Stanley Baker

Posts : 57 Join date : 2010-08-17 Location : Southampton

Sorry if this has been covered before but I recently heard that Stanley Baker bought either Chard's or Bromhead's VC. However, thinking that he had not got the original he sold it on cheaply to a collector who manged to authenticate it.

If this is true does anyone know the details - I am wondering what price Baker would have got had he known it was original and what price he let it go for..

Posts : 600 Join date : 2010-01-07 Location : UK

He bought Lt Chards Victoria Cross after the filming of Zulu, dont know if he sold it, might he have given it to the Museum??

thanks joe

Posts : 552 Join date : 2009-10-14 Location : Loughborough

Baker actually bought the VC on the premise it was a replica, but it was with Chards South Africa medal 1879 Bar. On his death the medal & the decoration (the VC is not a medal, its a decoration) were auctioned.

On aqquiring the VC the bidder (Lord Ashcroft) subjected it by meturalgy test, which did reveal it was from the Ingot supplied by Donnigton to Hancocks who produce the VC from this scource, reputably from a Chinese Gun, which proved beyond doubt it was the original (or replacement of course?).

As custodian of Chards VC is Lord Ashcroft, who paid "a competetive market price", rumoured to be around £600,000., as with all medals and decorations, you never own them, they belong to the recipient immortalised on the rear or rim.

Recently Bakers son was demanding the correct price for it, one would argue, the correct price was that paid when it sold as a replica, as Baker bought it, as a replica.

Subject: stanley Baker Fri Oct 08, 2010 2:58 am

hi Younghusband.
This has been covered previously but not sure what it was under .
cheers 90th.

Posts : 101 Join date : 2009-10-28

This is the real story behind the Chard VC pair...

My friend, who's name I will not disclose purchased Chards VC and SAGS medal from the Baker estate upon his death. The group resided in Canada for many years.

There were rumours the VC was not correct - however my friend had the medal authenticated. He quietly sold the Chard pair back into the UK in the mid to late 90's. It was not until after this that Ashcroft purchased the group.

Trust me, its true.

I held Chards medals in my hand at my kitchen table in the mid 1980's.

Will never forget it.

PS: Check this link, which is a fairly complete list of my friends entire Zulu collection - he owned more than just Chard. I think you'll be impressed...

http://1879zuluwar.forumotion.com/1879-zulu-war-campaign-medal-f20/the-largest-isandlwana-rorkes-drift-collection-ever-assembled-t2641.htm

mons

Posts : 57 Join date : 2010-08-17 Location : Southampton

Thanks mons14, that has added far more detail to the story than I had heard - my father has collected medals for most of his life - unfortunately he chose those awarded during the Palestinian 'affair' - (I will admit I know very little about this period) - just a shame he never chose to collect medals from the AZ war - [cost perhaps?] - as I would have been far more interested