Fit for a king! Rare chocolate tin sells for double expected price
The solid silver chocolate box came with its original red leather case
- Published
Some of you will love to spend your pocket money on sweet treats, but you'd have had to save up for a very long time to get your hands on a chocolate box that's just sold at auction - then again, it is a collectible.
The very rare box was made more than 120 years ago and has just gone under the hammer in North Yorkshire.
The silver box was made to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902.
It originally held just one bar of Rowntree's chocolate.
Experts thought the special box could sell for between £800 and £1,000, but it actually went for double the guide price at £1,700!
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Why is the silver chocolate box so special?
The tin is tiny but it is a valuable item because of its historical significance
Back in 1902, chocolate company Rowntree's made thousands of souvenir chocolate tins to celebrate the new King and Queen being crowned.
Many of these tins were given to school children across the country.
However, a small number of solid silver versions were also made. These were much more valuable and were given to members of the Royal family and the Rowntree family.
Auction experts say the box that sold is one of the rarest examples ever seen.
The silver box has the date 26 June 1902 written on it, but here's why this box is so unusual.
King Edward VII became ill shortly before the ceremony and needed an operation, delaying the coronation for around six weeks.
Instead of taking place on 26 June, the coronation finally happened on 9 August 1902.
So the date of the coronation is incorrect on the historical tin.
King Edward VII was the eldest son of Queen Victoria, and is the great-great grandfather of the current King, Charles III
The chocolate box still had its original red leather case and had been carefully looked after over the years.
Experts said it was in "remarkable condition", despite the item being around 125 years old.
Only one other silver coronation chocolate box is known to have been sold at auction in recent years.
The winning bid came from a person in Hull, but there were bids from as far away as Japan.
Holly Hammond, from David Duggleby Auctioneers, who oversaw the sale said:
"We knew it would attract a lot of interest and it didn't disappoint. It sold for £1,700, which reflects just how rare a piece like this is.
"It's not often something with this level of royal and manufacturing history comes up for sale."