Charing Cross Collectors Market, 1 Villiers Street, London (2026)

18/09/2026

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗿𝘁
One of the joys of Charing Cross Collectors Market is that you never quite know what will turn up next. Among the coins, medals, watches and curiosities, occasionally something appears that is so unusual - and so fragile - that its survival is remarkable in itself. This wax icon of the Madonna and Child is a wonderful example.

Thought to have been made in France or Belgium around a century ago, it is a devotional object moulded entirely from wax. Despite the delicacy of the material, the relief remains remarkably complete, with the Madonna and infant Christ surrounded by ornate decoration and religious symbols. Turn it over and there is an intriguing clue to how, and perhaps where, it was made. The hanging cord appears to be made from the same type of material used for a candle wick.

That link is significant because religious wax-working developed alongside the making of candles in churches, monasteries and convents. Once the necessary skills and materials were available, wax could be used for much more than illumination. It could also be moulded into small devotional figures, plaques and shrines for private worship. Beeswax in particular became closely associated with the medieval Church. Unlike cheaper alternatives, it burns cleanly, produces little smoke and has a naturally pleasant scent. Beeswax candles were consequently prized objects and became an important part of church ceremonies throughout Europe.

Demand was considerable. Candles were required for Mass, baptisms, funerals and many other services, while some religious communities kept their own bees and produced their own candles. From that tradition came objects such as this one - something made from an everyday working material, but intended for a very different purpose. And considering just how easily wax can crack, soften, chip or break, perhaps the most extraordinary thing about this Madonna and Child is simply that, roughly a century later, it is still here.

Just another of the strange and wonderful survivors that find their way to Charing Cross Collectors Market every Saturday.

11/09/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀
At just 3cm by 4cm, this week’s find manages to fit quite a lot of history into a small space.

Today we have a really quite unusual pendant bearing the badge of the Royal Flying Corps. Hand-engraved silver detail stands out against a dark shell background, with the RFC initials beneath a crown and the Latin motto on a scroll below: “Per Ardua ad Astra”, or “Through Adversity to the Stars”.

We would date this piece to 1912–1918, the short period in which the Royal Flying Corps existed. Formed on 13 April 1912, it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to become the Royal Air Force.

Look closely at the photograph and you can appreciate the work involved. The lettering, the leaves around the initials and the tiny details of the crown all sit within a pendant small enough to hold between finger and thumb.

We don’t know who originally wore it, or whether it was a gift. That part of its story remains a mystery. But someone took considerable care over this little piece, and it still rewards a closer look.

Our thanks, as always, to Michael of Anything Military for sharing another interesting find from the world of collecting.

04/09/2026

𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗙𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗔 𝟭𝟵𝟰𝟰 𝗔𝗶𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗶𝗿𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸
At just 5.5cm across, this little clock is a reminder that some of the most interesting pieces of wartime history can be remarkably small.

Aircraft clocks of this type were fitted to many British aircraft during the Second World War, including the famous Spitfire and Hurricane. There was no single standard clock used across every fighter. Making components interchangeable and allowing different versions to be used helped keep wartime production moving.

This example has three fixing points which allowed it to be mounted directly into an aircraft’s instrument panel. Its black face carries the usual hour, minute and second hands, but also features a distinctive pair of red hands.

These are known as “dummy hands”. They could be set separately - commonly to record the start time of a flight - giving the pilot or navigator a useful visual reference while airborne.

Turn the clock over and much more of its story is revealed. The reverse carries the Air Ministry 'AM' marking, a clock speed regulator and the serial number 12766/44. Those final two digits give us the year: 1944.

For collectors, however, condition is not simply a question of whether the clock still works. Examples such as this are generally worth less than £100 whether working or not, and originality can be far more important. A clock that has been opened, altered or heavily repaired can lose much of its appeal and value.

Add documented provenance linking one to a particular aircraft or individual, though, and a seemingly modest instrument can become something much more significant.

It is exactly the sort of object that makes collecting militaria so fascinating: small enough to hold in your hand, but once part of the working cockpit of a wartime aircraft.

28/08/2026

𝘼 𝙋𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝘼 𝙋𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙
At first glance, this £1 note might look like a slightly unfamiliar piece of British currency.

Look a little closer, though, and you’ll see that it was issued not by the Bank of England but by the States of Guernsey.

