Features

From the 1770s Portobello was one of the main centres of industrial ceramic production in Scotland.

Collector’s diligence and resolve pay off as he tracks down the crucial evidence

Spotlight on awards that brought rewards for vendors in three separate sales

Dealer from a Cotswolds family business acquired English tin glazed earthenware as a personal interest

Several lots linked to a George Henry Robertson who served in Victorian campaigns in India impressed at Toovey’s (25% buyer’s premium) of West Sussex .

While a First World War memorial plaque (‘death penny’ or ‘dead man’s penny’) is not usually worth that much on its own, when presented with an associated medal group the price can rise considerably.

Two collections of banknote designs and specimens from engraving and printing firm Bradbury Wilkinson & Company were offered at either end of 2025.

A First World War Distinguished Conduct Medal casualty group of four sold for £2800 at Tennants (24% buyer’s premium) in Leyburn on December 10.

The disaster of the Charge of the Light Brigade inevitably dominates the tale of the Battle of Balaclava on October 25, 1854, but far more successful actions also took place that day: the Charge of The Heavy Brigade and The Thin Red Line.

The Order of the Durrani Empire (Nishan-i-Daulat-i-Durrani) was established in 1839 and awarded to British field officers and above during the First Afghan War by Shah Durrani of Afghanistan (1785-1842) in gratitude for his restoration to the throne as Shah Shuja-ool-Moqlk, King of Afghanistan.

The reverse to the 1817 George III crown is considered a masterpiece of numismatic neoclassical design.

While fears in these uncertain times such as tariff disputes and the London market potentially moving overseas made 2025 a daunting prospect, specialists can instead look back on an encouraging period full of resilience and high prices

The clasps (metal bars across the ribbons) signifying participation in particular actions are a key factor driving value when it comes to the Naval General Service medal 1793-1840 awarded retrospectively for Royal navy service.

A Ferdinand III (1608-57) 100-ducat gold piece briefly became the most expensive ‘modern era’ European gold coin ever sold at auction when it hammered for SFr1.95m (£1.83m) in Geneva.

Established in 1687 by James II (also James VII of Scotland), membership of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is in the personal gift of the sovereign, just as it is with the Order of the Garter and the Order of Merit.

This 1642 silver medal by the German medallist Sebastian Dadler (1586-1657) celebrates the arrival in the Netherlands of Princess Mary (1631-60), eldest daughter of Charles I and sister of the future Charles II.

The citation for a Distinguished Flying Medal awarded to Act F/Sgt BG Tucker RAF stated he had “completed many outstanding sorties against such heavily defended localities as Berlin, Essen and Hanover.

Pairing old with new has become a familiar tactic in the art market.

Expect records to tumble in the market for Indian art and antiques in 2026.

Not that many footballers can be “as deeply woven into Leicester City and Scarborough football history as Colin Appleton (1936-2021)”, it is true.