SOME AUTOGRAPHS OF NOTED SOLDIERS 235 SOME HISTORIC POST-MARKS USED ON MILITARY CORRESPONDENCE 252 A CUTTING FROM "THE TIMES" OF NOVEMBER 9, 1796 308 _ACKNOWLEDGMENT_ _The Author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to Dr. Philip Nelson for the loan of the valuable coins which figure in the illustrations on pages 265, 271, and 277; to Mr. Tom Satterthwaite for the loan of many of the medals depicted in these pages; to Mr. Leonard Baggott for the loan of arms; to Messrs. Henry Sotheran for permission to reproduce three Cruikshank prints; to Messrs. Spink & Son for permission to reproduce the Royalist Badge; also to Mr. Edwin Johnson, B.Sc., and Mr. James Pryor for the loan of various curios included in the following pages._ _The Author also wishes to state that in forming his own collection of military curios he has gained much helpful assistance from "The Connoisseur"; from C. H. Ashdown's "British and Foreign Arms and Armour"; from J. H. Mayo's "Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy"; from D. H. Irwin's "War Medals and Decorations"; from Ralph Nevill's "British Military Prints"; from Edward Beaumont's works dealing with Brasses; and from the authorities of the Royal United Service Museum._ CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Preliminary considerations--Where to search for curios--What to search for--Specializing--Undesirable curios--The catalogue of the Royal United Service Museum--Public collections of military curios For centuries past the collection of military curios has been the select pastime of men of title and soldiers of rank. Lately, however, owing to the War and the great spread of interest in all things pertaining to it, the circle of collectors has considerably widened, until to-day few things are more treasured by connoisseurs than the thousand and one souvenirs and emblems which emanate from our Army. Most forms of collecting require the expenditure of much capital, but this is not one of the drawbacks which confront the seeker after military curios. For a few pence an old-fashioned bayonet can be picked up; a rifle bearing a date in last century will cost but a trifle more, whilst such odds and ends as badges and tunic buttons may be had for almost nothing. Of course, a good deal depends on knowing where to search for treasures. The old curiosity shops are capital hunting-grounds, but second-hand dealers who make a practice of buying up the contents of whole houses are even better. These people seem to get an accumulation of odd material which is difficult to classify, and therefore hard to sell. It is hidden away among these effects that the collector will probably alight upon his finest discoveries.