Medals

Founded in 1666, Spink has been buying and selling rare Military Medals since they first appeared after the Napoleonic Wars over two centuries ago. The Department – in combination with the Special Commissions Department – have held continual Royal Warrants as Medallists to the British Monarch since the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897.

Spink currently holds at least six auctions of Orders, Decorations & Medals a year, being a combination of both traditional room auctions and online-only auction. To date we have sold over 85,000 lots at auction for a combined total of over £60 million.

Over the years the Medal Department has continually set and re-set many World Records and are proud to be regarded as the ‘home of the Victoria Cross’, having handled, authenticated, insured and sold more examples of the ultimate award for bravery than any other organisation on earth. The Department hold the record of having sold almost 100 Victoria Crosses at auction (as well as many more by Private Treaty). We have a track record of exceptional results for the recipients of medals, their families and descendants given our long standing in this specialist field.

Notable examples include the unique ‘Battle of Malaya 1941’ V.C. group awarded posthumously to Squadron Leader Arthur Scarfe, Royal Air Force, which sold for £550,000 (now on public display at the RAF Museum, Hendon) and the First Day of the Battle of the Somme 1916 V.C. group awarded to Drum Major Walter Ritchie, Seaforth Highlanders, which sold for £360,000. We also hold the current World Record Prices for a D.S.O. Group (£222,000); and M.C. Group (£86,350); and a D.C.M. Group (£120,000) sold at auction – besides other exceptional results for medals to the SAS & SBS, for the Battle of Britain and for awards for Polar Exploration.

Our Department prides itself on its market-leading in-depth research that accompanies the items we sell, which truly tells the stories of the brave ‘Men & Women Behind the Medals’ and result in the record prices we consistently set. We host regular Public Exhibitions around our auctions which draw wide international attendance and press coverage, further promoting the subject and raising the profile of the items in our auctions. Previous Exhibitions have included the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo 1815-2015, the centenary of the foundation of the Royal Air Force and a celebration of Arctic & Antarctic Explorers.

As well as at Auction, we buy and sell a significant number of medals by private treaty, which avoids the publicity of the auction-room, whilst still maintaining excellent prices for items bought and sold this way. Our Department also regularly offers their services to provide insurance valuations and historical advice to Regiments, Museums, families and collectors worldwide.

To find out more, please contact our specialists;

Head of Department, Marcus Budgen

To find out more, or to contact a specialist in the medal department, please go to our contact page .