The E-Sylum:  Volume 11, Number 17, April 27, 2008, Article 15

SPINK MEDAL SALE DISPUTED

[The BBC published a story about a contested sale of a
military medal at Spink. -Editor]

Medals won in Afghanistan and Egypt in the 19th Century by
a piper from the Highlands have been offered for sale.

Sandy Corbett, from Avoch in the Black Isle, was one of two
pipers to play the 72nd Highlands into Kandahar following
the regiment's march from Kabul.

His grandson Douglas Corbett, of Annan, Dumfries, said the
auction was arranged without the family's knowledge.

London auctioneers Spink would not comment on the claim
when contacted by BBC Scotland.

Thursday's sale of the rare collection of four decorations
was expected to raise between £6,000 and £7,000.

Mr Corbett was made aware of the auction by Inverness
genealogist Graeme Mackenzie, who had read a Press report
that said the piper's descendants were not known.

Mr Mackenzie said it had been relatively easy to trace the
soldier's family.

He said: "He married in Edinburgh after he left the army
in 1884. He had a fairly large family which means there
must have been some descendants.

"Because Corbett is a relatively unusual name, it was that
much easier to trace forward and eventually I got in touch
with his grandson and he knew nothing about the sale of
these medals."

Mr Corbett said the medals were handed down to his sister,
but they disappeared following her death.

He said: "I am not interested about the money at all. It's
part of my heritage, this is what I thought would become
mine and then my son's.

"I thought I had lost them forever, it was quite a shock
to learn they are in somebody else's hands."

To read the complete article, see:
Full Story

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization 
promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor 
at this address: whomren@coinlibrary.com

To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum