Chats on Military Curios

CHAPTER VII

EARLY BRITISH WAR MEDALS 105 How to arrange a collection of medals--Factors which influence the value of a medal--The earliest medals--The first English medal--The first English military medal--The Forlorn Hope medal--The Dunbar medal--The Culloden medal--Medals granted by the Honourable East India Company--The Pope's medal, 1793--The Emperor Francis II of Germany's medal, 1794--The Seringapatam medal--The Egyptian medal, 1801--The Rodriguez medal--The Nepaul medal--The Maida medal--The Peninsular Officers' medal

CHAPTER VIII

MILITARY MEDALS STRUCK BY THE MINT 135

Campaign medals considered--Waterloo--Burmah--China-- Cabul--Jellalabad--Scinde--Meanee--Sobroan--The men's Peninsular medal--Punjab--Indian General Service medals-- South Africa, 1850-3; also 1877-9--Baltic--Crimea--Indian Mutiny--Abyssinia--New Zealand--Later awards

CHAPTER IX

MILITARY DECORATIONS AWARDED FOR SPECIAL SERVICES 163

The necessity for special awards--The Victoria Cross--The Order of Merit--The "Distinguished Conduct in the Field" award--The Distinguished Service Order--The Meritorious Service award--The Long Service and Good Conduct award--The "Best Shot" medal--Volunteer decorations--Other decorations

CHAPTER X

MILITARY MEDALLIONS 181

General considerations--The "lost wax" process--Hadrian's medallions--Renaissance examples--Simon, the medallist--Wyon's work--Public collections--Some noted medallions described

CHAPTER XI

MILITARY PRINTS 195

The period 1750-1860--Works including military prints--Where to search for bargains--The kind of print most sought after--Works including fine military prints--Bunbury-- Gillray

CHAPTER XII

MEMORIAL BRASSES OF MILITARY INTEREST 209

Classes of military brasses--Rubbings and how to make them--Floor brasses, their characteristics--Palimpsest brasses--What may be learnt from brasses--Mural tablets

CHAPTER XIII

AUTOGRAPHS OF GREAT SOLDIERS 221

The fascination of autograph collecting--Points which influence the value of an autograph--Autographs classified--A "Schomberg" letter--The notes scribbled by Airey at Balaclava--General hints--Prices of autographs

CHAPTER XIV

WAR POSTAGE STAMPS 241

The earliest war stamps--Stamps used in the Crimean War--The British Army Post Office Corps--The Sudan Expedition--The South African campaign--The Great War--Recent war stamps and post-marks--Indian war stamps--Other war stamps

CHAPTER XV

WAR MONEY 261

French obsidional notes--Mafeking notes--The Napoleonic assignats--Charles II and University plate--Mints at Carlisle, Beeston, Scarborough, Newark, Colchester, and Pontefract--Irish gun money

CHAPTER XVI

CURIOS MADE BY PRISONERS OF WAR 287

Objects recently made in Holland--The Napoleonic prisoners at Norman Cross, Perth, Dartmoor, Stapleton, Liverpool, and Greenland Valleyfield

CHAPTER XVII

MISCELLANEOUS MILITARY CURIOS 299

Considerations respecting miscellaneous curios--Battlefield souvenirs--Regimental colours--Odds and ends of dress equipment--Books and newspapers of military interest--Royal souvenirs--Official military documents--Gruesome relics--Relics of the Great War

CHAPTER XVIII

A HISTORY OF ONE'S COLLECTION 317

Reasons for compiling a history of one's collection--The part played by photographs--Armour suggested as an example--Material for grangerizing

BIBLIOGRAPHY 323

INDEX 337

ILLUSTRATIONS

LIST OF PLATES

A BRONZE MEDALLION OF THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON Frontispiece

PAGE

QUEEN VICTORIA'S CHOCOLATE BOX SENT TO THE SOLDIERS FIGHTING IN SOUTH AFRICA, 1900 23

PRINCESS MARY'S CHRISTMAS BOX SENT TO THE SOLDIERS FIGHTING IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM, 1914 23

BADGE OF THE QUEEN'S (ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT) 2ND FOOT 33

BADGE OF THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S (WILTSHIRE REGIMENT) 33

