"The highlight of this auction was the sale of the Dr John M Chapman Collection of Australian Historical Medals in a separate catalogue featuring the Charlotte medal that realised a world record price of $873,750 for an historical medal The Chapman collection listed in 750 lots realized a total of $2.25 million The Chapman Collection was eagerly anticipated by a large attendance of over 100 with standing room only. The excitement unfolded from the start with the Naval Exploration Medals bringing multiples of estimates the room was tense with TV cameras running, [when] the bidding for the Charlotte Medal (lot 704) got underway with the hammer finally falling on a new world record for an historical medal of $873, 850 [sic] (approx US$ 850,000).

Immediately after this, a round of congratulatory applause broke out in the room The price reflected the importance of the piece as a tangible historical colonial work of art of the First Fleet. It is interesting to note that the medal was owned till 1981 by the late John J Ford of the USA what irony that his most valuable medal turned out to be Australian. Ford only relinquished the medal in 1981 to us as a return of favour for securing for him in our sale 4 (Nov 1980) the John Jacob Astor Fur Traders Indian Peace medal."