Armada war chest sells for £850

A 400-year-old war chest was one of the star lots at a recent auction event.

Thought to be part of the Spanish Armada, the chest fetched £850 when sold by Wokingham Auctions at its sale held in Wokingham Town Hall on Saturday, June 10.

Also sold for £6,000 were four lots of Della Robbia earthenware pottery.

A 1920s Steiff Polar bear was knocked down for £1,200 and a consignment of Folio Society books, comprising 45 lots, reached a total of £9,600 under the hammer.

Pascal McNamara, who heads up Wokingham Auctions, said: “The anticipated bidding battle involved telephone, internet and room bidders with all four lots eventually going to the same buyer, a private collector from the Birkenhead area.

“The prize lot was the polychrome charger (41cm diameter) by John Cecil Shirley won for £3,200.

“'Trade interest was brisk from the moment we published the catalogue on-line 10 days before the sale, but in the end it was one dedicated private collector which prevailed,”

Wokingham Auctions carries out valuations every Saturday morning at Wokingham Town Hall.