Medal Great Britain Dead Man's Penny (He died for freedom and honour) 1918 to 1936

The Dead Man’s Penny is a commemorative medallion which was presented to the next-of-kin of the men and women who died during World War One. Next to Lady Britannia is the deceased solider’s name, with no rank provided to show equality in their sacrifice. The Dead Man’s Penny was accompanied by a letter from King George V, stating ‘I join with my grateful people in sending you this memorial of a brave life given for others in the Great War’. See this UK museum page [Press Here] for plenty of information on these extraordinary pieces.

Evaluating these items requires separating innate value from sentimental value. Addressing a Dead Man's Penny numismatically, from an indifferent coin collector's view, the innate values run like this:

INNATE (NON-SENTIMENTAL) VALUE:
worn: $10 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $15
well preserved: $25
fully uncirculated: $75

However, the innate value does not give a complete picture. Since each medal in unique, with a unique soldier's name, additional value comes in depending on the soldier and a potential buyer's connection to that soldier. Further, medals made for women (bearing the inscription SHE DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR) carry more sentimental value than medals made for men.

SENTIMENTAL VALUE:
No relationship with named soldier: no added value
Some relationship with named soldier: add $50
Strong relationship with named soldier: add $100 or more

You can find these selling on the Internet for as little as $15 US dollars and as much as $250. They are fascinating collectibles.
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