3rd January 2025
2024 was a very successful year for us with the company continuing to grow and achieve great results throughout. We would like to thank all our customers for their continuing support moving into 2025.
Here’s a re-cap of our 2024 auction year, with some of its highlights.
Stamps
We started the year off excellently with an incredible lot. Lot 136, a very rare 1961 Tristan Relief Fund set.
10th October 1961, the world's most isolated group of islands was evacuated after a volcanic devastation. Afterwards, the Tristan Relief Fund was set up. It was decided that a set of stamps would be overprinted and surcharged. Only one week after they were issued, the organisers were reminded that authorising new stamps remained solely in the remit of the Crown Authority. Therefore, on 19th October the Relief Fund set was withdrawn from sale with all remaining stock to be burnt. So, this set in such a fine condition is extremely rare and sold for a fantastic £12,000.
Banknotes
We have had some great banknote sales this year, including popular treasury notes and some interesting errors.
One lot was a rare find with lot 347 in our February sale selling for £5,000.
J.B. Page £1 AN24 833158 in the new colours used for D.H.F. Somerset. It is supported on both sides by Somerset banknotes AN24 833157/9. Duggleby states, "A Page £1 sheet was probably set aside without anyone realising the signature had changed to Somerset in the meantime".
Medals
A World War Two bomber pilot's unique triple gallantry group, sold for £11,000 in our April 2024 sale.
Ian "Blondie" Swales died in October 1991.
There were only 18 recipients of the 3 awards of DSO, DFC and DFM and with his additional medals, this most surely is a unique group.
Sold with his Airtour CRP-1A Computer and handbook, Douglas Combined Protractor & Rule, RAF Station Changi cloth badge, RAF Instrument Pilot rating cards (2), book on 622 Sqn in French (2000) and a large photo album with various images of Swales and groups of RAF, also family and other military family members and civilian photos.
That was only a small snippet of the story surrounding this lot. Lot 56 in our April 2024 sale, selling for £11,000.
Charitable donations
We are also incredibly proud to announce our charitable lot contributions throughout 2024 and to thank everyone for donating their collections.
We support several charities and donated £450 to Cystic Fibrosis in January. Throughout 2024 we also donated several times to Claire House Hospice, a children's charity, with a total of £3,060. We donated £490 to The British Heart Foundation after the tragic loss of our dear friend and colleague Alan Smith. Alan was much loved by our viewers and the team here at Warwick & Warwick.
Team News
Jack Colchester, one of our collectable’s valuers, welcomed his new baby boy! Zak Clearly, a valuer here at Warwick & Warwick moved to our collectables team, where he has an interest in the die-cast collectables we see.
Toni Baker joined the Warwick and Warwick family to become a part of our dedicated administrative department.
Richard Beale, head of the collectables department, passed down the gavel to Jill Smith, senior valuer in the collectables department. Jill is now head of the collectables department at Warwick and Warwick.
We have faced personal losses this year and said goodbye to some of our team who were part of the furniture, but also welcomed new faces.
We have had great success as a company and hope, and know, this year will be filled with good laughs, great sales and overall new opportunities.
Thank you all again for your support during 2024 and we wish everyone a most prosperous New Year.