A War of 1812 medal awarded to a member of the 1st Essex Militia has already reached 37.5 times its opening bid ahead of The Canadian Numismatic Company’s (TCNC) two-day militaria auction on Oct. 8-9.
Offered as Lot 1, the Military General Service Medal (MGSM) with Fort Detroit clasp was awarded to David White of the 1st Essex Militia.
The medal commemorates the capture of Fort Detroit on Aug. 16, 1812, during the opening months of the War of 1812.
TCNC opened bidding on the medal at $100 with an estimate of $250 and up. By Sept. 24, bidding had climbed to $3,750 — 37.5 times the opening bid — with two weeks remaining before the auction.
The medal leads an extensive offering of nearly 1,000 lots spanning more than two centuries of military history, with Canadian material forming a significant part of the Oct. 8-9 auction.
Among the Canadian campaign material are medals connected to the War of 1812, the Fenian Raids and the 1885 North-West Campaign.
The auction also includes an extensive selection of Canadian and British First and Second World War medals and medal groups, gallantry awards, Memorial Crosses and researched named groupings.
Military Medals awarded for bravery are among the offerings, along with aviation and Royal Canadian Air Force groupings, early Canadian campaign medals, family groups and other named pieces.
BEYOND MEDALS
The sale extends well beyond medals, with Canadian, British and international military badges and insignia among the nearly 1,000 lots.
German militaria, uniforms and headgear, swords, bayonets and other edged weapons, flags, military ephemera and sculptures are also included. The breadth of material provides collectors with items covering conflicts and periods stretching from the early 19th century through both world wars and beyond.
The auction will be divided into two sessions, with the first beginning Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. Eastern time. The second session begins Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. TCNC is based in Quebec City.
With advance bidding already underway, the early response to the Fort Detroit medal provides one indication of collector interest heading into the sale. Its $3,750 bid as of Sept. 24 represents an increase of $3,650 from its $100 opening bid.
The hammer will ultimately determine how much further it goes when TCNC’s militaria auction gets underway Oct. 8.