The first was awarded to Captain George Forrest for ‘gallant conduct in the defence of the Delhi Magazine, on the 11 May 1857’, placing it among the earliest VCs to be awarded in the Indian Mutiny.
It sold for £145,000 against an estimate of £80,000-100,000.
The second was the ‘Kashmir Gate’ VC awarded to Ensign John Smith of the Royal Bengal Engineers. In broad daylight and under heavy musket fire Smith demonstrated ‘conspicuous gallantry’ during the storming and destruction of the Kashmir Gate at Delhi on September 14, 1857.
It also sold well above an estimate of £70,000-90,000, taking £155,000.
Neither medal had been on the market for more than two decades. A total of 182 Indian Mutiny VCs were awarded to members of the British armed forces, Indian Army and civilians under their command.
The buyer's premium was 20%.
