So that's why I've been collecting medals for 25 years. I haven't counted how many I have now, but they fill an entire box. To help keep me focused, I have two rules. First, the person has to have survived their escapade, not died, so they've held the medal in their hand, and you have that tangible connection. Second, and most importantly, there has to be a good story.
To me, a medal is like the world in miniature. That little piece of metal brings together politics, geography and history, with one person's story. He might have been quite an ordinary bloke, with an ordinary job, who joined up, maybe because he was patriotic, or maybe he wanted a square meal and regular pay, and then found himself in Madagascar or Abyssinia [Ethiopia]-imagine the shock and excitement.
When I was a teenager, my dad gave me some Second World War medals.
I found them quite interesting, but I didn't completely fall in love with medal-collecting at that stage. I think that's partly because, unlike earlier medals, none of the Second World War medals are engraved with the recipient's name. That means that unless you have other provenance, you don't know whose they were, where they went and what they did.
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Denne historien er fra November 2024-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Lisa Coppin
The Cotswold Company’s chief creative officer shares the pieces that mean so much to her
TRAVEL
Six of the best pineta, plus a festive trip to Covent Garden. Review of The Orange, Belgravia by Katie Pike, travel stories
OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE
Stumbled upon by chance, this ingenious material was a more affordable option than solid silver, and well-preserved examples are particularly desirable today
Merrily on high
Summoning servants since the 1700s, bell boards create instant English country-house style (even if you don't have any servants). Emma Longstaff dons her pinny
Let it snow
Nostalgic, magical and highly collectable, snow globes are curious objects of wonder that never fail to instil joy
Velvet Crush
Once the preserve of the wealthy, velvet finally touched all levels of society, thanks to advances in its production process
Celebrating in the Stable
Antiques dealer Julia von Hülsen specialises in Gustavian pieces - all of which look perfectly placed in her German home
THE SHOW MUST GO ON
Victorian toy theatres charming and exquisitely designed miniature worlds have inspired theatre royalty for decades. Today, the tradition is being kept alive by a small but talented network of makers
NICHOLAS LEES
The ceramic artist talks to Dominique Corlett about new ways of working with clay and blurring the edges of solid objects
Candy CHRISTMAS
Pastel hues, vintage decorations and bowls of sweet treats: the festive run-up is gloriously joyful at Bettina Færgeman's historic Copenhagen apartment, where there's an emphasis on entertaining...