The ‘Siege of Lucknow’ Victoria Cross awarded to Irishman Thomas Henry Kavanagh was sold for a world-record price of £930,000 (€1,073,355) by Mayfair-based auctioneers Noonans today. Bought by an un named collector in a sale of Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria it was the first civilian V.C. of five to be awarded. Estimated at £300,000-400,000 it was one of only two not currently in a museum. The price includes a 24% buyer’s premium.
Kavanagh, who was born on July 15, 1821 in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath was employed as a clerk in the Lucknow Office prior to the Siege, which occurred during the Indian Mutiny. In November 1857, he volunteered to leave the safety of the Residency disguised as a Sepoy accompanied by a Brahmin scout. The pair jostled past armed rebels through the narrow Lucknow streets and talked their way past sentries in the moonlight, crossed deep rivers, tramped through swamps and narrowly avoided capture after startling a farmer who raised the alarm. On finally reaching a British cavalry outpost, Kavanagh delivered a vital despatch to Sir Colin Campbell and ably guided his column to the relief of the Residency garrison.
Oliver Pepys, Associate Director and Medal Specialist at Noonans said: “Kavanagh’s gallantry at Lucknow 165 years ago stands out as one of the most premeditated and sustained acts of gallantry in the history of the Victoria Cross and the price achieved at auction demonstrates the high regard which Kavanagh is still held in today.”
Pierce Noonan, Chairman and CEO of Noonans auctions, said: “The record price achieved for Kavanagh’s Victoria Cross reflects not just Kavanagh’s extraordinary gallantry, but also the strength of the market for small collectibles more generally where the prices for high quality items continue to go from strength to strength.”
(See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for August 28 and August 18, 2022)
