Rare George Cross medal discovered at car boot sale heads to auction

The prestigious medal was awarded to Second Lieutenant Michael Paul Benner

Rare George Cross medal discovered at car boot sale heads to auction
Rare George Cross medal discovered at car boot sale heads to auction

A rare George Cross medal from 1957 which was bought for just £20 at a car boot sale is now set to be auctioned and could sell for up to £2 million.

This prestigious medal was awarded to Second Lieutenant Michael Paul Benner, who sadly died while bravely trying to rescue a fellow soldier during a training exercise in the Austrian mountains.

Michael was leading a group of six men on a challenging 12,400-foot climb to the summit of Grossglockner.

On their way down, a storm caused the path to become dangerously icy.

Rare George Cross medal discovered at car boot sale heads to auction

One of his men lost his footing and began to fall and in an attempt to rescue him, Benner acted instinctively but both tragically fell to their deaths down the steep mountainside.

Related: Titanic captain’s watch fetches record-breaking price at auction

His medal was later found among military collectibles at a car boot sale in East Yorkshire, where someone unknowingly bought it for just £20.

Rare George Cross medal discovered at car boot sale heads to auction

Now, the medal is set to be auctioned at Heckmondwike Auctions on April 1, 2025, as per ExpressUK.

The seller has set a minimum price of £60,000 to £80,000 but the auction house notes that a similar George Cross medal once sold for an impressive £2.1 million.

Related: $100M coin buried for over 50 years heads to auction

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