TOPIC:

EBay does and will close a suspect listing. In this case the seller declined to sell after I had bought. That makes me wonder who the seller actually is. I do not believe it was fraud as the auction house claimed, maybe a way to advertise instead. I do not like this way of doing business.

Something smells.

If I can verify the group and auction house are legit I will bid hard, but right now I am suspicious.

Ryan

Kensington Bond have been operating for several years and I have not heard any adverse comments about it, but you could be right about the source of the eBay offering and its purpose. I will make some enquiries.

I do not think that there can be any doubt that the McKenzie items on offer are genuine and are as consigned by the family.

David mentioned that the DSO is GRV and not Edward, but I think the DSO was awarded for service in GSWA. I will make enquiries about this as well.

The only naming I checked was that on the BSACo Medal. It was engraved and the 'Natal Troop Volunteer Corps' was given in full. The two Natal Troop medals in my collection are to Troopers and have impressed naming and the abbreviation 'NT'.

Regards
Brett

Thanks Brett.

Anyone know how Citicoins have them in their 2010 catalogue if they are from the family?

A little chap with big boots to fill!

I can't really add much more to what has already been said and am mindful that, unlike other Forums, the ABWF resides in the public domain and any posting made is easily "googled" and there for all to see!! This of course makes discretion the better part of valour....

I have had a word to the auctioneer with whom I am acquainted but he is of the view that the decorations should be sold seperately as with the ephemera i.e. boots, uniforms, books etc.

The entry on *bay I was made aware of is an obviously fraudulent posting as discovered by Ryan and I, like Brett, wonder just how this came about. Is it a marketing strategy to get the group maximum exposure? I don't know but I do feel that it will dilute the amount the group fetches and will forever taint it going forward.

The added complication is the absence of the CB and the RHS medal of which only the miniature is on offer. The family are adamant that both are missing which means that they are either still with the museum or buried in a box somewhere. Either way we will not know anytime soon.

The auctioneer has, thanks to the MYB, decided to e-mail various dealers in the UK in order to generate interest. This is his right to do so and we will have to see what impact this has on 28 November when all will be revealed.

I tried to interest a few local museums (not the one it came from) but, sadly, their purse strings are extremely frayed and tightly shut!

Will I be having a punt? Most undoubtedly. Will I win? I don't think so - not even the boots fit!!

Regards

Rory

Ryan

In the 2010 City Coins catalogue, McKenzie's medals were referred to in an article on long service medals by Brian Thomas. There was no photograph and they were not part of the sale.

I noticed while checking this entry that McKenzie's DSO was awarded in 1918 (i.e. as part of the awards for GSWA), so it would be a GRV medal.

Regards
Brett

My thanks to Daryl of Kensington Bond for allowing these images to be reproduced on the ABW site.

I have slightly edited the images to enhance them.