Arms, Armour & Militaria

The Distinguished Conduct Medal awarded to Private Samuel Vickery of the Coldstream Guards who kept Florence Nightingale safe during the Crimean War is to be offered at Noonans on January 14.

While Alan Turing has for some time now quite rightly received credit for his work at Bletchley Park during the Second World War, the contributions of the women who worked there can still be overlooked.

Alexander Anapolsky, co-owner of Akiba Galleries (28% buyer’s premium) in Dania Beach, Florida, described an Indonesian or Malaysian kris found in a New York City estate as a compelling object with great presence.

Sustained scrap silver prices of more than £30 an ounce have sent large quantities of middle-of-the-road Georgian and Victorian domestic silver to the melting pot. Today, to sell well above the bullion price, it helps if silver comes with a strong narrative. ATG reports on a few great storytellers.

East Sussex auction house Wallis & Wallis has new owners after being with the same family for more than 50 years.

A musket ball-riddled handkerchief of a Royal Navy captain cut down at the Battle of Trafalgar stood out at a London sale, but it was a letter to his eight-year-old daughter also retrieved from his pocket that added a particularly poignant touch.

How do you end up selling antique weapons and can you do it full-time to make a living? From swords and sabres to pistols and machine guns, we spoke to six arms dealers who attended the International Birmingham Antique Arms & Militaria Fair in September to find out how they got into the trade and how their business is faring

A roster of around 115 dealers and long waiting list demonstrates the importance of the Birmingham fair

An Asian armour dealer sold nearly all of his stand’s stock in the first few days of FAB Paris last week.

This wood and plaster maquette of a carved ship figurehead of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson was keenly contested when it appeared at the Liverpool saleroom of Adam Partridge.

The Battle of Goose Green was relatively small in size but a fierce and important action in the Falklands War, notable for the Victoria Cross awarded posthumously to Colonel ‘H’ Jones of the Parachute Regiment.

Halls’ (24% buyer’s premium) Militaria, Naval and Aviation Auction included a medal group with an intriguing link to a famous figure of the First World War, British nurse Edith Cavell.

Acting Lt Cdr Richard Lovelace Bigg-Wither not only had a memorable name but a Second World War career in the Fleet Air Arm that was also definitely one to remember.

An honour hailing from the Second World War demonstrates the peculiarity of this collecting market

Noonans’ sale of Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria in London on September 10 was led by an exceptional 18th century gold and enamel jewel.

A “very fine” bronze helmet of Corinthian type, c.350BC, hammered from a single sheet, with a domed crown, almond-shaped eye cutouts and a prominent nose guard, sold for £32,000 at Apollo Art Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) in London on July 27.