At the turn of a New Year we are already raring to go, cataloguing and preparing for our forthcoming auctions including our specialist militaria auction in March. It may seem to be some time off but it always seems to come around very quickly. With this in mind I thought that I would talk about an item that some readers are familiar with but do not necessarily know the story behind the object. I am referring to the bronze circular memorial plaque also known as the death penny or dead man's penny which many grieving families received immediately after the First World War. This poignant commemorative artifact was either displayed with pride or placed in a drawer and hidden away by grief-stricken relatives.

The idea of a tangible and permanent tribute to the fallen was born in the midst of the Great War which proved to be a brutal conflict with inconceivable casualties. The British Government of the day set up a committee to produce a metal memorial plaque to commemorate the fallen and this was to be issued to next of kin. In August 1917 the committee created a competition for anyone to submit a suitable design for a bronze plaque. The winner was an English artist, Mr Edward Carter Preston who received the princely sum of £250 (a small fortune in those days) for his efforts. The first plaques were produced in December 1918 and over one million plaques were issued, using 450 tons of bronze, before the project was completed in the early 1920's.

The memorial plaque is rich in symbolism. The triumphant but mournful figure of Britannia holds a laurel wreath above the box in which the casualties' name was placed. Two dolphins representing the Royal Navy face Britannia on either side. A lion stands in front of her, seemingly with a menacing growl. Beneath this lion is a smaller lion representing Great Britain biting into a winged creature characterising the German Imperial eagle. For those with a keen eye for detail there are two small marks of interest, each plaque bears the letters E.CRP near the large lion's paw, these being the initials of the artist and designer and also there is usually a small manufacturers stamp to the reverse of the plaque. Normally the phrase 'He died for freedom and honour' can be read around the plaque margin, however, six hundred of the plaques were issued to commemorate the women who died as a direct consequence of the Great War and in these cases the motto on the plaques was amended to read, 'She died for freedom and honour'. As you can imagine the few female named plaques are much sought after and command much interest at auction.

The memorial plaques issued to commemorate the lives of our service men and women in the First World War remain a mute testament to their sacrifice and to our duty to ensure that their names are not forgotten.

So if you have any medals or military items you are thinking of selling, or just want to know more about, do come down to Sheffield Auction Gallery and show them to our specialist Valuer Andrew Churchill, who would be delighted to see you.