91Èȱ¬

Amongst the smallest hallmarked antiques commonly available are watch fob medals, a decorative item now scarcely remembered, even by the few remaining wearers of pocket watches. Fob medals, hung from the watch chain, were small badges of status, allegiance or achievement - sometimes only recognisable to others of a group. The variety of decoration in these medals was huge (mostly Classical or heraldic forms) but also a large number depicting sports, football especially. What they all seem to have in common is that they embodied memories or sentimental attachments. The backs are often engraved with dates, names and achievements - and equally often with (to us) cryptic letters and dates. This one has "W.R.R.A. 1-5-59", a date some 38 years after it was made, so possibly a reunion. Without knowing the owner, the initials are untraceable; but May Day can suggest socialist/communist involvement. 1959 saw newsworthy protests in both London (St Pancras) and Baghdad on this date. Whatever this personal history was, it illustrates how
people's motivations quickly become lost to history if not recorded.