Crimea group at Auction

[Paul Scott]

A Crimea group of three, named to Edwin Hughes the last survivor of the Charge of the Light Brigade, is to be auctioned at Dix Noonan Webb in London in March, estimate £10,000-£15,000. Wow!

Full details can be obtained from their website (lot 760)

Paul

[Greeves]

I saw that too - this upcoming DNW auction is pretty strong, actually (well, they all are, I guess). With the 150th anniversary just passed, I'd expect it to make at least the upper end of the estimate...maybe more? Guess we'll find out in March!

[Paul Scott]

Greeves,

It's well acknowledged that anniveraries seem to bring about an increase in interest and almost automatically a hype in prices of medals for any particular campaign. It will be interesting to see what NGS's with bar Trafalgar will bring this year, of course that is to say if any come up for sale.

Regards

Paul

PS

I will hopefully be at the auction in March, I may go for them, but may not, a plus is that they are allegedly straight from the direct descendants and the fact that when he died he was the last of the Light Brigade, the minus is the fact that the Crimea is only engraved, but it's supported by the LSGC????
I must give it some serious thought though at that sort of money????????, No doubt though they will sell and at a very good price!


It's interesting to draw comparisons between this group and another Crimea group in an earlier thread posted by ROBB. That group included a DCM and though I have no specific details I would assume it was to a line regiment, even so the recipient was an Officer and the lot sold for £655, absolute giveaway.

When I first started collecting British Victorian Campaign medals I collected anything and everything I could get my hands on. After a while I became acquainted with a local advanced collector and dealer who, though much older than me, ultimately became my lifelong friend and mentor.

Now long gone his words and advice often come to mind ' better you get yourself one special medal than have a hundred that no one gives a damn about'. Now I look at my relatively small ( by way of numbers) collection and see the prices their contemporeries bring at auction and my old friend's words ring true!

God I must be boring you chaps, Sorry!

Paul

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Paul, welcome to the forum!

You are not boring us and the advice you offer holds very true.

Keep us posted on how the auction goes and if you are sucessful.

Cheers, Ade.

[Tony Farrell]

... and Paul, should you get the urge to... you know ... show some of your 'special stuff'...

[Biro]

"better you get yourself one special medal than have a hundred that no one gives a damn about".

Now THAT is wisdom in a nutshell......

Would also like to see some of your....you know....'stuff'...

Marshall

[Tony Farrell]

And that maxim really only applies to those who collect for future investment. All 'my' medals are special. One would either have a very small collection of Trafalgar clasped NGSs, or a very large collection of everything else - with the odd nicety thrown in.

It also depends on ones' finances. I'm sure we'd all love draw upon draw-full of Waterloos and MGSs, but realistically, how many out there are batting in that league? I know there are those who are - and gawd knows what they do for a living, but the majority of us scrape along the riverbed, bottom feeding. And quite nice it is too. One wouldn't want to get too spoilt, eh? Eh?

[Paul Scott]

Adrian,

Thank you for the warm welcome to this forum, I have noticed your name on GDC, an area of militaria that I am slowly renewing interest in since leaving that particular arena of militaria collecting over 30 years ago. As a youngster then, I was was fascinated by the Third Reich Era and in particular the Dress Daggers (Nazi Dagger's we used to call them) associated with that regime.
Times for collectors were tough back then, especially if you were inexperienced, my very first incursions into the the world of militaria collecting (that's to say TR Dags) was via a local dealer ( still around today) and the bigger names in London, each one ready to rip you off for a quick buck.
My experiences in the 60's and early 70's actually drove me away from collecting Third Reich stuff for many years, as I said earlier I am just regaining interest, but only because there is now so much help and advice available from fellow collectors via forums like this . Oh I certainly believe that the cheats are still out there, but really anyone who wishes to start any sort of collection is well advised to get themselves into places like this.

Well Gentlemen, I guess in terms of todays' technology I am a very new arrival , having accessed the internet only recently (old geezer with a lot to learn) so for 'Tony' and 'Biro' much as I would like to show 'my special stuff', at the moment I just don't have the capability, I guess you'll just have to use your imagination for the time being, but basically as far as the British Campaign medals are concerned the collection is now centred on the Cavalry Regiment's engaged at Balaclava and in particular the 'confirmed ' chargers of the LB.
A couple of my boys have digi camera's and are much more computer literate than me so I will endeavour to get some pixs posted for you if or when I can.

For Tony;

Tony, you are perfectly correct in stating that all 'your' medals are 'special' to you, of course they are, anyone with any sense will collect what they can afford and your collection, no matter its monetary value, is a reflection of your commitment to your own particular field of interest and good luck to you mate.

My true passion, for the past 30 odd years has been researching the men who charged at Balaclava, their experiences during the Charge, their lives after the war and their final resting places. Whilst I do enjoy owning the medals I have, I get as much, if not more pleasure from the accompanying research, but that's just me, the ever increasing monetary value of the medals is a bonus.

Gone on a bit again, but that's Adrian's fault for saying I wasn't boring!