BRITISH medals awarded to World War I heroes are being bought up and melted down by scrap dealers for quick cash amid the rising price of silver.
The value of the precious metal has soared by an estimated 150% in a year making the 6.5 million British War Medals awarded to veterans and their families between 1914 and 1920 a keen target.
The gong is made up of over 92% silver and weighs 1.2 ounces, with the current market price for silver £62.42 an ounce, according to charts.
Until recently, the medals were reportedly being offered for as low as £20 on eBay, meaning the value of the silver outstrips the awards themselves by more than £40.
Antique shop War and Son, in Leominster, Herefordshire, is now leading a campaign to save the medals from the melting pot, and has already rescued more than 160 from being destroyed.
Steve Nuwar runs the firm with his dad Dave, with the pair previously appearing on History Hunters TV show.
He told The Sun: “It’s an ugly brutalisation of over 100 years of history.
“You can see why people have been pushed to do it and why some people have taken advantage of that.
“They just see what’s put in front of them, they test it and don’t think twice about whether it’s a charm bracelet or a medal with St George on the back of it.”
British War Medals were issued to service personnel and casualties’ families following the horror conflict which saw up to 900,000 British and Imperial military personnel killed.
War and Son gained over 85,000 views on their Facebook appeal to save the medals.
The father and son shop offered to buy sellers’ medals, matching the silver market price per ounce.
Steve said: “We’re offering as much as we can to get these very near to those that would scrap the medals and have no thought for the history and all the people behind the medals.
“This happened in the 70s when the price of silver was really high.
“The campaign is to try and save these people, save the British WW1 War Medal.”
Each medal is struck with the profile of King George V and on the other side is Saint George on horseback trampling a German Austro-Hungarian eagle shield.
Since launching the campaign, the shop has discovered 100 unique stories from medals that would otherwise have been scrapped.
One was awarded to a veteran named Eric Sutherland Mackay who joined the 8th Battalion, Leeds Rifles, West Yorkshire Regiment despite being underage.
He sadly died of his wounds in July 1918 at just 18 years old.
Another saved medal belonged to a local soldier from Leominster named Donovan Freeman, who was killed in action whilst serving in France as part of the Cheshire Regiment in 1917.
Both their stories would have been lost forever if their medals had been allowed to get into the hands of the bullion market.
Greg Edmund, Head of Coins and Commemorative Medals at Spink auction house, said: “These medals are all that remain of the gallant service and personal sacrifice of our nation’s forebears.
“To erase their legacy for the sake of £50 is crass in the extreme.
“How can you possibly condemn the value of a human life into the melting pot for the price of a restaurant dinner?”
Do you know more? Email [email protected]
