Latest News Articles by Tom Derbyshire
Follow the paper trail to extra militaria price value
10 April 2017Research to be followed up or indeed already done boosts the background story and value of a medal group.
Four-star sword for military showman Patton
10 April 2017One thing you could never accuse General George S Patton of was being shy. Not that top military men are exactly shrinking violets but even so, Patton is renowned as particularly bombastic. He fits perfectly into the type of American general in the Custer and MacArthur mould, happy to blow their own trumpets.
Wartime photo albums are snapped up at auction
10 April 2017The extra push of archive items accompanying medals at auction is well recognised but such material is increasingly on the advance in its own right. Honours offered with log books, diaries, maps, letters and so on are very attractive to buyers given the background story they create about the recipient.
The other flying Richthofen revealed in photos
10 April 2017A famous military name always in demand at auction is Richthofen. However, the two lots sold at Dickins Auctioneers (19.5% buyer’s premium plus VAT) on March 31 related not to the Red Baron of Great War fame, but to his cousin, Generalfeldmarschall Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen (1895-1945).
Who dares wins big bids for special forces relics
10 April 2017Special forces memorabilia making special prices is not a top-secret scenario in the militaria world. The appetite is always high for the exploits of small elite units where bravery and hair-raising tales are the norm.
Victoria and Albert Museum to launch huge new photography centre
06 April 2017Photograph research and study will be boosted by the expansion of the Victoria and Albert Museum's vast collection of historic and contemporary images.
Early sport superstar Johnny Douglas medal sells at Suffolk auction
05 April 2017Medals are all about the recipient’s story – and few can be as fascinating and action-packed as that of early sports superstar John (Johnny) Williams Henry Tyler Douglas.
Cult classic VW campervan defies heavy rust to sell for £23,000 at auction
05 April 2017At first glance, a hammer price of £23,000 is a heck of a lot to pay for a vehicle distinguished only by a heavily rusted shell with headlights, bumper and assorted bits and pieces lying around forlornly.
Pistol used during Custer's last stand at the Little Bighorn 1876 up for auction
04 April 2017Proving that a weapon was definitely used at a particular battle can be tricky but it can mean a huge price difference. If that battle was the Little Bighorn it is particularly difficult to prove.
Auction successes win more Zulu War medal consignments
03 April 2017A successful sale tempts further consignments. The recent string of excellent results for Zulu War medals has certainly encouraged fresh batches of honours to auctioneers.
Battle of Culloden letter 1746 to be contested at Stroud auction
29 March 2017While relations between the English/Unionist and the Scottish powers-that-be are not exactly cordial at the moment, hopefully it will not lead to battle. If a referendum is indeed held to decide the fate of the union, a ballot rather than the bullet should be sufficient.
Pick of the Week: Rare reminder of tragic royal reign
25 March 2017A coin sold in the Dix Noonan Webb (20% buyer’s premium) auction on March 15 is a poignant reminder of the mysterious death of the Princes in the Tower.
Spice of sales life
25 March 2017Dealers and fairs are embracing the ‘mix it up’ approach to offering a wide range of styles and eras, as noted in our BADA fair preview (ATG No 2282).
Snapshots of the ever popular Beatrix Potter collecting market
20 March 2017An auction house which sold a 1937 handwritten letter by Beatrix Potter is offering another fascinating collection related to the children’s author just over two months later.
History hunters
18 March 2017A VITAL part of an auctioneer’s job is research. And many become adept at finding out about local history. Coming up in the Peter Wilson auction on March 16 is a good example. It might be chipped and cracked, but the old pub jug pictured here – c.1860 – sheds a little more light on the history of Haslington, a Cheshire village between Crewe and Sandbach.
Meccano sets build up interest in Somerset auction
16 March 2017'The youth of today are stuck inside playing computer games getting square eyes' is a familiar refrain from the old and often grumpy, such as, er, me. However, in the not-so-distant past it was Lego keeping kids fixated indoors and before that, the marvels of Meccano.
James Bond 'Dr No' film posters produce auction double 0 heaven
15 March 2017Latest auction results in the film poster market show that for the right designs with a licence to thrill the buyers will follow.
Two Rorke’s Drift record-breakers
11 March 2017LONDON auction house Dix Noonan Webb set a new high for a Rorke’s Drift South Africa Medal on March 1 – improving upon a record set just three months ago.
Prince in the tower Edward V coin found in field comes to auction
10 March 2017King Richard III is the Marmite Monarch. You love him or you hate him. On one hand he is regarded as a monster, on the other as misunderstood and unfairly maligned.
Boer war tinned emergency rations to be auctioned at Hansons
08 March 2017The two Boer Wars were real eye-openers to the Brits in many ways. It was a period when colonial campaigns collided with the reality of modern warfare, and supplying a mass army was a big part of this.