Next month Bonhams' sale of Coins, Medals and Banknotes in London will feature a true piece of British military history which is certain to excite medal collectors and war historians alike.
The star lot of the auction will be the Two-Bar Crimea Medal, awarded to George Flowers of the 17th Lancers who was killed in the Charge of the Light Brigade of 1854, with an estimated price of £8,000 - £10,000.
The Charge of the Light Brigade became a symbol of both heroic failure and devotion to duty. The doomed charge, by the light cavalry against the Russian artillery in the Battle of Balaclava, was made famous by Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem and remains an enduring emblem of courage and sacrifice to this day. Half the soldiers, including George Flowers, were killed in the charge on the 25th October 1854.
 Being sold alongside the medal is a photograph believed to have been taken in 1904, showing the son of George Flowers and his family commemorating his father. |
The Crimean War was the first war to receive any kind of modern press coverage, with reporters and photographers capturing the events in a way that had never happened before.
This development brought the story of the Charge to the public's attention only three weeks after it had happened, and eyewitness accounts of the charge meant the public were given a powerful picture of the heroism and tragedy that took place. The Charge was firmly cemented in the public's consciousness and has remained there ever since.
The auction at Bonhams will feature a large selection of military medals with a wide range of prices, offering collectors of all levels the chance to invest in a market that offers remarkable tales of individual bravery as well as great financial returns.
Each medal has its own unique story, and with a little research they can offer collectors a window into history that few other antique collectibles can.
- Learn how you can get pleasure and profit by investing in rare gallantry medals
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