Boasting a wide selection of military items from the First World War and the Second World War, along with other cultural and historical artifacts, Iron Cross Antiques specializes in the rare and unique. It is a true destination shop in the heart of Edmonton. “Everything you’ll find here are the finest and the rarest of any specific category,” says Clinton Beck, the treasure hunter behind Iron Cross Antiques.
“In the antiques business, you’re really just the guardian of objects that will be around for thousands of years because of their rarity and interest,” says Clinton. His ever-changing collection has included such rare finds as a Second World War Dutch Volunteer SS helmet, a medieval short sword he found in Northern China and a Canadian medal of honour from the Second World War.
Whether he’s scouring the globe for treasures or appraising seemingly random items inside his shop, Clinton seeks out the rarest of the rare and delights when he learns the fascinating stories behind each piece. “You never know what’s going to happen on a daily basis,” he says. “Everyday there’s somebody bringing in something unusual and interesting, and you get to hear the stories of where they come from.”
One of the many highlights for Clinton was a strange looking leather water canteen found by a picker at a garage sale ten years earlier. Turns out, it was a sixth century military water flask from the Turkish Ottoman Empire.
