Bonhams announces the sale of an extremely rare game, ‘The Game of War’ to be sold on the 13th October 2010 in Knightsbridge in the Chess, Playing Cards and Games auction.

Dating from 1890, this intricate 600 piece game is estimated to sell for £1,500-£2000, and was designed to train British army officers at a time of uncertainty in the years leading up to the outbreak of The First World War in 1914. It was common knowledge that War was coming, but no-one could predict exactly when. As a result, the armies spent their summers at camp, in effect playing war-games, and training for the big European war that was on the horizon.

During this period, tactics had barely changed since the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, and the horse still played a major role on the battlefield. The Game of War, however, includes six machine gun units. As history shows us, the use of the machine gun and emphasis on mechanized defence was going to have a devastating effect on the trench warfare that was to come. Infantry, mounted cavalry and horse artillery are also included in the game, demonstrating the unforeseen part the machine gun was to play.

The game is played on a map drawn on a scale of 6 inches to the mile, and the troops are indicated by small slate blocks, coloured red for one force, and blue for another. It is a later British version of “Kriegsspiel”, a war-game originally invented by Lieutenant Georg von Reiswitz in the early 19th century for training officers in the Prussian army.

Luke Honey, Bonhams Chess and Games consultant comments: “This is a rare and superb example of a late 19th century war-game used to train British army officers in military manoeuvres. It gives us a fascinating insight into the tactics of the period, which, ultimately culminated in the tragedy of the First World War.”

Bonhams is the only International Auction House holding dedicated sales of Chess and Games on a regular basis. The sales are held a twice a year, at Knightsbridge, London saleroom.

www.bonhams.com/chess

A bottle of Ballantine’s from the “Whisky Galore” ship, The SS Politician, is being offered at Bonhams annual Scottish Sale in Edinburgh between 17 – 20 August. It is believed to have been salvaged from the wreck of the ship in the 1950s or 1960s and is being sold with photographs of the salvage operation at an estimate of £1,200 – 1,800.

In 1941, the SS Politician set sail for Kingston, Jamaica with a cargo which included pianos, motor parts, bedding and 28,000 cases (264,000 bottles) of whisky. The ship ran aground in a gale off the Outer Hebrides near the island of Eriskay. Luckily the crew were rescued unharmed; and so, over the next few weeks, was the whisky. Islanders, from Eriskay and beyond, starved of whisky by war time rationing, systematically liberated around 24,000 bottles before the authorities caught up with them. Some of the looters were fined; some ended up in jail; few of the stolen bottles were recovered. The hull of the ship was blown up by a frustrated local customs officer to put the whisky beyond temptation, prompting one anguished islander to exclaim, “Dynamiting whisky! You wouldn’t think there’d be men in the world so crazy as that!”

In 1947 the Scottish author, Compton MacKenzie wrote a novel, Whisky Galore, based on the incident which, two years later, was turned into a successful Ealing Comedy film of the same name.

Whisky from the Politician rarely appears at auction. In 1987, 8 bottles were retrieved from the wreck which still lies submerged off the coast of Eriskay and sold for £4,000. Despite extensive salvage efforts in 1989 only 24 more bottles were recovered.

For further sale information please go to www.bonhams.com/scottishsale

Bonhams announces the appointment and promotion of Jon Baddeley to the position of Managing Director, Knightsbridge – the busiest of the company’s UK and international salerooms. He takes on this new role with immediate effect.

“Jon has an outstanding track record in the auction business. His career as both a dealer and auctioneer spans over 30 years,” says Matthew Girling, Chief Executive Officer, Bonhams UK & Europe. “His sound business acumen, specialist knowledge and proven ability to get the best from people make Jon the obvious person to run our Knightsbridge saleroom.”

Jon Baddeley, who continues to be responsible for collectors’ sales worldwide, says: “I am excited about the prospect of taking on the challenge of being Managing Director, Knightsbridge. My ambition is not only to substantially grow the core business of jewellery, silver, paintings, furniture & works of art, but also to make Knightsbridge the centre of excellence for our specialist sales of portrait miniatures, arms & armour, sporting guns, coins & medals, science & technology, toys & dolls, and entertainment memorabilia.”

