When Smiths of Newent experimented with live internet bidding for the first time this summer, the only four-figure sum paid by a web bidder was £3,400 for this Military Cross and Military Medal set from World War I.

The medals had been awarded to the Mehans, a pair of brothers in the Australian Imperial Force, and the set was accompanied by a letter of congratulation from the commander of the Australian and New Zealand forces, which was an obvious bonus.

Not surprisingly, there was strong interest from that part of the world, and the medals have now winged their way back down under.

There was further on-line interest from a number of Italian buyers whose eye had been caught by an Italian Medal for Military Valour, and it was one of them who ended the day happy after his bid of £450 did the trick.

All told, it was one of those days in the saleroom that emphasised just how buoyant the market for medal groups continues to be.