Alison Jakeway, Senior Specialist from the Silver Department at Fellows Auctioneers, has been discussing the value of medals ahead of the Antiques, Silver & Collectables sale, taking place on Monday 16th September.

Military medals will always have a lasting appeal to collectors, as they can offer an insight into our history and a chance to discover more about the important roles played by some individuals, whilst offering a reminder of the sacrifices made by all soldiers who fought in past wars and conflicts.

They can be mainly divided into two categories, those awarded for gallantry and those awarded for taking part in a campaign. The values of the individual medals within these categories can vary greatly but generally medals awarded for gallantry, such as the Victoria Cross, George Cross, and Military Cross, to name but a few, are the most sought after and command the higher prices. Other important factors that affect the value of both gallantry and campaign medals are rarity, the rank of the recipient, which regiment, whether naval or air force, how many issued, number of bars awarded, does it have original ribbons or box of issue, overall condition, etc.

Alison Jakeway, Senior Specialist Alison Jakeway, Senior Specialist from the Silver Department at Fellows Auctioneers

But there is another important factor which can greatly add to the value of a medal group and that is a recipient’s story and provenance. Personal photographs, associated correspondence, citations, logbooks, personal war diaries and memoirs and many other similar items can all help to tell a story when pieced together and offer an insight into the life of the recipient and in some cases the reason the medal was awarded. A good story is often more important than condition.

As an example, in July 2018 Fellows sold a Military Cross Great War group, which was offered with an extensive collection of photographs and printed ephemera including a photograph of the recipient receiving his Military Cross from King George V, notes from the pocket book he carried throughout 1914-18 and a copy of his military service history which detailed the reason he was awarded the Military Cross. Unsurprisingly, all the additional information surrounding the recipient and medal group led to many interested bidders on the day, and the pre-sale estimate of £600-800 more than tripled, finally achieving a hammer price of £2,500.

There are a number of interesting medal groups featured in Fellows' upcoming sale on 16th September. Lot 495 is an impressive Military Cross group of nine medals awarded to Capt. (later Major) William Rawson Hughes. Included are an OBE and a Great War Trio with an oak leaf attachment to the ribbon of the Victory medal indicating that the recipient was Mentioned in Dispatches (MID) by a superior officer for gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy. Also mounted with three WWII medals, this lot has a pre-sale estimate of £1,000-1,500 and is sure to create much interest among potential bidders.

Military Cross Medals A Military Cross Medal group

Lot 519 is an India General Service and WWII medal group awarded Pte. Charles George Brown of the Hampshire Regiment. The medals are being sold with ephemera including photographs and newspaper cuttings but more importantly his Certificate of Service books, which list the many overseas campaigns he was involved in with medals and clasps awarded and many other insightful personal details. This lot has an estimate of £200-300. Lot 511 offers the commonly seen Great War Trio of 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal but with the added interest of the bronze Memorial Plaque named to the same. Often referred to as a Casualty Trio, the addition of the plaque increases the value as it shows the recipient was likely killed in action. In this instance further research has shown that he was involved in the Battles of the Somme, killed in September 1916, and is now remembered on the Thiepval Memorial. The group is being sold with another Trio and has an estimate of £200-300.

Finally, Lot 520 is a fascinating WWII RAF bomber crew casualty group awarded to Sergeant Alec Bryce. The lot includes personal photographs of Bryce and crew members and three medals comprising 1939-45 Star, Air Crew Europe Star and War medal 1939-45. However the main point of interest is the airman’s Flying Log Book. This has penned details of flights carried out by the recipient in his own hand, detailing the bombers and missions that he flew upon including later important operations as ‘Bomb Aimer’ for 467 Squadron R.A.A.F. Sadly the book is unfinished and the last entry for Jan 27 (1944) is recorded as ‘Missing’. The whole crew were killed and are now buried together in Hanover War Cemetery. The lot is offered with an estimate of £300-400 but with such a poignant story and provenance, it is likely to fetch more.