Posted on 07/24/2006 4:57:06 AM PDT by Aussie Dasher
AUSTRALIA'S last privately owned Victoria Cross medal awarded at Gallipoli has sold at auction tonight in Sydney for a world record $1 million.
Lot 1078 was purchased by a prominent Australian who wishes to remain anonymous and who bid over the phone. The medal, awarded posthumously to New Zealand-born Australian soldier Captain Alfred Shout, was sold by his grandson, 67-year-old Graham Thomas.
Auctioneer Tim Goodman, of Bonhams and Goodman auction house, told the crowd it was hoped the medal would soon end up on public display.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new world auction record for a medal," Mr Goodman said as he brought down the hammer.
"I can confirm the buyer is a prominent Australian who is going to work with the RSL to make sure the medals go on display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra."
Capt Shout was mortally wounded when the last of three grenades he ignited blew up in his face.
He was the most highly decorated Australian soldier to serve during the Battle of Gallipoli in 1915, being awarded the Military Cross during the landing at Anzac Cove in April, and then the Victoria Cross for his actions in the Battle of Lone Pine in August that year.
Tonight's $1 million price tag breaks the record of $595,000 set in 2005 for the VC won by Captain Thomas Hardy at Lord Nelson's victory at Trafalgar in 1805.
Capt Shout's collection of medals also included the Military Cross (GVR) for the landing at Gallipoli, Star 1914-15, British War Medal 1914-18, Victory Medal 1914-19, and Queen's South Africa medal and King's South Africa medal, awarded for his service in the Boer War earlier that century.
Mr Thomas, a retiree from Sydney, who sold the medal to benefit his family, said he was "overwhelmed by the price".
"I didn't think it would get anywhere near that, it just goes to show," Mr Thomas said seconds after the auction.
"We didn't expect anything like that."
Mr Thomas has two children and three grandchildren.
Before the auction, he said now was a good time to sell the medal to help his family.
"Otherwise, they would just be sitting in a box and if I just sent it off to the war memorial, it wouldn't benefit my family."
Mr Thomas said his decision to sell the medals, passed to him by his mother, had met with very little criticism.
The war memorial holds the other eight VCs awarded to Australians for service at Gallipoli.
The auctioneer's head of collectibles, Giles Moon, said the medals were never at risk of leaving Australia.
"These medals are protected from being granted an export licence due to them being classed as a class A item under the moveable cultural heritage act."
The bidder will pay a $1,214,500, including commission and other charges.
Goodmans international head of coins and medals John Millensted said "the Victoria Cross would account for more than 90 per cent of the value of the collection" that was sold tonight. Mr Thomas later said his grandfather would have approved of the sale.
"He'd probably say 'you did a bloody good job'," said Mr Thomas, who planned to celebrate over a beer.
He said he would have liked to have been able to put the medal on display himself.
"But you've got to be honest. If you get a few dollars, it's certainly going to help my family," the retired estimator said.pe"To get both, to get it on show and get the money, you can't ask for much more than that. I'm tickled pink."
Speculation about the purchaser was rife but Mr Thomas could only suggest it may have been a Melbourne plastic surgeon or a group from Queensland who invest in war memorabilia.
All the auctioneers would say was that the purchaser was a prominent philanthropic Australian businessman.
Thank goodness he's not the selfish type.
For an idea of what a living hell Gallipoli was, read "Redemption" by Leon Uris. For that, and their service in WW2 I have tremendous respect for the Anzacs.
Not to mention the Aussies in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq (1), Iraq (2), Afghanistan, etc, etc...
Am I the only person that has a problem with folks selling war medals? Seems that is the sort of thing that should stay in the family. It was earned with the blood of the family member who was awarded it. If the boy didn't want it, then donate it to a museum where it could be displayed and enjoyed by all.
Seems like a case of greed to me.
Interesting. Victoria Cross was created in 1856.
Victoria wasn't born until 1819.
If I had lived through the hell of Gallipoli, and made it home to start a family, then I'd be overjoyed that my grandkids and great-grandkids were able to get some benefit, somewhere down the road.
Thanks for your up date. We were told that the Victoria Cross was taken from the bronze of the Russian cannon. These were taken in the Crimean War. I believe that conflict ended in 1856.
Even this well known piece of history, has now been "debunked". I will have to follow up on it.
It is easy to judge a person for selling it though, depends on the their personal circumstances. The only Victoria Cross won by a local man in my adopted home town of Sault Ste Marie,Ontario, was donated free to a museum. This was by his family.
He was Sgt William Merrifield VC. actually born in Brentwood, Essex, England. He won it in WW1. The family business flies the Union Jack as well as the Canadian flag.
Just a little chit chat here.
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