eventually sold for £20,400.

The Campaign Groups and Pairs section of the sale was no less attractive. An unusual but interesting group [51] to Alfred Prendergast (1855–1930) comprised South Africa Medal 1877 clasp 1879 (Lt, Lonsdales Horse), Cape Of Good Hope General Service Medal 1880 clasp Basutoland (Corporal, Natal Mounted Police), QSA clasp Natal (Inspector, Natal Police), and Natal Medal 1906 with clasp (Major, Natal Police); before he died in Durban he had been appointed a Justice of the Peace. This lot appealed hugely to the successful bidder who had to pay £2,640 to take it away (top estimate £850). As at Lockdales, Spinks offered a QSA with clasps Cape Colony, Wepener, Wittebergen, and KSA (two clasps) to Brabant’s Horse [65]; these clasps appear now to be relatively common, as several examples have appeared in the last year. This lot, to Sgt R. W. Meiring, made the top estimate of £400 (hammer, £480 in total), compared with the example at Lockdales which made £380 hammer. A very collectable group with research potential was awarded to Alfred Griffiths, Essex Regiment [67], consisting of QSA clasps Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902, Africa General Service Medal clasp Somaliland 1902–04, British War & Victory Medals. These were displayed with several shooting medals, and accompanied by his record of service booklet and certificate. Like the group to Prendergast, this soared above its top estimate of £350, to be knocked down for £1,320. One of the highest achieving lots of the sale appeared in this section, and that was Lot 79, which also exemplified how difficult it is to estimate with any accuracy groups containing Russian awards. Telegraphist Ernest Stuart Charles Holt, a member of the crew of HM Submarine E13 on its way to the Baltic, was one of 15 sailors killed in cold blood by a German motor torpedo boat on August 19, 1915; he was awarded the Cross of St George 4th Class. Added to his 1914–15 Star Trio and Memorial Plaque, this was bid up to £13,800 (top estimate £1,800).

The section of single campaign medals was equally exciting. Lot 124 set the scene: a Naval General Service Medal 1793 clasps Egypt, Martinique, to the man who was to become Admiral of the White Sir Thomas John Cochrane KCB (1789–1872), one of Britain’s best-known sailors (Captain on the medal). A 12-year-old Midshipman in 1801, by 1809 he was Captain of the Ethalion. Unsurprisingly this fascinating piece of history achieved £9,600 (top estimate £5,000). As only one of six Army of India Medals with clasps Allighur, Laswarree, Capture Of Deig, Lot 129 to G. Hunter, 29th Light Dragoons, sold for an expected mid-estimate £5,500 (hammer, £6,600 altogether).Considering the historical context of the recipient, the Waterloo Medal to Ensign (later Colonel) Thomas Josiah Wedgwood, 2/3rd Guards [132], was remarkably bereft of research (he was grandson of the Josiah Wedgwood, and cousin of Charles Darwin); the lot clearly surprised the estimator by selling for £7,200 (top estimate £3,200). A pleasing Indian Mutiny Medal [146] named to Captain (later Lt-Col) Toovey Archibald Corbett, 61st Native Infantry (1826–1918), was accompanied by useful research, including the information that at the time of his death he was one of the last few Mutiny survivors, and it sold for £600 (top estimate £380). A medal with very little research potential easily beat its top estimate of £1,400: an East & West Africa Medal clasp Uganda 1899 [160] to Charles Edward de Vere Beauclerk, KRRC (1875–1900). This young man was commissioned in 1894, and lost his life in east Africa, attached to the Uganda Militia, as a result of blackwater fever, having served militarily for only a few weeks in the Wakedi Field Force. It made enough of an impact to relieve the successful bidder of £2,760. Lot 193 was catalogued as rare: it was one of the 106 no clasp KSAs to Army Service Corps staff, in this case Conductor K. Henry. With no additional research, it reached the top estimate of £220 (hammer, £264 in all). Yet another Tibet Medal to the Royal Fusiliers turned up in this sale, but this lot [197] was rather special, named for Major Steuart Menzies. With very little research, but with a plaid brooch, a seal and a portrait photograph of the recipient, it made £1,620 against a rather conservative top estimate of £800. Even single Memorial Plaques, if named for aircrew, have sold well recently, and such was the case with the Plaque to Charles James Cameron Sheridan [218]; with enough research to establish his death while flying, it achieved £264 against a very conservative top estimate of £80. An unresearched MiD oakleaf (apart from the London Gazette reference) on a General Service Medal 1918 clasp Malaya to S-Sgt A. M. E. Hoare, REME helped the lot to sell for £780, when the top estimate was only £240. In contrast, a lot which looked as though it should have done better than it did was the South Atlantic Medal (with rosette) to Lance-Corporal Doug Padgett, RAMC [228], who served with 16th Field Ambulance in the Falklands, and was on the Sir Galahad when it was bombed. Even though his very emotional account of what he did on that occasion was published in the catalogue, the lot failed to reach its bottom estimate of £1,400, making no more than £1,200 (hammer, £1,440 altogether).

