THE DECEMBER/JANUARY ISSUE OF MEDAL NEWS IS NOW ON SALE! Medal News is the world's only magazine devoted to medals and battles. Many interesting features in the magazine this month!
collector and public alike, the chance to see an incredible array of original decorations the like of which has never been seen before—most collectors and museums just couldn’t, or wouldn’t be able to do that. There have been those who have accused Ashcroft of pricing museums out of the picture altogether—and maybe he has, but now that we know his plans is that really such a bad thing? After all, the original will still be accessible to the public, the museum can now spend its money on other things and still put a replica on display if they wish. As that’s what would have likely happened anyway and now the original will be on display too, aren’t we all winners? I don’t want to belittle museums, they do a fine job, but I for one would rather marvel and the actual medals awarded to, and often worn by, the recipients themselves—and the more I can marvel at in one place the better. Lord Ashcroft’s plans will allow me to do that and I for one thank him for that chance.
Oh and for those who are thinking that the Victoria Cross collection has something to do with tax, death duty, etc. let me put it to you like this—150+ Victoria Crosses each averaging £100,000 equals just over £15 million. Lord Ashcroft, according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2008, is worth £1,110 million—you can do the sums yourself but personally I don’t think tax was uppermost on his mind when he started collecting!
