Milestone Auctions lines up rare Revolutionary War to WWII military relics for Sept. 26 sale

Milestone Auctions will hold its Fall 2026 Premier Military & Edged Weapons Auction on Sept. 26 in Willoughby, Ohio, with 627 lots spanning 250 years of military history. The sale is led by rare swords, Civil War maps, flags, uniforms and medals, including items tied to Captain Isaac Hall, Brig. Gen. Alpheus S. Williams and D-Day engineer Major Charles Waldrop Sullivan.

Why it matters: - The auction pulls together rare military artifacts from the Revolutionary War through World War II, giving collectors a single sale with broad historical range. - Several lots have direct ties to major American turning points, including Lexington, Atlanta, Normandy and the Battle Flag era of the Civil War. - The sale includes both high-profile display pieces and documented uniforms, maps and medals that can draw serious institutional and private buyers.

What happened: - Milestone Auctions scheduled its Fall 2026 Premier Military & Edged Weapons Auction for Sept. 26. - The sale includes 627 lots of rare antique and vintage military items. - The auction will take place live at Milestone’s gallery in Willoughby, Ohio, and will be webcast in real time. - Remote and absentee bidding will be available through Milestone’s platform and through LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable and AuctionZip.

The details: - The top Revolutionary War lot is a silver-hilted sword carried by Captain Isaac Hall, leader of the Medford Minutemen, on the march to Lexington. - Hall received the sword from John Fulton, a Sons of Liberty member and Boston Tea Party participant. - The sword measures 37 inches and retains its original wire-wrapped bone grip. - The sword was found in the attic of Hall’s 1720 house, a National Register of Historic Places property and the first stop on Paul Revere’s midnight ride. - The estimate on the Hall sword is $1,500 to $2,500. - The Civil War section is led by 21 manuscript maps identified to Brigadier General Alpheus S. Williams. - The Williams maps relate to Sherman’s campaigns and Williams’ own service in 1864-65. - Three maps appear to be field sketches on thin paper. - One map covers the opening of the Atlanta Campaign in May 1864 and includes names, physical features and distances to points off the map. - Eighteen additional manuscript battle maps likely served as master maps for photographic reproduction in the Atlas to Accompany the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. - The map group carries a $15,000 to $25,000 estimate. - A Civil War Union uniform grouping includes a midnight-blue wool sack coat with four eagle buttons and a fatigue blouse. - The coat has a marked interior pocket identified as Clothing Department and Depot Managing Maker with a star. - The uniform is described as rare because field uniforms of this type were often discarded after the war. - The estimate is $10,000 to $15,000. - A Civil War silk flag features 35 hand-painted gilt stars arranged in a circular medallion in the canton. - The flag follows the construction of a standard guidon but lacks the swallowtail. - The design was in service for only two years, from July 4, 1863 to July 3, 1865. - The flag was formerly owned by a prominent Chicago family with a military background. - The flag is archivally mounted and carries a $6,000 to $10,000 estimate. - A group lot of solid gold U.S. Distinguished Marksmanship medals was awarded to Kellogg K V Casey, who lived from 1877 to 1938. - Casey was a Spanish-American War veteran, a New York National Guard enlistee and later a 1st lieutenant. - Casey was one of six U.S. team members who won gold at the 1908 Summer Olympics at Bisley in the United Kingdom. - Casey later worked at DuPont as director of military sales. - The medal lot’s gold scrap value is estimated at about $9,210, and the auction estimate is $10,000 to $15,000. - A World War II grouping centers on the property of Bronze Star recipient Major Charles Waldrop Sullivan of Headquarters Co., 1st Engineer Special Brigade. - Sullivan landed in Normandy with the 1st ESB on D-Day, June 6, 1944. - The lot includes Sullivan’s officer’s uniform jacket, service shirt, M43 field jacket, visor cap, equipment bag and ephemera. - The jacket carries an Engineer Special Brigade patch, Amphibious Engineers Seahorse patch, three-place ribbon bar, Bronze Star, campaign ribbons and bullion rank insignia. - The uniform label is dated March 1944. - The lot is estimated at $3,000 to $4,000. - The auction is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Sept. 26, 2026, with preview hours from 8 to 10 a.m. - The gallery address is 38198 Willoughby Parkway, Willoughby, Ohio 44094. - Additional information is available by phone at 440-527-8060, by email at info@milestoneauctions.com or on the company’s website.

Between the lines: - The catalog leans on provenance and battlefield association as much as on rarity, which is often what drives bidding in military collectibles. - The strongest lots span well-known conflicts and include items with clear personal stories, which can widen appeal beyond specialist collectors. - The inclusion of remote bidding platforms suggests Milestone is aiming for national and international participation, not just local attendance.

What's next: - Milestone will preview the sale on auction day before the live webcast starts. - Bidders can compete in person or online when the auction opens at 10 a.m. ET. - Final prices will show whether historically linked artifacts and named provenance continue to command premium interest in the military collectibles market.