A pair of gold-plated glasses claimed to have been worn by Mahatma Gandhi in the 1900s has been auctioned at USD 340,000 in UK.
“We found them just four weeks ago in our letterbox, left there by a gentleman whose uncle had been given them by Gandhi himself,” East Bristol Auctions wrote on Instagram after the sale on Friday
The rare item was bought by an unnamed collector from the United States, auctioneer Andy Stowe said, adding that the initial reserve price was set for £15,000 but it attracted much interest from various countries, including India.
Stowe said on Saturday: “It’s a phenomenal result! These glasses have been lying in a drawer for the best part of 50 years. The vendor literally told me to throw them away if they were ‘no good’. Now, he gets a life-changing sum of money”.
“It’s the ‘good news’ story that we all want – as an elderly gentleman, our vendor has probably had a rough time in recent months and to be able to change his life is just incredible. The price is outstanding, but it’s not about the money.”
