Cadbury's Conundrum: Rare gold egg sets new sale record

A rare 22ct gold egg has "smashed" estimates and sold for £31,000, beating its record sale price three years ago.

The Cadbury's Conundrum egg had been sold for £17,200 at an auction in Lincolnshire in 2017, but it went under the hammer again after its owner died.

The Creme Egg was made in the 1980s by Garrard, the Queen's official jeweller, for a nationwide treasure hunt.

Auctioneer Greg Bateman, from Bateman's of Stamford, said the new sale set a record for the auction house.

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The origins of the egg go back to a competition run by Cadbury's in 1983.

The firm hid 12 gold engraved eggs around the UK which could be found by solving clues hidden in an accompanying book.

A 13th egg, larger than the others, was also offered in a prize draw open only to retailers and not the public.

The sale at auction of this egg in July 2017 had been "a then-house record hammer price", according to Mr Bateman.

However, Friday's sale price to an online bidder of £31,000, not including 20% sale fees, was a new high and had "smashed" pre-sale estimates of between £15,000-£20,000, he said.

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