Guernsey has a long tradition of issuing its own notes and coins, with its currency maintained at parity with sterling. While Guernsey currency is intended for use within the Bailiwick rather than as legal tender throughout the UK, the familiar dimensions and appearance of the coins in particular mean that examples can sometimes find their way into everyday circulation elsewhere.

That makes Guernsey money an interesting little collecting area in its own right.

Michael tells us that notes and coins in particularly good or near-uncirculated condition will often sell for considerably more than their face value, with older issues tending to become more desirable once they have been replaced.

The note pictured is a States of Guernsey £1 note featuring Daniel De Lisle Brock, Bailiff of Guernsey from 1762 to 1842, alongside an image of the Royal Court in St Peter Port.

And while its printed value may be just £1, this particular example is currently available at Charing Cross Market for £4 — a nice illustration of how even relatively modern currency can become something rather more interesting once it enters the world of collecting.

21/08/2026

𝗦𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗺 𝗚𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗼 𝗪𝗮𝗿
During the Second World War, even small badges could play a part in supporting those serving overseas.

These wonderfully characterful Sailor Sam badges were produced in Pretoria, South Africa, during the 1939–45 war and sold to raise money for comforts for service personnel.

There were two main versions: Sailor Sam and Officer Sam. With their broad smiles and jaunty uniforms, they are cheerful little objects, but the money they raised had a practical purpose, helping to provide knitted items such as socks, scarves, gloves and balaclavas.

For the Christmas 1944 campaign, another badge was produced featuring the wife of General Jan Smuts. Around the portrait are the words “22nd Dec 1944 S.A. Gifts and Comforts”.

It makes for an interesting little group of wartime souvenirs. Unlike formal military badges, these were intended for the public to buy and wear, combining fundraising, patriotism and a touch of humour.

Today they are reminders of the enormous amount of voluntary work that took place away from the battlefield, and of how something as simple as buying a small badge could contribute towards keeping a serviceman warm thousands of miles away.

They are also exactly the sort of item that can make a miscellaneous badge collection fascinating. A smiling sailor or officer might look like little more than a novelty at first glance, until you discover the story behind it.

14/08/2026

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀
With the cost of sending a First Class letter or card now £1.80, here’s a way to make posting something a little more interesting and, potentially, quite a bit cheaper.

Many dealers at Charing Cross Collectors Market sell unused older commemorative stamps in quantity for around half their face value. And although they may have been issued decades ago, these special stamps can still be used for postage today.

Simply combine enough valid stamps for their printed values to add up to the postage required.

It’s something stamp auction houses have long done when sending out their catalogues, but there’s no reason collectors can’t have a bit of fun with it too.

A birthday or Christmas card covered with colourful old stamps immediately looks more special than one carrying a single modern stamp. Better still, you can choose designs that mean something to the person receiving it.

Someone interested in naval history might appreciate an HMS Warspite stamp. A music lover could receive one featuring Elgar, Handel or Holst. Others might recognise old British Council designs, textiles, Scouting or a host of other subjects commemorated by Royal Mail over the years.

It turns the envelope into part of the present and gives those unused stamps a purpose beyond sitting in a stock book.

And who knows? An interesting stamp arriving through the letterbox might even be enough to start a new collector off.

06/08/2026

𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿
Before the colour, before the plastic, and long before security holograms, there was the White Fiver. Issued from the late 18th century until 1957, it was one of the longest-running banknote designs in British history, and certainly among the most iconic.

The note shown here dates from 1945 and features elegant copperplate script promising to pay the bearer five pounds. The engraved Britannia in the top corner is the only visual decoration, but the bold Five in gothic type leaves no doubt about its value.

It was a serious note, both in function and in feel. Five pounds in the 1940s could buy a week’s holiday, a decent suit, or 120 pints of beer. For most people, it was not something you’d carry daily.

Collectors today look for condition, signatures, and specific issues from wartime or early print runs. Many were cancelled or destroyed when the new blue fiver was introduced in 1957, a note that brought colour printing and a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II to the forefront. That modern design looked forward. The White Fiver looked back.

What it lacked in flair, it made up for in weight, confidence and a kind of no-nonsense authority that feels far removed from today’s polymer currency.

30/07/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻'𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁
How does a badge go from official to unofficial?