BADGE OF THE KING'S (LIVERPOOL REGIMENT) 33

BADGE OF THE ROYAL WARWICKSHIRE REGIMENT 33

BADGE OF THE ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS 43

BADGE OF THE ROYAL FUSILIERS (CITY OF LONDON REGIMENT) 43

BADGE OF THE SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS (5TH BATTALION) 43

BADGE OF THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY 43

SOME REGIMENTAL BUTTONS 49

A HORSE AMULET BEARING THE DEVICE OF THE ROYAL FUSILIERS 57

HELMET PLATE OF THE ROYAL MARINE LIGHT INFANTRY 57

A SLEEVE FROM A COAT OF THE OLD 2ND (SOUTH MIDDLESEX) VOLUNTEER REGIMENT 67

A BELT BUCKLE FROM THE SAME REGIMENT 67

A FLINT-LOCK PISTOL 77

THE ACTION PART OF THE ABOVE 77

THE BARREL OF A GUN ORNAMENTED WITH A TWIN HEAD OF MINERVA 85

AN OLD POWDER-FLASK 85

A SOUTH AFRICAN POM-POM SHELL AND A MARTINI-HENRI CARTRIDGE 93

CARTRIDGES AS USED IN THE GREAT WAR. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: GERMAN, FRENCH, BELGIAN, AND BRITISH 93

AN OLD SWORD WITH STRAIGHT CROSS-GUARDS 101

AN ITALIAN DAGGER HAVING A REPLICA OF THE FAMOUS COLUMN OF ST. MARK FOR GRIP 101

ROYALIST BADGE WORN BY THE PARTISANS OF CHARLES I 109

THE CRIMEAN MEDAL 117

THE GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL, 1793-1814 123

THE AFGHAN MEDAL 123

SOUTH AFRICAN MEDAL, 1877-9 123

THE INDIAN MUTINY MEDAL 133

THE CHINA MEDAL, 1842-60 145

THE EGYPTIAN MEDAL, 1882-9 145

THE SUTLEJ MEDAL 157

THE PUNJAB MEDAL 157

THE THIRD INDIAN GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 157

THE QUEEN AND KING'S SOUTH AFRICAN MEDALS, 1899-1902 171 (The same reverse was used for both pieces)

A CHECK TO CORSICAN ASSURANCE 191 By Cruikshank

NAPOLEON'S CARRIAGE ARRIVING AT THE LONDON MUSEUM 199 By Cruikshank

A SINGULAR TRAIT OF BUONAPARTE'S FAVOURITE MAMELUKE 207 By Cruikshank

A BATTLEFIELD SOUVENIR PICKED UP ON THE PLAINS OF FLANDERS 217

(The same helmet is shown with and without the cloth covering)

A BATTLEFIELD SOUVENIR BEARING VERSES SHOWING THE BLOODTHIRSTY NATURE OF THE TYROLESE PEASANT AND SOLDIER 227

AN OLD MUG BEARING THE FAMOUS PICTURE DEPICTING "THE DEATH OF WOLFE" 237

A SOLDIER'S COMMUNICATION POSTED DURING THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR 245

A SIMILAR COMMUNICATION FROM "SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE" 245

A POST-CARD RECEIVED FROM A SOLDIER IN FRANCE BEARING STEREOTYPED GREETINGS 257

MONEY OF THE GREAT REBELLION, 1642-9 265

(1. Newark sixpence--2. Colchester gold half unite--3. Pontefract two-shilling piece--4. Ormond half-crown--5. Dublin crown of Charles II)

GUN MONEY OF JAMES II 271

(1. Sixpence--2. Sixpence--3. Shilling--4. Shilling--5. Half-crown--6. Half-crown--7. Half-crown--8. Half-crown)

GUN MONEY OF JAMES II 277 (9. Shilling--10. Shilling--11. Half-crown--12. Half-crown--13. Half-crown--14. Crown--15. Crown--16. Limerick farthing)

PAPER MONEY OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, 1793 283

OBSIDIONAL HALF-FRANC NOTE OF EPERNAY 291

OBSIDIONAL FRANC NOTE OF EPERNAY 291

A NEWSPAPER POSTER WHICH TOLD OF WELCOME NEWS 297

A SET OF BONE DOMINOES CARVED BY PRISONERS TAKEN IN THE NAPOLEONIC WARS, AND INTERNED IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF PETERBOROUGH 297

