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Collecting commemorative medals has become a popular pastime for many people who are interested in history and significant events in time. British commemorative medals in particular can hold a deep fascination for fans of royal and national milestones. There are many reasons to collect commemorative coins and medals, including personal interest, family links to ancestors and historical events and to act as a financial investment for the future. Building up a commemorative medal collection can bring satisfaction and engagement with royal and national history. Collectors often specialise in themes, such as royalty, military, scientific or academic achievements, specific centuries or...

Building up a collection of medals can be a hugely satisfying hobby that can even turn into a lucrative business if you learn how to choose the right pieces to invest in. Owning a medal collection can offer fascinating insights into historical stories, key people and events that have shaped the world as we see it today. Medals can mark the changing of a monarch, birth or death of someone significant. They can tell stories about acts of heroism in war or conflict, or the achievement of something truly spectacular, either by an individual, a group or a whole country....

  George II of Great Britain was the country’s second Hanoverian king, born in Hanover the son of George I and Sophia Dorothea of Celle in 1683. He was appointed Prince of Wales when his father ascended to the British throne in 1714, following him as King in 1727. One of the best-known facts about George II was that he was the last ever British monarch to lead his troops into battle in person at the Battle of Dettingen in Germany against the French in 1743. He was also the last British monarch to be born outside of the UK....

Oliver Cromwell is best known as the man who overthrew King Charles I and disrupted the long-held belief in the divine right of kings to rule England as ‘God’s representative on Earth’. He was a deeply religious Puritan who sought to reform the Church of England and change the way the country was ruled. Yet despite being buried in Westminster Abbey, his beginnings were far more humble. Here are some interesting Oliver Cromwell facts about England’s first – and last Lord Protector.   1- Early life in Cambridge Oliver Cromwell was born on 25 April 1599 in Huntingdon in Cambridge. One...

  Think of French history, and one of the first names that is bound to crop up is Napoleon Bonaparte. Born in Corsica, he rose to lead the French empire in a fascinating story that is told in multiple books, films and documentaries about his eventful reign as Emperor of France, his military career and his two separate exiles on the islands of Elba and St Helena. In fact, a new film is being released towards the end of November 2023 – answering the question: who was Napoleon? – and starring Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte and Vanessa Kirby as...