A miniature medal group that looked as though it had actually been worn by the recipient [233] was attributed to Colonel Solomon Charles Frederick Peile (1855–1932). The group consisted of Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire, Delhi Durbar 1903, Second Afghan War Medal, India General Service medal clasps Burma 1885–7, Burma 1887–9, Burma 1889–92, Chin Hills 1892–93, King’s Police Medal (GV). Although it had a top estimate of £250, the successful bidder had to pay £660 to secure it.

Lot 249 was extremely interesting for its associations: Voluntary Medical Service Medal to Lady Carola Mary Anima Lenanton (1897–1978), who was the daughter of Sir Charles Oman (well-known historian and numismatist), and who achieved her own fame as a successful novelist and county President for the Hertfordshire British Red Cross Society. The top estimate of £35 was easily overtaken, the lot being knocked down for £204.

Morton and Eden November 30 2009

Phil Mussell — 30/01/2010 09:00:00

Market scene October - December 2009

This sale (catalogue 40) was, like Gaul, divided into three parts, only the third of which (Lots 1280–1398) offered British orders, decorations and medals. This part of the sale opened with a very attractive and unusual Naval General Service Medal 1793 [Lot 1280], with three clasps Egypt, Trafalgar, Basque Roads, to Stephen Hilton (1785–1872). Described on the medal as Master’s Mate, he joined the Royal Navy as a ten-year-old volunteer, and ended his naval career as Commander; the catalogue, recorded that he served on Minotaur at Trafalgar. Estimated at £8,000–12,000, it achieved £9,000 (hammer, £10,350 including buyers’ premium of 15 per cent). A theme of this sale was that several medals were awarded to medical personnel, and one of these was the Military General Service Medal clasp Sahagun & Benevente to Assistant Surgeon Thomas B. Davis, 7th Light Dragoons [1282]; although Davis had a very short career of only two months in the Peninsula, and although the medal was catalogued as “cleaned”, the lot was bid up to £3,220 (against a top estimate of £2,000). The medal of another Assistant Surgeon, Thomas Batt, 2nd Foot (1782–1848), had clasps Vimiera, Fuentes D’Onor, and his career was researched in some detail, showing that he was one of only two men of 2nd Foot to receive the Fuentes clasp; despite this, but perhaps because the medal was catalogued as “polished”, the lot [1285] made no more than the bottom estimate of £1,500 (hammer, £1,725 in all). An intriguing MGSM [1288] with clasps Maida, Talavera, Busaco to Sgt Thomas Butler, 61st Foot, was catalogued with a report from the Commanding Officer of 2/61st, recording that Butler was wounded and captured at Talavera, but escaped and returned to his unit; the successful bidder paid £1,800 (hammer, £2,070 in all) against an estimate of £1,500–2,000. Two outstanding medals to men of the 88th Foot (a unit described by Arthur Bryant as “a tough crowd from the bogs of western Ireland with a bad reputation for filching Portuguese chickens and goats”) made the best prices in this part of the sale. The ten-clasp medal (Talavera to Toulouse) awarded to Samuel Langsdale [1297], even without research, was bid up to £4,600 against a top estimate of £2,800, and the same estimate was easily beaten by the ten-clasp medal [Busaco to Orthes] to John Walsh [1298], which achieved £5,290.

