Forgotten Victoria Cross Sells for £120,750
Today Spink sold the Victoria Cross awarded to Private W. Mariner for £120,750. The packed room saw a total of five bidders, three in the room and two on the phone, compete to purchase the item. An anonymous buyer in the room was the successful bidder.
The medal was found by the previous owners whilst clearing the effects of a recently deceased relative. Imagine their surprise at rediscovering an item hidden away for over 60 years which today realised an outstanding price.
The story behind the Victoria Cross is a heroic tale, as once told in the London Gazette on the 23rd June 1916:
‘No.2052 Private William Mariner, 2nd Battalion, the King's Royal Rifle Corps. During a violent thunderstorm on the night of May 22, 1915, he left his trench near Cambrin, and crept out through the German wire entanglements till he reached the emplacement of a German machine-gun which had been damaging our parapets and hindering our working parties. After climbing on top of the German parapet he threw a bomb in under the roof of the German gun emplacement and heard some groaning and the enemy running away. After about quarter of an hour he heard some of them coming back again, and climbed up on the other side of the emplacement and threw another bomb among them left-handed. He then lay still while the Germans opened a heavy fire on the wire entanglement behind him, and it was only after about an hour that he was able to crawl back to his own trench. Before starting out he had requested a sergeant to open fire on the enemy's trenches as soon as he had thrown his bombs. Rifleman Mariner was out alone for one and a half hours carrying out this gallant work.
About Spink
Spink is the world’s leading auctioneer of coins, stamps, medals and banknotes. Since its foundation in 1666, the Spink name has become synonymous with tradition, experience and integrity. Holders of three royal warrants and numerous records for prices achieved at auction, Spink offer an unparalleled range of services to collectors worldwide. Spink is headquartered in London and hold over 35 auctions a year around the globe. In June 2006 Spink shattered the world record for a British Coin sold at auction with the sale of the Double Leopard Gold Coin for a staggering £460,000.
Spink Live
Launched on the 11th July 2006, Spink is pleased to offer our bespoke bidding service, Spink Live. This enables you not only to bid real time but to leave an absentee bid in any of our forthcoming auctions; whilst online you can also see and hear the auctioneer through our remarkably user friendly and efficient software.
Since its launch, Spink Live has so far revolutionized the way in which people bid at auction. Spink is thrilled to offer this new platform for our clients so that they may enjoy adding to their collection from the comfort of their homes or anywhere else on the globe they may be. It is believed to the only service of its kind in the world of collectables.
Story and photo courtesy of www.spink.com
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