Owner Amazed As Rare Russian Medallions Reveal Their True Value | Antiques Roadshow UK

This is the most awful presentation box I've ever seen in my life. I don't know what anyone was thinking putting it in there but when you open it all is completely forgiven except for this, the dino tape, true value as yet unknown. But that in itself is a challenge and I hope that we can get to the bottom of it. Tell me about them. Well my father-in-law was a coin collector and he went regularly to a meeting in Newcastle and passed the shop where they sold coins. The gentleman was Polish, he'd fled to this country during the war because of persecution and my father-in-law got his eye on these medallions but couldn't afford them so the gentleman said he would put them away for him and he could buy them one at a time which is what he did. When he died my husband being the eldest son inherited them and he died four years ago so I have them now, they're mine. And do you like them? I do, they're just very interesting. To have a tray of medallions like this is lovely and it just gets better because beneath that you get the other set and the history of medallions and coins I find absolutely fascinating. These are like to me works of art in themselves. The quality of the casting is exceptional. What makes these even more exciting is the fact that they're Russian and they're all to commemorate Russian victories over the French. I mean if you take this one here which is incidentally my favourite to commemorate the French trying to invade Russia in 1812 and these would have been struck later sort of 1835, 1840. You've got traces of original luster on here. There are a few little knocks and bits and pieces but condition is everything and they really should be handled with care, no polishing should ever happen and any knocking detracts from the value. Once you sort out the terrible case I think easily at auction you would get in the region of three to four thousand pounds. Oh I really didn't think it would be worth someone mentioned 350 a few years ago. I can beat that. They're stunning, thank you.