A pair of glasses thought to belong to Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi are set to auction for more than $ 19,000 – after being “stuck” from a mailbox in a busy business district.
About four weeks ago on a Monday morning, Auctionier Andy Stowe went to work and checked the mailboxes at his office on an industrial site in Bristol, southwest England.
“I saw an envelope hanging from our letterbox – really, literally, just hanging out,” he told CNN.
When a colleague opened the envelope, she discovered the unusual contents – a pair of gold-plated circular glasses.
“They had a little remark there saying ‘These belonged to Gandhi, and my uncle was given to them,'” he said.
Stowe told CNN that he called the phone number on the note, and contacted the seller of the item, who was an elderly man who lived locally.
The man told Stowe that the glasses were passed to him by his uncle, who told them they were given to him by Gandhi while he was stationed in South Africa.
‘The uncle [was] worked for British Petroleum at the time and was stationed in South Africa, and it can be assumed that these were due to a gratitude from Gandhi for some good deed, “Auctioneers East Bristol Auctions said in an article guide.
The auctioneer told CNN that the auction house has reviewed the timeline of the glasses, believing they could have gone to Gandhi. Credit: Wallace Kirkland / The LIFE Picture Collection by Getty Images
“We started doing some research and realized they were worth a lot of money,” Stowe told CNN, adding that the glasses were valued at £ 10,000 – £ 15,000 ($ 13,000 – $ 19,500). They are expected to sell more for “a huge amount”, he added.
“I gave him a call back later that day, and I think he almost fell off the chair when he learned how much we would appreciate them,” he said.
Stowe told CNN that auctioneers were researching the timeline of the article, and are sure to check the story – and the supply of the glasses.
“The dates and the facts agree well. The man is an 80-year-old man – I don’t think he put it in his head,” he said.
“From our point of view, history and story completely coincide,” he added. “The fact that the gentleman told me that if they were worth nothing, I could throw them in the bin – I’m pretty sure he had no idea how much they were worth.”
The glasses will be auctioned on August 21st.
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