LONDON, 28TH NOVEMBER 2024
Our final Medal Auction of the year took place on 28th November. The department have been bucking the trends of quiet auction rooms with their excellent exhibitions and we saw a full room during the day. The Order of the Garter Great George, the first example of this insignia to be offered to the London market for nearly three decades was the big draw of the day, with a bid of £100,000 (£124,000 including BP & VAT) being required to secure it. It was a truly exciting opportunity for the department as it was over 50 years since this remarkable piece, which was bestowed upon Prince Adolphus, 1st Duke of Cambridge, by his father King George III in 1786, was last available on the open market.
Another highlight was the Gold Cumberland Society Medal awarded to Field Marshal Sir George Howard, 3rd Regiment of Foot (The Buffs), who commanded that famed unit at the Battles of Fontenoy, Culloden, Lauffield and Warburg. This sold for a staggering Hammer Price of £45,000 (£55,800 including BP & VAT) against a pre-Auction Estimate of £30,000-40,000 and will shortly go on public display in a National Museum. The Medal Department once again had a strong offering of Lots offered directly from the recipients and their families, something in which we are market-leading.
The group of Lieutenant-Colonel David Dunn, a career infantry officer who served from Korea through to the Falkands War (Estimate £3,000- 5,000 Hammer £7,000) and that of Group Captain Bill Randle, a much-decorated member of the Royal Air Force (Estimate £6,000- 8,000 Hammer £21,000) were two perfect examples of the ‘fresh to market’ items offered.
