Coins, Tokens and Historical Medals

The Co-Operative Union of Great Britain and Ireland, Honours Diploma, a large bronze award medal by G.T. Friend, seated robed female holding book, set in a citadel of buildings, rev. legend, named (Sidney Robert Elliott, AD 1926), 102mm. Some edge knocks, otherwise very fine, rare, in case of issue; awarded to a one-time editor of the London Evening Standard £60-80

Sidney Robert Elliott (1902-87), editor of The Millgate Monthly, then appointed editor of Reynold’s News, the co-operative movement’s Sunday newspaper, in 1929. A political activist in the late 1930s, he launched the United Peace Alliance to campaign against Franco in 1937. Moving to London in 1941, he succeeded Sir Michael Foot as editor of the Evening Standard in 1943, but quit in the run up to the 1945 General Election after the paper’s proprietor, Lord Beaverbrook, pressured him to advocate a vote for the Conservative party. He became editorial advisor at the Daily Mirror and masterminded its ultimately successful campaign to help elect the Labour party that year. After a spell in Australia Elliott edited the Daily Herald from 1953-7 and in subsequent years was a researcher on the World in Action series for Granada Television. His grandson, Ben Summerskill, is chief executive of Stonewall, the gay equality organisation