Jon began his career at Sotheby’s Belgravia in the early 1970s. He joined as a porter, but quickly rose through the ranks to become Head of the Collectors’ department and auctioneer by the age of 25. Subsequently, he left the company to become an independent dealer in decorative arts for the next five years. However, missing the thrill of the auction world, he rejoined Sotheby’s in the early 1980s and remained there for the following 20 years, finally becoming Group Head and Board Director of Sotheby’s, London.

In 2003, Jon joined Bonhams as Global Director of Collectors’ sales and over the following seven years has been responsible for many landmark auctions and world record prices. Highlights include: the British Airways Concorde auction, the Admiral Nelson Bicentenary sale, John Lennon’ lyrics for Give Peace A Chance, Judy Garland’s dress that she wore as Dorothy in the film The Wizard of Oz, props from the BBC’s Dr Who television programme, a 14th century English astrolabe quadrant (now in the British Museum), the Michael Bennett-Levy Collection of Early Technology, Peter Golding Collection of Rock Art, and The Ward Collection of Musical Snuff Boxes.

An auctioneer, author and broadcaster, Jon is also known to millions of people as a specialist on the BBC’s long-running television programme The Antiques Roadshow, on which he has made regular appearances since it began in 1977.

www.bonhams.com/knightsbridge

A GUN BUILT for Scottish Politician, the Rt. Hon Richard Haldane, who was noted for forming the Territorial Army in 1907 is among the highlights of Gavin Gardiner’s annual auction of Fine Modern and Vintage Sporting Guns, which will be held in association with Sotheby’s.

The sale will take place on the evening of Monday, August 23, 2010 at the prestigious Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Perthshire, Scotland. This will be the 43rd consecutive year that a Sporting Gun auction has been held in this impressive location.

The fine 12-bore ‘Royal’ model sidelock ejector gun by Holland & Holland was built in 1904 and presented as a 21st Birthday present to James C. Kemp, D.S.O., M.C. Estimated at £10,000-15,000, the gun retains virtually all of its original finish and will be sold with it’s original case, bill of sale for £74.14.0 and accessories. Interestingly Richard Haldane, later Viscount Haldane died in Auchterarder in 1928, so the gun has strong local connections.

Influential Liberal and Labour Politician, the Rt. Hon. Richard Haldane, was born in Edinburgh in July 1856. Educated at Edinburgh University and Gottingen University, he subsequently studied law in London and was called to the bar in 1879. A Liberal, he was elected to represent the Scottish seat of Haddingtonshire, later known as East Lothian in the 1885 General Election and as a supporter of the Boer War, he joined the government of Henry Campbell-Bannerman in 1905 as Secretary of State for War. In 1895, he helped found the London School of Economics and a few years later, went on to create the General Staff (1906) and the Territorial Army (1907). In 1911 he was granted the title, Viscount Haldane. The following year Herbert Asquith appointed Haldane as his Lord Chancellor, however it is felt that he was unfairly accused of being pro-German by the press during the First World War and he left Asquith’s coalition government in 1915. He was also a member of the Fabian Society and campaigned for the Labour Party in the 1923 General Election. In 1924 Haldane became Lord Chancellor in the Labour Government formed by Ramsay MacDonald and for the next four years up to his death in 1928, he was also leader of the House of Lords. Haldane also served as second Chancellor of the University of Bristol, and was elected Chancellor of the University of St Andrews shortly before his death. He died suddenly of heart disease at his home in Auchterarder on 19 August 1928.

Gavin Gardiner said “I am delighted to be offering this gun with such strong Scottish connections in my annual sale at The Gleneagles Hotel. This world renowned and historic auction is held two weeks into the grouse-shooting season and is a sporting highlight for shooting enthusiasts and collectors from all over the world. I am extremely pleased to say that more World Record Prices for Sporting Firearms have been achieved at this venue than at any other and the quality of the guns offered always reflects the stunning location in which the auction is held.”

Also included in the sale will be a magnificent pair of 12-bore self-opening sidelock ejector guns by James Purdey & Sons built in 1999 and remaining virtually unused. The guns have 28-inch barrels and retain all of their original finish and hardening colour and are expected to sell for between £70,000 – 90,000 (see illustration on previous page).

A magnificent Presentation quality 12-bore sidelock ejector gun by London-maker Frederick Beesley is estimated at £30,000-50,000. Completed in 2006, the gun is engraved with scenes of prehistoric dinosaurs and is contained in a presentation case.