The Late Arrivals Club badge was created during the Western Desert campaign for RAF airmen who had bailed out, been shot down or force-landed, then walked back to their unit through the desert.

Their exploits became a valuable morale boost, and RAF public relations officer George W. Houghton gained permission from Lord Tedder to present them with a winged boot badge.

That permission applied only in the Middle East theatre during the campaign. Outside it, and after the fighting had ended, the badge was considered unofficial.

Fewer than 500 of the first type are thought to have been made. They were locally cast from aircraft alloy, with two loops on the back.

On this example, those loops have been removed and replaced with a German award stickpin, possibly from a miniature Panzer badge. German awards were often made in stickpin form for civilian wear.

It is a fitting alteration. The RAF men who earned the winged boot had been fighting Rommel’s Afrika Korps, so using part of a German tank badge to secure it adds a particularly personal twist.

23/07/2026

𝘼 𝙉𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙍𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙨
This week’s selection brings together a fascinating group of Merchant Navy and Royal Navy badges, including a Second World War service badge bearing the letters MN inside a rope border.

The badge may be small, but it represents the enormous contribution made by Merchant Navy crews during the war. Merchant ships carried food, fuel, troops and vital supplies across waters patrolled by enemy ships and submarines. The simple MN design became a quiet mark of service for the men and women who kept those routes open.

Another recurring feature across the collection is the naval crown. At first glance it looks like a conventional royal crown, but a closer look reveals a miniature fleet of sails, masts and ships worked into its design.

One of the larger examples shown here was used as a membership badge by the Royal Navy Old Comrades Association. More commonly, the crown appeared on Merchant Navy badges, cap badges and buttons.

The design has roots stretching back to ancient Rome, where crowns associated with naval victories were presented to successful commanders. Their decoration represented pieces taken from captured warships, providing visible proof of victory when paraded through Rome.

Over time, these captured ships and their fittings became stylised into the distinctive sails, sterns and mast-like points seen around the crown.

The naval crown had been used by Britain’s Royal Navy since the 1700s, but the Merchant Navy did not widely adopt it until after the First World War. Before then, merchant sailors generally wore the individual insignia of the shipping company or line they worked for.

That makes these badges an interesting record of changing identity. The earlier badges connected a sailor to one particular company. The naval crown helped create a wider sense of belonging to the Merchant Navy as a whole.

Also pictured are badges from individual ships and organisations, with anchors, ropes, ships’ wheels, waves and other maritime symbols picked out in enamel and metal.

They are modest objects, designed to be worn rather than displayed, but each carries part of a much larger story of ships, service and life at sea.

16/07/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀
In philately, not everything that looks like a stamp was created to carry the post.

A Cinderella stamp is a small, usually perforated and gummed label designed to resemble a postage stamp, but with no official postal value. These labels have been produced around the world for advertising, fundraising, education, promotion and political propaganda.

On their own, many Cinderellas are relatively inexpensive. Found attached to an original letter or cover, however, they can add valuable historical context, visual interest and sometimes considerable extra value.

The group pictured includes six labels representing former Imperial German colonies and territories: Karolinen, Kamerun, Kiautschou, the Marshall Islands, Togo and German New Guinea. Each uses the same striking design, with a steamship at sea and the German imperial naval ensign in the foreground. Different colours distinguish the individual territories.

There is also a pleasing connection between their German subject and the name given to this branch of collecting. The Brothers Grimm published their version of Cinderella, Aschenputtel, in Children's and Household Tales in 1812.

The other two labels show how Cinderellas could serve very different purposes during the First World War.

The purple St Dunstan's label carries the appeal "Their Sight for Us, Our Help for Them". It was produced to support the organisation's work caring for servicemen who had lost their sight.

The far darker "Kultur Has Passed Here" label is a piece of anti-German propaganda. A mother and child lie beneath a burning town as an airship passes overhead, while a winged hourglass suggests that time is running out.

Neither label could have carried a letter. Yet both carried a powerful message, showing why Cinderella stamps can offer such a fascinating glimpse into the politics, causes and concerns of their time.

From our blog: https://charingcrossmarket.com/blog/

Charing Cross Collectors Market

18/09/2026

11/09/2026

04/09/2026

28/08/2026

21/08/2026

14/08/2026

06/08/2026

30/07/2026

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