There were 14 single Waterloo Medals on offer, all very collectable in their own way. The best price was realised by the medal to Captain Henry Andrews, 12th Light Dragoons [1301], for which the successful bidder had to pay £4,830 (top estimate £3,000). The medal of yet another Assistant Surgeon, William George Burrell, 1/79th Foot [1305], also exceeded expectation, making £4,140 (top estimate £3,000). The price achieved for the medal of Edward Gardiner, 2/73rd Foot [1305] at £1,840, even though it was catalogued as polished and it beat its top estimate of £1,100, was perhaps disappointing for the vendor compared with the medal to James Carr, of the same regiment, which made £3,565 (including premium) at Warwick & Warwick on February 11, 2009. There were four MGS/Waterloo pairs on offer, possibly the most attractive of which was awarded to James Staples, 7th Light Dragoons/Hussars [1318]; the MGS had clasps Orthes, Toulouse, he was wounded at Waterloo, and the catalogue included interesting research. This lot was bid up to £5,060 (top estimate £3,000). An Army of India Medal clasps Asseeghur, Argaum, Gawilghur/MGSM clasp Fuentes D’Onor pair to Alexander Liston, 94th Foot [1315] still sold for £11,270 (top estimate £9,000), although the MGS had the rank “Sergeant” neatly engraved on it, and the pair was not in the best condition.

A superb group of Sutlej Medal 1845 with Ferozeshuhur reverse and clasp Sobraon (Surgeon, 29th Foot), India General Service Medal 1854 clasp Pegu (Surgeon, 80th Foot), Crimea and Turkish Crimea (both un-named) was awarded to Doctor John Robert Taylor CB [1322], who started his Army career before 1837, and ended as Inspector General of Hospitals and an honorary surgeon to the Queen. It overtook its top estimate of £1,000 to achieve £1,840. An interesting single medal was the South Africa Medal 1877 clasp 1879 to Pte G. Rowley, 94th Foot [1330], a victim of the Boer ambush at Bronkhorstspruit, December 1880; although the clasp had brooch-mounting, the lot made £805 (top estimate £600). This was immediately followed by Lot 1331, a Second Afghan War Medal to 2/Lt Edwin Christy, who was accidentally killed at Rawalpindi in 1880; this more than doubled its £300 top estimate to make £863.

An intriguing British War & Victory Medal with Coronation Medal 1911 [1343] to Victor Alexander Charles Harbord, Scots Guards (1897–1943), was estimated at £300–400; accompanied by research confirming that there was no missing Star, it came in at £360 (hammer, £414 with premium). For collectors of Indian material Lot 1347, comprising BWM/VM pair, Territorial Force War Medal, Indian General Service Medal 1908 clasp Afghanistan NWF 1919 to Harvey Allen, 4/Devons and 2/Somerset Light Infantry was very attractive; the lot was accompanied by a large number of postcards with photographs of India, and some of a more personal nature to his fiancée. Estimated rather high at £300–400, it nonetheless came in at £320 (hammer, £368 in all). One of the modern lots in the sale was 1357: GSM 1962 clasp Northern Ireland/South Atlantic pair to Pte C. P. Stewart, 3/Para, estimated at £1,500–2,000; even with no research at all this lot made £1,600 (hammer, £1,840 in all). A superb group was awarded to (Sgt) G. A. Powell, RA [1362], consisting of GSM 1962 clasp Northern Ireland, South Atlantic Medal with rosette, UN Cyprus Medal, First Gulf War Medal with clasp and rosette, Long Service Medal (EII). Totally unresearched, this group sold for the top estimate of £900 (hammer, £1,035 in all).

