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As the UK brought into force the EU’s fifth Money Laundering Directive in early 2020, it was believed that the art market had plenty of time to register and comply.

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including the BBC series returning for its 10th series.

The French silver-gilt table knife and fork shown here, c.1810, is from a service made for Napoleon Bonaparte.

The autobiography title Rake’s Progress: The Gay and Dramatic – Adventures of Major Denis Rake MC, the Reluctant British War-Time Agent perfectly sums up the story behind a group of medals on offer in East Sussex.

Although the wearer of a First World War tunic sold by Kent auction house C&T (22% buyer’s premium) on July 26-28 was not listed, it gave plenty of clues to his service.

James Eaton runs Alastor Rare Books specialising in British and continental antiquarian books, manuscripts, archives, and ephemera, with an emphasis on Italian and French imprints.

Sabena was mainland Europe’s first airline to offer a transatlantic jet service via Boeing 707 and this design by Gaston Van den Eynde is one of a series that he designed to herald the Belgian airline’s jet age.

A brand-new building on the Dodwell Trading Estate outside Stratford-upon- Avon is the home of the recently opened Top Dog Antiques.

This example of the well-known Nelson memorial vinaigrette made by Matthew Linwood of Birmingham in 1805 sold for £2800 at Lawrences (25% buyer’s premium) of Crewkerne.

This summer was something of a feast when it came to the Modern British art auctions in London.

“Dear Tom, I should like to write a story called ‘Mrs Dalloway in Bond Street’ (the title, I suppose, could be changed if necessary). I should certainly expect to let you have it by Oct. 1st.”

To get an idea of the healthy nature of the medals market at the moment, consider the Victoria Cross sold at Spink (20% buyer’s premium) this summer.

Bearing as its title ‘Certain Directions for the Sending of Men and Comodities, & Cattle to Virginia’, a 10pp secretarial manuscript thought to date from c.1609 proved a major attraction in a July 14 sale held by Forum (15/20/12.5% buyer’s premium).

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

Between reserving various pieces to museums, Guy Peppiatt was pleased to sell a large watercolour of Yorkshire by Peter de Wint (1748- 1849) during the latest London Art Week (LAW).

Only two examples of this 11in (28cm) Sèvres biscuit porcelain bust of Napoleon’s son, Napoléon-François-Charles-Joseph Bonaparte (1811-32), are known.

Unique medal combinations will always catch a collector’s eye, particularly when accompanied by a highly emotive backstory.

On Friday, August 12, Michael Bloomstein of Brighton was paying the following for bulk scrap against a gold fix of: $1788.45 / €1740.33 / £1472.61

Rediscovered sculpted portrait heads a special report covering recent lots linked to the man who became emperor, dedicated to both his triumphs and defeats

This cased pair of English flintlock duelling pistols by Joseph Gulley, London, c.1810-15, sold for £8600 at Halls (20/12% buyer’s premium) in a timed online sale that ended on August 2.