Arms, Armour & Militaria

This c.1800 flintlock pistol below by James Wilkinson, London, was used on packet ships to protect the General Post Office mail.

The first American flag believed to have been planted on Omaha Beach in northern France on D-Day proved to be the top lot in Heritage’s (25% buyer’s premium) Arms & Armor, Civil War & Militaria Auction on June 9.

Included in Weiss Auctions’ sale in Lynbrook, New York, on June 26 is this British Waterloo Medal for Henry Gronemann, who was in the 5th Line Battalion of the King’s German Legion.

A significant amendment means that the new law governing the sale of bladed items will not impact buyers of antique weapons as once feared.

The death of John Hayward on May 12 has robbed the world of medals and medal collecting of its most colourful personality.

Painted by Lt Gen Henry Hope Crealock (1831-91), this 6ft 8in (2m) wide pen and ink drawing is an eyewitness account of The Action of Bareilly – the battle of the last stronghold of Indian independence in 1858.

Codes are there to be broken, as the Second World War British team at Bletchley Park proved by cracking the German Enigma machines.

Intricate representation labelled as a Royal Navy vessel has French prisoner-of-war origin.

A Russian battle sword is on offer at Morphy Auctions in the June 12 sale in Denver, Pennsylvania, estimated at $50,000-100,000.

A classic SAS beige beret from the Second World War has sold for what is believed to be a record-breaking £17,500 hammer price.

A flying log book belonging to one of the female pilots of the Air Training Auxiliary (ATA) who became famous for ferrying planes in the Second World War has been sold at Kent saleroom C&T.

In the latest of our occasional series of collector interviews, we talk to entrepreneur Algy Cluff, a former army officer and oil and mining business supremo, about his collecting tastes

The inscription London on the barrels of this pair of 19th century, silver-mounted flintlock pistols is entirely spurious.