For Further information on the auction, please visit www.gavingardiner.com or call 0044 (0)1798 875300

The peaks of Moel Cynghorion and Foel Goch, have been sold to an undisclosed buyer at a Kivells sale in Llanberis.

Kivells describe the land as a “remarkable run of mountain, moorland and rough grazing” and says it comprises a number of redundant stone farm buildings or cottages that may be suitable for conversion to residential or holiday use.

Before the sale, Gareth Clubb, director of the Snowdonia Society, said he hoped it would be bought by a farmer sympathetic to the environment of the national park.

He said: “We would like to see this piece of land managed sensitively to accommodate the biodiversity of the area.

“It’s a piece of open moorland which is undeveloped.

“It’s very wild in winter and likely to be covered by snow for an awful lot of the year so there are limited possibilities for development but we would like to see it retained for farming.

“I’ve no idea who can spare £1m for a piece of Welsh highland, but there may be some local farmers who might be interested in buying it or it could be somebody from outside the area who fancies showing off the sight of Snowdon to their friends.”

The current Formula 1 World Land Speed Record car, a 2006 Honda F1, nicknamed Bonneville 400, is estimated to sell for £10,000 – 20,000 at Bonhams Collectors’ Motor Cars sale at Silverstone on 24 July.

This superb car accomplished a speed of 397kph on the fabled Bonneville Salt Flats in the USA, setting a new world land speed record for a Formula 1 racing car which has remained unchallenged.

Another important car in this sale is the Datsun 260Z Super Samuri Racing car, the ex Winn Percy car, estimated to sell for £40,000 – 60,000. Affectionately known as ‘Big Sam’, this red and black two door circuit racing coupe got the thumbs up from Tony Dron of Classic Cars who wrote: “What a pleasure it is to drive a car that handles really well: it’s easy to see that Winn Percy must have enjoyed notching up his wins… Big Sam is an absolute delight to drive on the track; the 2.4 litre straight-six engine revs freely, feels unbreakable and is safe to at least 9,000rpm.”

www.bonhams.com/silverstone

A monumental silver wine cooler, weighing 168 pounds (11 ½ stone or 2597 oz.) and measuring well over a meter across, has been sold at Sotheby’s for £2,505,250, establishing a new record price for English silver.

The spectacular cistern, as “Large as a Small Bathing-Tub”, sold to a private Asian buyer. It was lot 8 in Sotheby’s sale of “Treasures”, a 21-lot sale which has just concluded, realising an above-estimate total of £13,951,250 / $21,177,998 (the pre-sale estimate was £8,790,000 – £13,430,000).

Mario Tavella, Sotheby’s Deputy Chairman Europe and the specialist in charge of the sale said: “Today’s very successful results represent a fantastic achievement in the field of decorative arts. These extraordinarily rare Treasures with highly desirable aristocratic provenance sparked competition from private collectors and institutional buyers alike as well as the trade and there was bidding and buying from Europe, the United States, Russia, Asia and the Middle East.”

Many remarkable prices were achieved in this evening’s sale. Most notably:

• An Italian Engraved Ivory Inlaid Rosewood Centre Table, made for the Duke of Urbino Francesco Maria II Della Rovere (1549-1631), c 1596-7, and subsequently part of the collection of the Medici family, sold for £937,250. Known, but previously misunderstood, the same table sold for £6,000 at auction in 1989. Its Medici provenance, recently revealed thanks to the discovery of contemporary documents, was no doubt behind the strong competition generated in the salesroom this evening.

• An amber casket bearing the arms of Prince William IV of Orange and Anne, Princess Royal of Great Britain, North German, Probably made in Danzig, 1734, realised £657,250 – well beyond its pre-sale estimate of £200,000-300,000. This extraordinarily rare and beautifully crafted box was probably made to celebrate the union of Prince William IV of Orange and Anne, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain. They married at St James’ Palace in 1734, further reaffirming the strong ties between Great Britain and the Netherlands.

• A Magnificent Pair of Imperial Porcelain Vases, Imperial Porcelain Manufactory, St Petersburg, Period of Nicholas I (1825-1855), dated 1842, sold for £1,945,250 (est: £1.4 – 1.8 million)

• A set of three ivory painted and parcel-gilt Royal Pliants by Jean-Baptiste-Claude Séné (1748-1803) made for Queen Marie Antoinette’s Salon des Jeux at the Châteaux of Compiègne and Fontainebleau, Louis XVI, circa 1786-87, commanded £541,250 against an estimate of £150,000-250,000.

