Charterhouse is offering exactly that in its September 22 sale in Sherborne, Dorset. It is the first time the three Symonds family medal groups have appeared on the open market and they are being sold by a family member.
The medals stretch from a Queens South Africa (or Boer War) medal from the closing days of the 19th century through to a General Service Medal with a Palestine 1945-48 clasp. In between these campaigns, the family were awarded medals for the first and second world wars and also served in India.
However, what is also intriguing and rare is that all three family members served with the same unit: The Army Service Corps.
The largest group of 12 medals includes an MBE awarded to Major TH Symonds. He was part of the early war effort in 1914 and continued to serve though the Second World War, ending up in Calcutta in 1945. All the medals have clearly been worn with pride, with the older ones showing signs of enthusiastic polishing over the decades.
The Symonds family medals are estimated at £500-1000.
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