AN INTERESTING BROADSIDE PRINTED AT THE FAMOUS CATNACH PRESS, BEING ONE OF A SERIES DESCRIBING INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF A SOLDIER 313

ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT

ARMOUR HEADGEAR 75

WEAPONS 99

A MEDALLION STRUCK IN HONOUR OF JULIUS CÆSAR 186

MEDALLION COMMEMORATING THE VICTORY OF THE BATTLE OF THE BOYNE 187

MEDALLION COMMEMORATING THE FALL OF JAMES II 187

TWO MARLBOROUGH MEDALLIONS 188

MEDALLION COMMEMORATING THE BATTLE OF OUDENARDE 189

MEDALLION COMMEMORATING THE SURRENDER OF LILLE 189

MEDALLION COMMEMORATING THE BATTLE OF DUNBLANE 190

MEDALLION COMMEMORATING THE BATTLE OF DETTINGEN 190

MEDALLION COMMEMORATING THE BATTLE OF MINDEN 193

THE OLDEST ENGLISH BRASS 215

FACSIMILE OF A PORTION OF A LETTER WRITTEN BY CROMWELL TO LENTHALL, ANNOUNCING THE VICTORY OF NASEBY 225

AUTOGRAPH LETTER WRITTEN BY NAPOLEON III TO WILLIAM I OF GERMANY AFTER THE BATTLE OF SEDAN 231

SOME AUTOGRAPHS OF NOTED SOLDIERS 235

SOME HISTORIC POST-MARKS USED ON MILITARY CORRESPONDENCE 252

A CUTTING FROM "THE TIMES" OF NOVEMBER 9, 1796 308

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The Author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to Dr. Philip Nelson for the loan of the valuable coins which figure in the illustrations on pages 265, 271, and 277; to Mr. Tom Satterthwaite for the loan of many of the medals depicted in these pages; to Mr. Leonard Baggott for the loan of arms; to Messrs. Henry Sotheran for permission to reproduce three Cruikshank prints; to Messrs. Spink & Son for permission to reproduce the Royalist Badge; also to Mr. Edwin Johnson, B.Sc., and Mr. James Pryor for the loan of various curios included in the following pages.

The Author also wishes to state that in forming his own collection of military curios he has gained much helpful assistance from "The Connoisseur"; from C. H. Ashdown's "British and Foreign Arms and Armour"; from J. H. Mayo's "Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy"; from D. H. Irwin's "War Medals and Decorations"; from Ralph Nevill's "British Military Prints"; from Edward Beaumont's works dealing with Brasses; and from the authorities of the Royal United Service Museum.

CHAPTER I. Introduction

INTRODUCTION

Preliminary considerations--Where to search for curios--What to search for--Specializing--Undesirable curios--The catalogue of the Royal United Service Museum--Public collections of military curios

For centuries past the collection of military curios has been the select pastime of men of title and soldiers of rank. Lately, however, owing to the War and the great spread of interest in all things pertaining to it, the circle of collectors has considerably widened, until to-day few things are more treasured by connoisseurs than the thousand and one souvenirs and emblems which emanate from our Army.

Most forms of collecting require the expenditure of much capital, but this is not one of the drawbacks which confront the seeker after military curios. For a few pence an old-fashioned bayonet can be picked up; a rifle bearing a date in last century will cost but a trifle more, whilst such odds and ends as badges and tunic buttons may be had for almost nothing.

Of course, a good deal depends on knowing where to search for treasures. The old curiosity shops are capital hunting-grounds, but second-hand dealers who make a practice of buying up the contents of whole houses are even better. These people seem to get an accumulation of odd material which is difficult to classify, and therefore hard to sell. It is hidden away among these effects that the collector will probably alight upon his finest discoveries.

Some of our own experiences in the matter of bargain finding may be worth detailing. At Rag Fair, last Christmas, we were asked half a guinea for six perfect but very much begrimed medals, one of which was for the Defence of Lucknow. Needless to add, the set was worth many pounds when cleaned and fitted with fresh ribbons. On a stall in Farringdon Road we recently picked up a few helmet badges, some of which bore the old regimental numbers used prior to 1881, at twopence apiece. And elsewhere a few weeks back we chanced upon a bag full of military buttons, for which the dealer asked a shilling.

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