Month: March 2026
Stamp of Defiance
Stamps have long carried messages far beyond their face value. In times of conflict, they often became small but powerful tools of persuasion, identity, and morale – a role that reached new intensity during the Second World War.
These Polish issues, produced in London between 1941 and 1944, were created by the government-in-exile and tell a story of a nation fighting on, even while occupied at home. Each design captures a different theatre of war or branch of service, from air battles over the Atlantic to naval operations and armoured campaigns across Europe and beyond.
There is a deliberate sense of progression. Early scenes reflect the defence of Poland and the reorganisation of forces abroad, while later stamps show Polish troops integrated into Allied efforts across multiple fronts. The message is clear: Poland had not fallen silent – it had simply moved.
What gives the set its emotional weight, however, is its symbolism. These are not just records of events, but carefully composed statements of resilience and unity, intended to reach both allies and a dispersed national audience.
That symbolism finds its clearest expression in the final image of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. Behind the fighters rises the ‘Maid of Warsaw’, shield raised in defiance. This same figure appears here in textile form – a simple badge, yet one loaded with meaning.
In both ink and thread, the message is the same: the idea of Poland endured.
The Coronation That Never Was
Coronation souvenirs have long held a place in British collecting. With a few early exceptions, most remain affordable, which only adds to their charm. They are pieces of national pageantry made small enough to fit in the hand, the pocket, or the display case.
Among the most intriguing are souvenirs from the coronation that never happened. Edward VIII was due to be crowned on 12 May 1937, and manufacturers had already begun producing badges, pins and other commemorative pieces well in advance. When he abdicated in December 1936, plans were abruptly overturned, and the same date was used instead for the coronation of George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
Many Edward VIII medals and coins were destroyed, but smaller items had already found their way into shops. These survived in quantity and were sold on at the time, often with the irresistible appeal of marking a royal ceremony that never took place. That strange twist of history has kept them popular ever since.
Yet it is often the George VI pieces that prove harder to find. Because the change happened so quickly, there was less time to design, produce and distribute souvenirs before the new coronation date. As a result, many George VI badges feel simpler or more hurried in style, but scarcity gives them a special collecting interest. Sometimes the badge made in a rush ends up winning the race.
A Degree of Mystery
Freemasonry has always carried an air of mystery, ceremony and symbolism. Few objects capture that spirit quite as vividly as the jewels and regalia worn by members during lodge meetings and higher degree rituals.
This striking Scottish 18th Degree jewel, suspended from its original neck sash, is a particularly fine example. The sash itself is richly embroidered in gold bullion thread on crimson silk, decorated with floral motifs and symbolic crosses. At its centre sits an elegant swan motif, beneath which appears the pelican – a powerful emblem within the 18th Degree, traditionally associated with sacrifice, charity and renewal.
The jewel hanging from the sash continues the symbolism. Crafted in metal with coloured detailing, it features a crowned suspension above a triangular form displaying the pelican feeding its young beneath a cross – imagery closely tied to the philosophical teachings of the degree.
Scottish Masonic regalia is especially popular among collectors. Scotland’s lodges often claim the deepest historical roots within Freemasonry across the British Isles, and their ceremonial pieces frequently reflect that heritage through intricate workmanship and distinctive iconography.
Interestingly, while many pieces of regalia such as aprons, cuffs and sashes can be surprisingly modest in value given the hours of skilled craftsmanship involved, the jewels themselves often tell a different story. Earlier examples were sometimes produced in very high carat gold, silver and glass enamel, elevating them from ceremonial accessories to miniature works of art.
In an age when precious metals are often reduced to scrap value, pieces like this stand as reminders that craftsmanship and symbolism can carry a value far beyond the melt weight.
Silver Service
A coin of the realm sometimes ends up with a story far beyond its original purpose. This Egyptian silver 50 piastres coin, dated 1917, offers exactly that.
Originally struck as currency during the First World War, one side of the coin has been carefully removed and engraved with the details of a British serviceman. The inscription records F. White, service number 467151, of the Royal Army Medical Corps, specifically the Territorial force, marked here as RA(T)MC. A small decorative motif of a rising sun above three pyramids adds a subtle Egyptian flourish, perhaps reflecting the coin’s origin.
The reverse still shows the original design: the Arabic inscription and denomination of 50 Piastres, framed by a wreath and dated 1917. The transformation of the coin into an identity disc gives it an entirely different significance.
During the First World War it was common for soldiers to wear official identity discs around the neck. However, many also carried or wore privately made identification pieces such as wrist bracelets. French and Belgian soldiers frequently used this format, and British servicemen sometimes followed the same idea. The intention was simple but sobering – to reduce the risk of being left unidentified on the battlefield.
The statistics of the conflict underline that concern. Roughly one in three who served became casualties, and among those losses a significant number still have no known grave.
Personalised identity pieces like this engraved coin offer a poignant glimpse into that reality. Carried in service and tailored to the individual soldier, they often open the door to fascinating research into a single life within a vast global conflict.
