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The best-selling gallantry medal of 2023 was offered at Noonans late in the year on December 6. The Naval Victoria Cross awarded to Seaman James Gorman at the Battle of Inkerman sold for a hammer price of £320,000 (plus 24% buyer’s premium) and now forms part of a private collection of Crimean War medals.

Prior to its unification, what is now Argentina was comprised of over a dozen autonomous and semi-autonomous regions.

One of the great masterpieces of ancient Greek numismatic art, this silver tetradrachm was struck in c.460BC in commemoration of the refounding of the city of Naxos. Its citizens had been exiled to Leontinoi by the tyrant Hieron of Syracuse.

Heading Sworders’ (25% buyer’s premium) January 16 Design sale in Stansted Mountfitchet was a recently rediscovered version of one of the best-known Guild of Handicraft designs.

John Newton (1725-1807) is today perhaps best remembered as the writer of the hymn Amazing Grace. However, before his religious conversion he spent his early life as a slave trader.

Our regular selection of lots from UK and Irish auctions.

A small 8in cast bronze relief or architectural element c.1900 designed by Art Nouveau and Art Deco master René Lalique was offered in Florida.

A hunting rifle believed to have belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte when he ruled as emperor of France led the line at Alexander Historical Auctions (25% buyer’s premium).

Picture-postcard collecting became a craze in Edwardian times and in the 21st century many of us are delighted collectors of these ‘windows on the world’.

This Iraq specimen banknote printed in India during the Second World War sold for £100,000 plus 24% buyer’s premium at Noonans on November 29-30. It was purchased by a lifetime collector or Iraqi banknotes at double the low estimate.

A Venetian Old Master painting of St Roch attributed to the circle of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696- 1770) awoke from the slumber of a $600-900 estimate to hammer for $75,000 (£59,000).

A 19th century scrimshaw carved on board a whaling ship with an all African-American crew sold for $7250 (£5700) at Bruneau & Co (20% buyer’s premium).

The extraordinary collection of the Bath dealer-collector George Withers (1946-2023) comes for sale across three days and two salerooms this month.

Nestled above The Decorative Fair, the London Antique Rug & Textile Art Fair (LARTA) had a successful run with new and returning exhibitors reporting strong sales to trade and private buyers.

In a move that will be watched closely by US and European auction houses, Morphy Auctions of Denver, Pennsylvania, has launched a new operation in Zwingen, Switzerland.

Sir Winston Churchill’s false teeth have been snapped up for a hammer price of £18,000 (plus 24% buyer’s premium) after a nail-biting bidding battle attracted would-be buyers from the UK and US.

On Friday, February 9, Michael Bloomstein of Brighton was paying the following for bulk scrap against a gold fix of: $2030.23 / €1887.32 / £1611.30

Among the images included in Emanuel von Baeyer’s latest catalogue is a study of a female nude by Evelyn De Morgan (1855-1919).

A shot in the arm for the picture market of Alasdair Gray (1934-2019) came at the start of the year when one of his most momentous paintings emerged at auction and set a major record for the Scottish artist and writer.

An ‘18th century’ bible turned out to be far more valuable as a first issue King James “He” version