By Madelia Hickman Ring

GREAT BRITAIN – The Antiques Trade Gazette (ATG) recently reported an eBay seller in Derbyshire had been discovered running a medal-making operation from their house. The seller, which ATG reported as “Henry Lyttel, aged 29, traded as ‘badgeman2005’ on eBay,” and doing business under the name Croft Militaria Ltd., was accused of “offering fake gallantry medals and military badges, including Military Crosses and Distinguished Flying Crosses, along with pin badges bearing the poppy emblem, which is trademarked by the Royal British Legion.”

ATG quoted Mark Smith, a medal specialist at AH Baldwin & Sons, who assisted the four-year-long trading standards investigation, as saying, “A shed in the garden contained hundreds of faked medals, cap badges, shoulder titles and helmet plates. It was an incredible array of exceptional quality fakes, covering many regiments and units from all ages – literally hundreds of them. This is a devastating blow to the medal world because these items are so good.”

There is some concern that auction houses were used to sell some of the medals and badges.

A specialist in medals was quoted as saying, “It is possible some fake items remain in circulation. Anyone who has purchased from this individual or suspect items may be fake should seek advice from specialists in the field and contact the relevant authorities.”