A group of medals that were awarded to Lord Nelson's surgeon, Sir George Magrath, sold with a 20% increase as part of Bonhams' sale of The Dr A L Lloyd OBE Medal Collection, Part One in London yesterday (March 27).
 Magrath was dismayed at missing the Battle of Trafalgar, having been replaced with William Beatty |
The set sold for £14,400 ($21,788), storming past estimate due to its connection with Lord Nelson. As one of the Britain's greatest military leaders, Nelson memorabilia is highly collectible and rarely fails to see strong results at auction.
In February, a Naval General Service medal awarded to a soldier who fought at the Battle of Trafalgar sold for £13,500 ($20,558).
The medals in the present sale were awarded to Magrath for his work as the inspector of hospitals and fleets for the Royal Navy. He first joined Nelson's famous HMS Victory as flag medical officer in 1803, having been personally selected by the admiral himself.
However, he was not present during Nelson's finest hour at the Battle of Trafalgar, having been left to run the naval hospital in Gibraltar due to an outbreak of yellow fever.
Magrath was a man that Nelson evidently held in very high esteem, as demonstrated in Nelson's letter to Lady Hamilton regarding a soldier who had an olive stone in his eye:
"The Surgeon of the Victory (George Magrath), who is by far the most able medical man I have ever seen and equally so as a surgeon, (says) that, if it can be saved, he will do it."
Paul Fraser Collectibles has one of the finest collections of Nelson memorabilia for sale, including the stunning Trafalgar Collection, which contains some of the most intimate collectibles from this legendary battle.
