isandlwana survivor medal to Hamer sold today

Hamer medal sold today at DNW - Hamer price £15000 , thats about £18000 all in!

An important South Africa Medal awarded to Acting Commissariat Officer J. N. Hamer, who left a vivid account of his escape from the massacre at Isandhlwana in January 1879 - on coming up we saw the Zulus, like ants in front of us, in perfect order, as quiet as mice and stretched across in an even line. We estimated those we saw at 12,000'

South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1878-9 (Ag. Comst. Officer J. N. Hamer), edge bruising and polished, thus good fine
12000-15000

Hi Tasker .
Unfortunately mate it wasnt me ! . No doubting it would be a great addition to a collection .
Cheers 90th.

A couple of nice colonial officer medals, up for auction aswell

105 South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1877-8 (Capt: J. Wilson. Bolotwa. Vol:) nearly extremely fine £450-550

Estimate: £450-£550 Hammer 580

106 South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1877-8 (Lieut. C. Peter, Keiskama Hoek. Bghr. Force) nearly extremely fine £400-500

Estimate: £400-£500 Hammer 600

107 An important South Africa Medal awarded to Acting Commissariat Officer J. N. Hamer, who left a vivid account of his escape from the massacre at Isandhlwana in January 1879 - ‘on coming up we saw the Zulus, like ants in front of us, in perfect order, as quiet as mice and stretched across in an even line. We estimated those we saw at 12,000’ South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1878-9 (Ag. Comst. Officer J. N. Hamer), edge bruising and polished, thus good fine £12000-15000

Estimate: £12000-£15000 Hammer 15000

108 South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1879 (2326 Pte. C. Roh. 2-21st Foot) light contact marks, otherwise very fine £300-350

Estimate: £300-£350 Hammer 430

109 South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1879 (29/2052 Pte. E. Frith, 58th Foot) edge bruising, very fine £200-250

Estimate: £200-£250 Hammer 390

110 South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1879 (13207 Driv. H. Pepperell, R.E.) slight edge bruise, very fine £300-350

Estimate: £300-£350 H 410

356 A rare South Africa Medal 1877-79 awarded to Nurse Mary Ann Shiplen (Sister Elizabeth), Stafford House South African Aid Society South Africa 1877-79, no clasp (Miss M. A. Shiplen. “Nurse”.) extremely fine £800-1000

Estimate: £800-£1000 H 2200

357 South Africa 1877-79, no clasp (Surgeon J. F. Dowman, A.M. Dept.) good very fine £320-360

Estimate: £320-£360 H350

358 South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1879 (Civil Surgn. E. H. Hare) nearly extremely fine £350-400

Estimate: £350-£400 H680

359 South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1879 (2223 Pte. G. Powell, A.H.C.) minor edge bruising, good very fine £300-350

Estimate: £300-£350 H580
regards
Sergio

I think the price of medals in general is overheating with this recession.
I would have bid on the Hamer medal but the estimate put me off. Rather a lot of money for a non-combatant.

Hi Sergio .
Thanks for posting the Hammer prices regarding the SAGS Medals sold yesterday , much appreciated . Sister Elizabeth's is a interesting one thats for sure .
Cheers 90th.

I agree with Tasker - I dropped out after a while for exactly the same reason - Hamer after all whilst a vital source of information was a non combatant.

I think the internet has also caused the price inflation we are seeing (not a bad thing from an Investment perspective or as a justification to the wife as to why I am spending so much on Zulu war medals ;-)). I can remember in the old days when it was all done in person at the auction or waiting for that dealers list to drop through the door, now the reach is huge just lookat this website where medals in auctions in the US are discussed and presumably bid on.

It is also fun to chat to people who have bid against or beaten you in auctions - but i think we have to accept that prices are only going to increase from here - so I have to accept I will never get that RD defenders medal !! ..........Unless it is for investment purposes haha

Good post Sergio, I have justified a few purchases to Mrs Tasker224 in much the same way!
As you say, medals are a good investment, I know mine are worth considerably more than what I paid for them, particularly the ones I never had to buy!
However, houses have been a good investment in the past, as have stocks and shares. But the prices of these assets can also slip right back down again as well as go up, so be a bit careful collecting friends - we all know what goes up, must come down - and don't put all your eggs in one basket.
I am sure your financial advisers could offer some proper advice as to how much of your wealth you should invest in tangibles.
At the end of the day, I collect medals because I am interested in the men who earned them and don't think of the investment side too much. I also ride bikes competitively, and bikes depreciate in value considerably, just like cars do; I am also capable of turning an expensive bottle of finest Scotch malt into a few pints of piss over a night or two. And, I don't care, because I enjoy it, and that is the important thing in medal collecting or any other hobby. It doesn't owe you anything if you do it for the love of it.

tasker - I couldn't have put it better myself - I imagine the majority of us collectors just want to hold a bit of history in our hands and have some link to those who thought and died for their mates and the flag.


As I explained to my sons - if it makes money in the future that is a bonus over and above that connection!!

As to the price bubble bursting - there comes a point where it has to cap out - in the current economic environment you feel it will have to. Interesting to see a couple of my other collecting interests achieveing what I would see as realistic levels at DNW these last few days so maybe it has started already.

My latest trick is selling a few poor or uninteresting medals - making a big song and dance about it at home - this then justifys a years worth of new packages coming in the post :-)

I know it was a lot of money then - but what price now?

470 11 Jun 96 The Important C.B. group of four awarded to Colonel W. A. Dunne, Assistant Commissary in charge of the stores at Rorke’s Drift, recommended for the Victoria Cross for his Gallant S... £20000-£25000 Unsold

Quote :

My latest trick is selling a few poor or uninteresting medals - making a big song and dance about it at home - this then justifys a years worth of new packages coming in the post :-)

Cunning plan but lets hope your wife doesn't check this forum out Sergio ! :lol:

Jager1

SergioD wrote:

My latest trick is selling a few poor or uninteresting medals - making a big song and dance about it at home - this then justifys a years worth of new packages coming in the post :-)

Nice one, I will have to consider this tactic myself! :lol:

I think the fairly standard stuff is selling at very reasonable prices - a little like a standard semi-detached house down a typical street.
However, the top end stuff, the rare material which would grace any collection is selling very handsomely - even well over the top.
Wealthy collectors - let's face it most of us can't outbid Lord Ashcroft - are still willing to pay whatever it takes to land a decent lot, in much the same way that the houses which have been least affected by the housing market doldrums are the top end mansions. These just continue to increase in value, recession does not affect these people.

I bid on lot 801 in the DNW sale; I did not even come close!

Deleted.

It would have to be a survivor medal. Not only wasn't Hamer a combatant, but he was also the guy who Smith-Dorrien assisted by catching a horse and helping him up on to it. Apparently Hamer rewarded this gallant gesture by promptly riding off with it and never looking back. That wasn't supposed to be the deal. Luckily SD was a distance runner and too much of a gentleman to name names in his memoir.

Thought we would keep this before it disappears!

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