Death or Glory – 19th to 20th Century European Military Helmets and Medals. These items are simply stunning museum grade military items.
This September Rock Island Auction Company is proud to present the largest grouping of original museum quality European military headgear, uniforms and medals that we have offered to private collectors. British regiments represent a majority of the collection that spans from the Regency era to the Edwardian period. The headgear is a diverse collection of pith helmets, home service helmets, bearskins, shakos, forge caps and cavalry helmets from a wide range of regiments. There are fine examples of 9th and 10th Light Dragoon Tarleton helmets, 5th, 9th, 12th, 16th, 17th and 21st Lancers officer czapkas and Royal Horse Guards and Life Guard 1871 pattern officer helmets.
Also of interest are the Inniskilling Dragoons, Prince of Wales’s Dragoon Guards, 7th Princess Royal’s Dragoon Guard and Royal Dragoons 1834 pattern helmets with examples having the full dress bearskin crest. Uniforms of the 5th, 16th and 17th Lancers will be sold along with accouterments-many from the Victorian era—such as cross belts, pouches and exquisite full dress sabretaches. British military campaign medals will also be up for auction this September.
The campaign medals span across the globe and the diversity provides a great military history lesson of the British Empire from the Napoleonic Wars to the early 20th century. Highlights include two Waterloo Medals, several medals commemorating the Battle of Trafalgar, Indian Mutiny Medal awarded to an original defender of Lucknow, Punjab Medal awarded to a 24th Regiment of Foot casualty at Chilianwala, Royal Marine awarded China War Medal (1900) with Defense of Legations clasp and South Africa Medal awarded to an Isandhlwana casualty. This collection is simply an unbelievable representation of British military history. Headgear from other European nations is also represented in the collection. Highlights include an Imperial Russian Garde Du Corps officer’s helmet, Saxon Guard Calvary Regiment and Heavy Cavalry helmets, Prussian Garde Du Corps officer’s helmet, and a 2nd Light Horse Lancers of Napoleon’s Imperial Guard other ranks Czapka. The historical significance of this collection cannot be underestimated. For 19th century European military collectors, this September auction is not to be missed.
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