A pair of Mahatma Gandhi's glasses left in East Bristol Auction house's letterbox have been sold in Britain for £260,000 ($340,000). Mahatma Gandhi always gave away his old or unwanted pairs to those in need. He would also gift it to people who helped him. The vendor got the glasses from his uncle's family to whom Gandhi had given his spectacles. The vendor's uncle was then working for British Petroleum in South Africa during the 1920s or 30s, said the auction house. The glasses had been handed down from generations in the owner's family to reach the vendor. While the glasses were estimated to be around 15,000 pounds, the sale price was simply way above it. Rare Signed Photo of Mahatma Gandhi Fetches Over USD 41k at Auction in The United States.

East Bristol Auctions took to Instagram after the sale on Friday with a photo of the glasses. The caption reads, "We found them just four weeks ago in our letterbox, left there by a gentleman whose uncle had been given them by Gandhi himself. An incredible result for an incredible item! Thanks to all those who bid."

Mahatma Gandhi's Glasses Sold For £260,000 at Auction in the UK:

 

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Earlier this month, Andrew Stowe told Sky News that the vendor had told him, "If they're no good, just throw them away." When he suggested they might be worth 15,000 pounds, "I think he nearly fell off his chair." Stowe said it was a new record for East Bristol Auctions and described it as "the star lot of the century". Stowe said the owner of the glasses was an elderly man from Mangotsfield who said he would split the money with his daughter. He added, "These glasses have been lying in a drawer for the best part of fifty years. The vendor literally told me to throw them away if they were 'no good'. Now he gets a life-changing sum of money."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 22, 2020 04:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).