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Anonymous
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From the local paper today. British medal given to allied Indian chiefs found down by the river. To be auctioned. Value? $8,000 to $10,000. Dang! <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt="
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>>>Rare 1814 British medal to be auctioned
LONDON -- If it hadn't been for a treasure hunter scanning a muddy Detroit River bank with a metal detector, a rare medal believed to date to the War of 1812 may have been lost forever. Although the medal's history is somewhat difficult to trace because of how it was found, experts at Bonhams auctioneers in London believe the silver medallion minted for an aboriginal chief is a rare find.
"They are quite scarce," said Andrew Litherland, an expert on coins and medals at Bonhams. He estimates that only a few hundred may still be in existence -- and they rarely come up for sale.
The medal, which depicts George III facing to the right on one side and the Royal coat of arms, crest, supporters and motto on the other, has been valued at 3,500 to 4,000 pounds ($8,600 to $9,800 Cdn). It goes on sale Feb. 24.
Litherland said putting a price on the medal, which is 75 millimetres in diameter and described as being in "very fine" condition, was difficult.
"There haven't been any on the market for quite a long time, but we made an educated -- what we thought was a sort of realistic estimate," he explained.
What makes this medal unusual is the way it was found by someone searching the banks of the Detroit River for lost objects in the 1990s.
The treasure hunter was either working on behalf of or sold the medal to an anonymous Canadian collector, who has decided to sell it.
Because the medal is dated 1814, it was probably given to the chief of a native band for his service to the Crown during the War of 1812. Based on the fact that it was found on the Detroit River, Bonhams believes it would have been awarded over the fall of Fort Detroit on Aug. 16, 1812.
American William Hull surrendered the fort to the British without a fight, terrified by an artillery barrage from the Canadian side of the Detroit River and the prospect of facing 500 aboriginal warriors and 700 of Gen. Isaac Brock's soldiers.
Brock was declared a hero for taking the fort, which boosted the morale of British troops fighting across Upper Canada. The successful attack on Fort Detroit also persuaded many neutral tribes to make alliances with the British.
Litherland said he expects the medal to end up in a private collection because most museums would likely already have examples of similar medals.
While the medal's recent past may not boost its monetary value, he thinks the way it was found will make it attractive to buyers.
"It's been rescued for the collectors," he said.
"It probably doesn't make any great value at the end of the day, but it does make it interesting from the collector's point of view."
">>>>Rare 1814 British medal to be auctioned
LONDON -- If it hadn't been for a treasure hunter scanning a muddy Detroit River bank with a metal detector, a rare medal believed to date to the War of 1812 may have been lost forever. Although the medal's history is somewhat difficult to trace because of how it was found, experts at Bonhams auctioneers in London believe the silver medallion minted for an aboriginal chief is a rare find.
"They are quite scarce," said Andrew Litherland, an expert on coins and medals at Bonhams. He estimates that only a few hundred may still be in existence -- and they rarely come up for sale.
The medal, which depicts George III facing to the right on one side and the Royal coat of arms, crest, supporters and motto on the other, has been valued at 3,500 to 4,000 pounds ($8,600 to $9,800 Cdn). It goes on sale Feb. 24.
Litherland said putting a price on the medal, which is 75 millimetres in diameter and described as being in "very fine" condition, was difficult.
"There haven't been any on the market for quite a long time, but we made an educated -- what we thought was a sort of realistic estimate," he explained.
What makes this medal unusual is the way it was found by someone searching the banks of the Detroit River for lost objects in the 1990s.
The treasure hunter was either working on behalf of or sold the medal to an anonymous Canadian collector, who has decided to sell it.
Because the medal is dated 1814, it was probably given to the chief of a native band for his service to the Crown during the War of 1812. Based on the fact that it was found on the Detroit River, Bonhams believes it would have been awarded over the fall of Fort Detroit on Aug. 16, 1812.
American William Hull surrendered the fort to the British without a fight, terrified by an artillery barrage from the Canadian side of the Detroit River and the prospect of facing 500 aboriginal warriors and 700 of Gen. Isaac Brock's soldiers.
Brock was declared a hero for taking the fort, which boosted the morale of British troops fighting across Upper Canada. The successful attack on Fort Detroit also persuaded many neutral tribes to make alliances with the British.
Litherland said he expects the medal to end up in a private collection because most museums would likely already have examples of similar medals.
While the medal's recent past may not boost its monetary value, he thinks the way it was found will make it attractive to buyers.
"It's been rescued for the collectors," he said.
"It probably doesn't make any great value at the end of the day, but it does make it interesting from the collector's point of view."