The auction is taking place following the death of a man from Dudley, who starting collecting items related to the city's history in his twenties and through that became a militaria collector. His family have not attached their name to the sale.

There are over 350 lots spanning more than 100 years, dating back at least as early as 1850 and including a strong representation of Second World War collectibles.

Biddle & Webb, who are holding the auction, said that there has been an enormous amount of interest from collectors, both from the UK and abroad, when details of the lots had been passed on.

Some of the items included are: military badges, buttons and insignia, a comprehensive range of helmets and a range of ceremonial WWII German daggers.

An unusual aspect of the collection is the selection of temperance medals. Temperance medals were handed out to soldiers who resisted the urge to drink over a certain period of time.

Drinking is naturally very tempting when opportunities for recreation are few and stress levels are high, but soldiers wouldn't be at their best if they got too 'relaxed'.

Experts are expecting the collection, which includes some investment-grade items, to achieve around £40,000-50,000 (up to $80,100). Watch this space for more news of this exciting auction.

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