A very attractive group [1368] to the Indian MedIcal Service was awarded to Lt-Col Henry Warwick Illius (1875–1941), and comprised Companion’s Neck Badge of the Order of the Indian Empire, India Medal 1895 clasp Waziristan 1901–02, Tibet Medal with clasp, 1914–15 Star Trio, GSM 1918 clasp Iraq(MiD) [1368]. The catalogue gave a brief appreciation of his extensive military service, but the lot failed to reach the bottom estimate of £2,500, selling for £2,400 (hammer, £2,760 in all). Proving once again the attraction of gallantry, the Distinguished Conduct Medal (GV) and 1914–15 Star Trio awarded to L/Sgt J. Stone, 7/Yorkshire Light Infantry [1392], even with no research apart from a fine fighting citation from November 1916, was bid up to £2,530 (top estimate £1,500). The same trend was followed by the following lot [1393], a Military Medal (GV) and 1914–15 Star Trio to L/Cpl J. Maguire, 11/Royal Fusiliers (Finsbury Rifles), catalogued without research, but with a condition of “extremely fine or better”. The top estimate of £350 was easily beaten, with the lot achieving £575.

Bosleys December 2 2009

Phil Mussell — 30/01/2010 09:00:00

Market scene October - December 2009

Bosleys offered 121 lots of orders, decorations and medals in their December sale, and the eclectic mix remained the same.

Sometimes it is interesting to see how a superficially unattractive lot can sell well. The China War Medal 1842 to Sgt T. Patterson, 26th Foot [Lot 468], was catalogued as “fitted with a replacement suspension bar and evidence of brooch marks. Edge knocks”, and its top estimate of £100 reflected this; however, the successful bidder was prepared to pay £150 (including buyer’s premium of 15 per cent) for it. An enigmatic group [536] which appealed to the room comprised Crimean War Medal clasp Sebastopol, South Africa Medal 1877 (without clasp), Turkish Crimea Medal to Randall Ironside Ward, Royal Navy and 90th Foot. Ward served as a Midshipman on Hannibalin the Crimea, later transferring to the Army, and becoming (as a Captain) the only officer of his regiment to receive the medal without clasp during the Zulu War. The top estimate of £1,200 was beaten, the lot achieving £1,438. A small collection of Indian Mutiny Medals to the 90th Light Infantry included a medal with clasps Lucknow, Defence Of Lucknow to Samuel Juniper [533]; the estimate of £600–800 looked on the high side, but it reached the lower figure (£690 altogether). Another Mutiny Medal [535] with similar clasps, to Jonas Harper, 84th Foot, an original defender of the Residency and a survivor of the campaign, was bid up to £1,955 against a top estimate of £1,000. Certain Scottish regiments saw extensive service in Egypt and the Sudan, and the four-clasp Egypt Medal (Tel-El-Kebir, Suakin 1884, El Teb Tamaai, The Nile 1884–85) to Robert Malcolm, Gordon Highlanders [506] exemplified this, beating the top estimate of £400 to reach £575. The Gordons featured again with a fine campaign trio [504]: India Medal clasps Relief Of Chitral, Punjab Frontier 1897–98, Tirah 1897–98, Queen’s South Africa Medal clasps Elandslaagte, Defence Of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, King’s South Africa Medal with two clasps to Pte A. Hendry; with no research at all, and estimated at £500, this highly researchable lot sold at £633. The East & West Africa Medal clasp Juba River 1893 [516] to H. Singer, Ordinary Seaman, HMS Blanche, was obviously a desirable lot (the catalogue recorded only 42 of these clasps having been awarded), but it reached only its bottom estimate of £1,500 (hammer, £1,725 in all). A very researchable lot [455] was the South Africa/World War I group awarded to Robert Street, comprising Queen’s South Africa Medal clasps Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Transvaal, Wittebergen, King’s South Africa Medal two clasps (Pte, Seaforth Highlanders), 1914–15 Star Trio (Pte, Royal Fusiliers); with no research apart from a Medal Index Card showing that he served with the 25/Royal Fusiliers and 8/London Regiment, it had a top estimate of £300, and sold at £391.

