Collectables

This North West Mounted Police hat badge caught the attention when Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood (25% buyer’s premium) of Exeter sold the remaining personal effects of Canadian soldier and policeman Major General Sir Samuel Benfield Steele KCMG CB MVO (1848-1919) on March 19.

Among six-figure successes in the medals market, last year Spink sold the ‘Operation Chastise’ Distinguished Flying Cross group of five given to Dambuster Flt Lt Edward ‘Johnnie’ Johnson for £105,000.

With space and privacy at a premium on board ships, sailors used ditty boxes to store their most treasured possessions plus personal necessities and everyday items such as sewing kit.

Chocolate moulds do not get much better than the two ‘showpiece’ models offered for sale at Leonard Auction in Addison, Illinois, on March 24.

Seventeenth century map of Bermondsey area reveals garden suburb character in a pre-industrial age

Mayfair auction house builds on an excellent performance last year with stand-out results at the start of 2024

The Germans began firing V1 flying bombs at Britain in June 1944 and V2 rockets followed that September.

A pair of 19th century Parisian novelty silhouette hand screens, made by François Simon Alphonse Giroux, doubled their estimate at auction.

The only known example of a vintage Perone quart proved again how rare beer cans have become valuable collectors’ items

If specialist Karl Martin was the type to take work home with him he’d be in danger of never finding it again.

Norfolk dealer Voewood Rare Books will offer two prototype BAFTA awards at a US book fair where the UK is well represented this year.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions

Second edition of Vesalius landmark anatomical work sets a new high as part of science and medicine library

Second World War posters recruiting British and American women to the war effort are a familiar sight at auction.

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.

In the world of kitchenalia, jelly moulds are in demand.

In 1926, after two years of negotiations, two German automobile producers joined forces to become Mercedes-Benz.