Our gallant armed forces who face the daily horrors of Iraq and Afghanistan are often said to be undervalued by the public. But at least in the narrow financial sense, that cannot be said of historic acts of bravery and devotion to duty and the medals that commemorate them. Have you ever looked to see whether you have any medals lurking in your attic, perhaps won by a grandparent or ancestor for action in the field? Maybe the details of the original recipient’s valour have been lost in the mists of time, but such information can still be retrieved from a local public records office or a regimental historian; and if you do have an interesting medal, it could become the starting point of a collection that might turn into a lifetime hobby and at the same time grow into a valuable investment.
‘That’s how most people start out with their collections,’ says Mark Quayle of Spinks, which has been in the medal and coin business since 1666. ‘They might come in with something they already own and then develop an interest and eventually a collection in that area. Some people specialise in medals from one particular regiment, or they focus only on casualty medals, or medals representing every campaign in a particular war, or even variations on one medal. The key thing is to find a theme and then we can help you to find out more and maybe think about adding to your collection. The market in medals is very strong and has been for some time. It’s an attractive opportunity.’
Napoleonic war medals, particularly Waterloo medals, have always held their value well. ‘There are lots of Waterloo medals around,’ says Oliver Pepys, who also works in the medal department at Spinks. ‘Many of them have been melted down over the years, because they’re made of silver, but there are still plenty to be found.
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