Hugh King Collection - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

matti467 · #1 07-06-10, 10:03 PM

Having purchased a couple of items, via Bosley, that were owned by Hugh King I can't help but wonder about the collection in its entirety.
Did any member of the forum ever see it?
Where was it housed?
Matti

Traist · #2 08-06-10, 05:11 AM

I have only heard the legend. The greatest British and Commonwealth collection ever. I was told 50 000 badges. I regret that I never met the man nor did I see the collection. I also now own a few items from his collection. Regards Andrew

Peter Brydon · #3 08-06-10, 05:46 AM

One of my regrets is that I did not take up an invitation I had to see the collection.

I understand that a lot of the collection was mounted on boards by Counties but this is based on what I was told some considerable time ago by someone who had been to Hugh`s home to see the collection.

P.B.

Unknownsoldier · #4 08-06-10, 07:04 AM

The few times i spoke to Hugh, he was an exceptionally nice man and certainly (i hope) consider my idiotic questions, idiotic....

I wish I'd seen his collection in the flesh. I believe they were split and sold at auction.....

Tom

Aitch · #5 08-06-10, 11:51 AM

I met Hugh years ago as a fellow piper. He was in the Reading Scottish which wore Cameron of Erracht tartan and he was fitting them out with QOCH collar badges.

I did go to his house once to try to identify some Scottish badges for him, we saw each other quite often at The Maltings, Farnham. He lived literally round the corner from there.

The collection was housed up in his loft [in a bungalow] and most of it was packed in suitcases, stacked in various old wardrobes and on shelves.

Most were mounted on cards, haphazardly, within the suitcases.

Apart from the badges we were to look at he did ask what I was particularly interested in so on saying GURKHA out came the appropriate suitcase.

The other items I was shown were to the London Scottish, and Gordon Highlanders as he knew my connection with those units.

He was a very interesting and knowledgeable person but as always - not infallible.

Aitch

orasot · #6 08-06-10, 12:57 PM

I believe there's loads more to come through Bosleys yet, I know of people waiting for certain items they knew Mr King had, & have not surfaced in the auctions yet !! Keep watching the catalogues I suppose, I am very happy with my H.K items bought through Bosleys, would loved to have seen the collection in it's entirety too !
Cheers, Wilf.

bigpiers · #7 08-06-10, 01:13 PM

My father regularly got the lists of badges that HK was selling and bought a few from him over the years. We have some of the lists still which go back 20- odd years - it's amazing to see the old prices some badges were going for, when you consider they sell for £50+ nowadays.

I only got back into the hobby myself a year or two ago and have been lucky enough to get 3-4 HK badges from Bosleys. In that short time I have been amazed not only by the scope/range of the HK badges being auctioned off, but the prices they realise. HK's estate must be extremely pleased with the money raised.

One one hand it is good that the collection is going to many new homes where the badges will be appreciated, but part of me is sad that such an amazing collection couldn't be kept together and given to permanent display in a museum.

Alan O · #8 08-06-10, 01:23 PM

That is a shame but that would be a very generous gift from his estate - I wonder if the former contents of his loft would be worth more than the bungalow itself! His legacy is probably his 2 books; it is just a shame that they are not updated to remove the errors in them that are perpetuated in the wider collecting community by their inclusion based on less informed thoughts in the early 1970s.

Peter Brydon · #9 08-06-10, 03:07 PM

Alan,
You would be amazed ( or perhaps not ) at the information available on the web.You can easily see what Hugh`s bugalow sold for on a number of house price web sites.

Going on some rumours that I have heard,the collection in the loft might have a total value getting on for around twice the value of the bungalow but what a pity it could not have been kept together and displayed in say the National Army Museum for all to see.

P.B.

matti467 · #10 08-06-10, 04:07 PM

I have to smile when I hear that the collection was in suitcases in the loft! The badsges I have bought are a welcome addition to my collection and the scope of what he amassed is quite amazing.
Matti

Sonofacqms · #11 08-06-10, 04:44 PM

I first heard of Hugh King back in the 1960's when "Soldier" magazine had their "Collectors Corner" which was basically a "wants, exchange or for sale" section. It was free to advertise and Hugh King's name appeared from time to time asking for British and Commonwealth badges with good exchanges available. I sent for his lists of spares which appeared on quite a regular basis and what items he had spare! Often even in those days they were expensive, so one can hardly be surprised at the prices they are now making at Bosley's.

He did write for Soldier mag producing a series on the cap badges worn at the time of writing, which I must say I did not keep, I still have quite a lot of his lists of spares. Always very helpful regarding enquiries about badges and if he said "is it spare" you knew you had a rare badge. On the occasions when I saw him at auctions or fairs we had a chat, but I never had an invitation to see his collection, which judging by what I have heard would have taken a long time.

It is a pity the government did not buy the collection in it's entirety and put it on show, if there was not that much interest, they could have then sold it off, probably a better investment than other things.

matti467 · #12 08-06-10, 04:53 PM

My latest piece from his collection

Keith Blakeman · #13 08-06-10, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matti467

I have to smile when I hear that the collection was in suitcases in the loft! The badsges I have bought are a welcome addition to my collection and the scope of what he amassed is quite amazing.
Matti

I've heard the rumour that the collection was sold for something in the region£2 million ! I have a couple from Bosleys including those pictured in the books which is a nice touch.

matti467 · #14 08-06-10, 05:05 PM

It can't be far off that figure Keith. What do you reckon to the helmet plate?
Matti

Keith Blakeman · #15 08-06-10, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matti467

It can't be far off that figure Keith. What do you reckon to the helmet plate?
Matti

Lovely.

Just a little observation - presuming the SA scroll is an overlay, it just prooves the point that these could and were applied to early badges without the need for sweatholes.