Jack the Ripper Investigator's Medal Surfaces for Auction

A medal awarded to Inspector Donald Swanson, the Scottish police official who headed the investigation into the infamous Jack the Ripper murders, has been put up for sale with an estimated value of £2,000. The sale is being handled by Charterhouse auctioneers in Sherborne, Dorset.

Swanson, born in Caithness, Scotland, in 1848, joined the Metropolitan Police in London at the age of 20. He was two decades into his career when the serial killer terrorized Whitechapel in 1888. Following the brutal murder of Annie Chapman, Ripper's second victim, Swanson was placed in charge of the high-profile manhunt. Despite his efforts, the identity of Jack the Ripper remains a mystery to this day.

The medal, an HM Metropolitan Jubilee medal inscribed 'Inspr D Swanson A Divn,' is considered significantly more valuable than a standard Jubilee medal due to its direct association with the Ripper case. Auctioneer Richard Bromell noted that while regular Metropolitan Jubilee Medals typically sell for around £50, this particular item could achieve thousands due to the historical notoriety of the investigation it represents. The medal was reportedly passed down from a father who collected unusual items.

Beyond the Jack the Ripper investigation, Inspector Swanson's distinguished career included preventing Fenian terrorist attacks in the 1880s and recovering stolen jewels belonging to the Earl of Bective's wife. He was promoted to Superintendent in 1896 and retired from the force in 1903 after 35 years of service. Swanson died in 1924 at the age of 76.

Jack the Ripper is known to have committed at least five murders in 1888: Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly. The sale of the medal is scheduled for November 12.