Noonans

Spotlight on honours sold recently includes courageous lifesavers from civilian backgrounds.

A presentation diamond brooch given by Queen Elizabeth II to the Duchess of Norfolk for assistance prior to her coronation in 1953 is to be offered by Mayfair auction house Noonans on June 14, estimated at £4000-6000.

A medal awarded to a member of the only Canadian battalion composed of black soldiers to serve in the First World War has sold in a London auction.

Auction house Dix Noonan Webb (DNW) will be shortening its name to Noonans from the end of April.

The Jewellery, Watches and Objects of Vertu sale at Dix Noonan Webb (25% buyer’s premium) in London on March 15 included more fine silver and enamel vesta cases by Sampson Mordan & Co to add to those sold by the firm in September 2021.

An Anglo-Saxon gold shilling or thrymsa dating from 650- 670AD took £15,000 at Dix Noonan Webb in Mayfair.

The healthy demand for top-notch medals with interesting back-stories shows no sign of decreasing, judging by recent results.

This early medieval gold cross was discovered by a metal detectorist in a field in Sutton St Edmund, Lincolnshire, in April 2019. After two years, going through the Treasure process, the cross was returned to the finder, who is selling it at Dix Noonan Webb on March 15.

The third and final part of the collection of 19th century silver trade tokens formed by John Akins was offered by Dix Noonan Webb (24% buyer’s premium) in London as part of its February 1-2 sale.

The fourth and final part of the North Yorkshire Moors collection of coins and medals sold by Dix Noonan Webb included some exceptional examples from the Interregnum.

The first tranche from a large collection of Irish banknotes assembled by the late Gus Mac Amhlaigh of Dublin sold by DNW on November 25 included red and orange Bank of Ireland £20 ‘specimen’ notes from the famous Ploughman series.

Dix Noonan Webb set a record for a British army Victoria Cross on June 23.

The ubiquitous First World War memorial plaques – the ‘death penny’ – need to have a posthumous recipient of note to sell for anything more than £50-100.

On November 25 Dix Noonan Webb sold the first tranche of banknotes from the enormous collection of the late Gus Mac Amhlaigh of Dublin.

A single-owner collection of 33 sovereigns from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I generated a white-glove result at London auction house Dix Noonan Webb (24% buyer’s premium).

This rare Victorian silver vesta case with an enamelled scene of an early tiller-driven automobile is hallmarked for Sampson Mordan & Co, London 1896.

It is difficult to replicate the occasion of a royal themed auction. Ergo not everything that resurfaces on the market from the fabled ‘Princess Margaret’ sale at Christie’s in June 2006 shows a great appreciation in value.