Fatal casualty groups to officers killed in World War I have always been a popular collecting theme, and so it proved with the 1914–15 Star Trio and Plaque to (Lt) The Honourable Philip Granville Jones Fitzalan Howard, Welsh Guards [503], who died of wounds in May 1918; once again, the estimator was taken by surprise, setting the upper estimate at £600 while the successful bidder paid £2,300. A 1914–15 Star Trio with a General Service Medal 1918 clasp N.W.Persia awarded to Pte C. Revill, York & Lancaster Regiment [463] reached its top estimate of £150 (hammer, £173 in total).

Within this sale was a mini-collection of 20 lots consisting of medals to women, overwhelmingly connected with the nursing services. A remarkable lot of British War & Victory Medals [488] to Driver S. M. Hext, FANYC, was catalogued as “a scarce pair”; apparently Hext worked in France from June 1918 to April 1919, one of no more than 120 members of the Field Ambulance Nursing Yeomanry working with the Red Cross in August 1918. With a top estimate of £120, it eventually sold for £575. On a rather more modest level, the BWM/VM pair and GSM 1918 clasp Iraq to Staff Nurse A. Steel [491] was catalogued with a small amount of research, but this appealed to the bidders, achieving £575 against a top estimate of £300. The most interesting lot in this little collection was 499, Royal Red Cross 1st Class, Queen’s & King’s South Africa Medals without clasps to (Matron) Frances Rosa Holmes. She earned the South Africa medals at Hospitals in Cape Town and Bloemfontein, and was still serving when she landed in France in August 1914 (the trio was not included in the lot), earning her ARRC award in June 1917 as Acting Matron, 6/General Hospital. With a realistic top estimate of £600, it nevertheless came in at £863.

A World War II group [548] struck a chord with the room, and the successful bidder had to pay £633 for the Indian General Service Medal 1936 clasp North West Frontier 1936–37, GSM 1918 clasp Palestine, 1939–45/Africa/Italy Stars, Defence & War Medals to Pte E. E. Hodges, South Wales Borderers, which had a top estimate of no more than £300.

An item catalogued as rare was the Long Service Medal (EII) with clasp Gibraltar to Cpl M. Sene [445]; the top estimate of £300 was overtaken easily with the lot reaching £518.

Of the gallantry medals in this sale, and of the sale altogether, the biggest price was made by the group to Squadron-Leader Jozef Jeka, a Polish airman who joined the RAF in February 1940, and whose group [500] comprised Virtuti Militari 5th Class, Cross of Valour (two clasps), Air Force Medal, 1939–45/Air Crew Europe Stars, War Medal. Included with the lot was a large number of documents and ephemera, and the catalogue recorded extensive biographical details about Jeka’s wartime and subsequent service (apparently he was killed in 1958 flying clandestinely for the United States CIA). The top estimate of £8,000 looked realistic, but the lot was bid up to an astonishing £35,650. The second highest seller was another gallantry group: Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, Distinguished Conduct Medal, 1914–15 Star Trio to (Chief Petty Officer) Joseph James Reed, RN (1887–1923). His DSM was awarded for the Ostend raid in April 1918, and the CGM for the Zeebrugge raid in May 1918. The medals were accompanied by “a quantity of research”, including a framed photograph of the recipient, and this time the estimate of £20,000–25,000 was very accurate, as the lot [542] sold for £21,000 (hammer, £24,150 in total). Another DSM for the Zeebrugge raid was awarded to Stoker William Carter on Vindictive; he was wounded during the raid but survived. His DSM and 1914–15 Star Trio was bid up to £2,070, beating the £1,500 top estimate. World War II gallantry groups can usually be relied on to sell well, even though they sometimes lack an officially named medal, such as Lot 511, which comprised a Member of the British Empire badge (civil), Military Cross (privately engraved), 1939–45/Burma Stars, Defence & War Medals to (Major) Peter W. Burton, 5/16 Punjab Regiment. There was a fine fighting citation for the MC, which was recommended in April 1944 for his contribution to the action at Buthidaung, but the estimate of £1,800–2,200 was too much for the room, and the lot sold for no more than £1,500 (hammer, £1,725).