Medieval spoon bought for 20p from car boot auctioned off for thousands
A 13th-century spoon which may have spent centuries buried under a river bed has made thousands for an eagle-eyed car boot sale buyer.
The striking medieval spoon was picked out from a tray of modern ‘Ikea’-style cutlery and bought for just 20p at the sale in London.
The man then took it to Lawrences Auctioneers in Somerset and it sold for £2,375. It meant he made 12,000 times what he originally paid for it.
The slender spoon weighs just 0.35oz and has an acorn knop and four-sided stem.
Silver expert Alex Butcher believes it may have remained buried underground or in a river bed for centuries before re-emerging.
Despite its ‘damaged and contorted state’, the spoon was given an estimate of £500 at the Crewkerne auctioneers.
But on the day of the sale, it outperformed expectations and hammered down at £1,900 after a bidding war.
With extra fees, the internet buyer paid £2,375.
Mr Butcher said the vendor was thrilled with the result and plans to spend the money on a holiday.
He said: ‘The finder is not a silver dealer but someone who goes to car boot sales as a hobby but clearly has a good eye.
‘He went over to a stall where there was an assortment of Ikea-style modern cutlery but among it was this very old looking spoon. He thought it was interesting so he bought it for 20p and contacted us through our website.
‘When he described the spoon with its acorn knop I knew it was extremely old and once he sent it to us to look at I identified it as from the late 13th century.
‘Its condition is consistent with it being buried underground or in a river bed for centuries. It is crushed and damaged, possibly from the weight of boats going over it.
‘Both the vendor and I were delighted with the result. It is a wonderful, romantic story. The vendor wrote me a lovely email saying he was watching the sale online with his daughter and couldn’t believe it.’
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