A Scarce & Attractive Royal Marines
NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL (NAVARINO)







To: PRIVATE THOMAS RHODES. ROYAL MARINES.
"Officially Impressed" THOs RHODES.
PROBABLY SERVED IN BOTH HMS ALBION & HMS GENOA.

[PROVENANCE]
John Hayward, June 1976.
The Colin Message & Captain Douglas-Morris Rolls.

[SPECIAL NOTE]
This medal was almost certainly the subject of a 'double claim' by one man. ie: there was probably only ONE man called Thomas Rhodes serving at the rank of Private in the Royal Marines at the time of the Navarino action.

Having closely studied the various NGS rolls over many years it becomes starkly apparent that "word had got around" that it was possible to claim twice and to perhaps receive two medals if you had served on two different ships under the same name.

The two Admiralty claim numbers for medals, both under the same name of Thomas Rhodes (Q/266 & R/125) are in fact so chronologically close together( just a very few days ) as to immediately raise suspicion.

Coupled with the obviously unlikely situation of two men, both privates, both called Thomas Rhodes and both serving at the same time in the Royal Marines and then over 25 years after the event, both suddenly claiming the same clasp within a few days is in our option not a statistically viable proposition.

This particular medal also has defined & recorded provenance, whereas the 'other' proposed medal does not, and even if Rhodes did get lucky and obtain a second award by technical deception, he most probably 'converted' it right away at the local pawn shop for 6/6d in the 1850's as in 167 years it has never surfaced.

Therefore we offer here what is almost certainly the unique medal to Pte Thomas Rhodes of The Royal Marines, who probably served in BOTH H.M.S. Albion & H.M.S. Genoa.

The medal is in practically mint state with a quite magnificent steel-cobalt-grey original tone & colour having never been worn or cleaned.

£1750 (RESERVED)