Man with a medals tally

It gives you a sense of history, doesn't it?,'' asks Frank Paul holding up a shiny silver medallion in his gnarled hands. The etched pr...

8220;It gives you a sense of history, doesn8217;t it?,8221; asks Frank Paul holding up a shiny silver medallion in his gnarled hands. The etched profile of a young Queen Victoria stands out of this 1857-58 India Mutiny medal. If the medal evokes a whiff of the past, then the rows of boxes in Paul8217;s cupboard would be a history buff8217;s delight. For, the boxes contain polished bronze and silver medals once pinned on the lapels of brave soldiers for fighting more than a century ago.

Paul has 200 silver and bronze medals. Ask the octogenarian about his collection and out come the boxes. A silver medal bearing the legend Afghanistan, 1878 and Queen Victoria8217;s profile is carefully laid out. On the rim, Paul points out, is the recipient8217;s name Havildar Nain Singh, elegantly etched. The 1867 Abyssinia campaign, the 1878 Afghanistan campaign, the 1897 Punjab War medals, evoke pictures of soldiers who must have fought with faith and fortitude led by the boom of the cannons into battle. Of memories tinged with valour, glory and loss, the inevitable concomitant of war. Of an imperial ceremony where the newly minted decoration was conferred on a proud soldier.

8220;These medals are fascinating because they are a slice of history,8221; says Paul as he casts a loving eye over a commemorative medal minted specially for the Delhi Durbar in honour of King George V and Queen Mary.

He specialises in British period medals. His most prized possession is the 90-gram Empress of India silver medal dated January 1, 1877 with Kaisar-i-Hind etched on it in English, Hindi and Urdu. He bought the medal in a city trophy shop in 1974 for Rs 300. Out of the 150 medals, 30 are embellished with Queen Victoria8217;s profile, 15 with King Edward VII and 40 with George V, 20 with George VI and three to four of Elizabeth II and a few Indian medals after Independence. Paul happened to take up the hobby quite by accident. After retiring as depot superintendent with Burma Shell, Paul had time on his hands.

8220;I decided to renew my childhood hobby of collecting coins and would visit G.H. Noorbhai, a Taboot Street shop in his neighbourhood in Pune camp. 8220;Once I found a silver campaign medal issued by Queen Victoria. I found it so fascinating that I decided to buy it at a cost of Rs 23,8221; remembers Paul. That was the start. Paul also became interested in the background. He started to read up books on medals given to soldiers. 8220;The Victoria Cross, rare to come by, was earlier made of bronze melted from cannons used in the Crimean War of 1854-56,8221; says Paul. Also in Paul8217;s collection are miniature medals, smaller medallions with small stretches of ribbon.

8220;These smaller facsimile medals were designed especially to be worn by decorated officers during social occasions,8221; says Paul. In the collection is a hallmark medal was presented in 1892 for good reading to 13-year-old Albert Victor Wagstaff.

Paul8217;s ardent wish is to get his hands on a Victoria Cross 8220;but that8217;s like asking for the moon, right?,8221; he says with twinkling eyes. Shortly after starting on his new hobby, Paul held his first and only exhibition in 1974. He feels it involves too much organisation.

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Paul insists he will never sell the collection. 8220;I have not really estimated how much my collection is worth. I8217;m sure they are worth quite a lot.8221; For Paul, money is a small price to pay to recreate that sense of history.