A Crewe man enjoyed a surprise windfall when an antique pocket globe found in his parents’ home sold for £18,800 at a Nantwich auction.
The celestial and terrestrial globe, less than three inches in diameter and dated from 1710, was the star sale at the Peter Wilson auction.
It was found by auctioneer Chris Large in the bottom of one of 16 boxes the man had taken to the saleroom after emptying the house.
The man had no idea how it got there, or that it was so valuable.
But buyers had no doubts and a lengthy bidding battle saw the price spiral way beyond the £3,000 estimate.
It went to a collector from Hong Kong bidding on the internet, who beat off competition from other would-be buyers on six telephones.
“When you find something as rare and special as this, and in the most unexpected place, it cheers you up and makes you realise why this job is so rewarding,” Chris Large said.
“The man was over the moon when we told him what it had fetched, he just couldn’t believe his luck.”
What made the globe so valuable was the word “Damp” almost hidden among the place names, indicating it was a rare example charting the route of Captain William Dampier’s circumnavigation of the world completed in 1709.
Another windfall came to the family of Stoke City and Port Vale legend Tommy Clare, whose gold and silver medals and England caps and shirt badges sold for £7,800.
Congleton-born Thomas “Tommy” Clare (1865-1929) played his early football with Talke Rangers, Golden Hill Wanderers and Burslem Port Vale, before becoming Stoke City’s firstprofessional player in 1883. He was captain of the Stoke side that was a founder member of the Football League in 1888.
Entries are invited for the next sale of fine art, antiques and collectors’ items at Peter Wilson on July 11-12. Closing date is May 25.
For details contact 01270 623878 or [email protected]
(Pic: Auctioneer Chris Large with the pocket globe)
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