Sotheby’s sale of “Treasures”, Aristocratic Heirlooms, was one of 6 sales held at Sotheby’s London today. Together, they made a combined total of £27,488,438 / $41,727,450

A World War II bunker/pill box on the exclusive Burgh Island, just off the South Devon coast, is due to go under the hammer with Westcountry Property Auctions.

With a guide price of just £50,000+, bidders will have a rare and possibly unique opportunity to snap up the property at the next auction event being held on 14th July at The Novotel Hotel in Marsh Mills, Plymouth.

Built and designed during World War II as a ‘lookout’ to protect British shores from invasion, Lot 66, The Block House, is situated in a stunning location on the shore’s edge and close to the world famous Burgh Island Hotel.

Inside the property, the interior measures approximately 87.65 sq foot and includes a small kitchenette and a bed/living space. There is outdoor space to enjoy barbeques and the fabulous views, whilst the roof of the building itself gives perhaps the best vantage point of all.

Commenting on the property, Graham Barton, Senior Auctioneer at Westcountry Property Auctions said; “It is very rare for one of these buildings to come to the open market, it’s the first one that I’ve dealt with in more than twenty five years in the Westcountry auction business. It is generating a great deal of interest from within the local community as well as further afield. With some renovations it could provide a beautiful island retreat for its next lucky owner.”
The Burgh Island Hotel is famous for its 1930s style and Art Deco architecture and has by virtue of its remote location attracted the patronage of Noel Coward, Agatha Christie, Sir Winston Churchill and Mountbattan.

Burgh Island is closely linked to Agatha Christie, as it served as the inspirational setting for both And Then There Were None as well as the Hercule Poirot mystery Evil Under the Sun.

www.propertywide.co.uk

A 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Vantage Convertible, one of only nine produced, sold for a remarkable £551,500 at Bonhams annual Collectors’ Motor Cars and Automobilia auction at Goodwood Festival of Speed. The sale fetched a magnificent £3,707,687 in total with a 75% sale rate.

Top prices were paid for a 1937 Bentley 41/4-Litre Drophead Coupe, which featured in the 007 James Bond film ‘Never Say Never Again’ and starred at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2003, which sold for £221,500, and the ex-Yoshiyuki Hayashi 1958 model/1980s assembled Lister-Jaguar (also known as ‘Knobbly’), which fetched £232,500.

A black 1999 Mercedes-Benz SLK230, bought new by Dannii Minogue, and subsequently passed onto her sister, Kylie, attracted much pre-sale publicity. It finally sold to a ‘lucky, lucky, lucky’ buyer for £14,950 who fought off competition from several other interested bidders. Part of the proceeds from the sale are being donated to a breast cancer charity.

A 1976 Jensen Interceptor Series III Coupe proved hugely popular selling for an impressive £54,300 against an estimate of £7,000 – 10,000.

Leading lots in the automobilia section of the sale included Sir Malcolm Campbell’s traveller’s wallet, inherited by his son Donald, which made £4,715, and the World Waterspeed commemorative silver trophy presented to Sir Malcolm Campbell by Lord Wakefield in 1937, which fetched £24,250.

Today Goodwood Festival of Speed attracts over 250,000 visitors compared to 25,000 at its inaugural event in 1993.

Group Head of Bonhams Motoring Department, James Knight, comments: “There was extraordinary strength of bidding in all areas of the market and we were exceptionally pleased to establish yet another world record Aston Martin price with the sale of the DB5 convertible.”

www.bonhams.com/goodwood

One of the largest private collections of military vehicles in the UK is being auctioned by plant and machinery auctioneers Sanderson Weatherall.

The collection of about 150 wheeled and tracked military vehicles is being sold by the Manchester office of Sanderson Weatherall on behalf of Lancashire property developer Brian Boys who has decided to reduce his collection to a few favourite vehicles.

The collection as a whole is valued at in excess of £1m and individual lots are expected to attract bids of up to and in excess of £100,000.

Among the tracked and wheeled vehicles going under the hammer are a rare World War Two Sexton Self Propelled Artillery Vehicle, a Russian T55 tank, a US M47 Patton tank, two Chieftain Main Battle Tanks with bridgelayers, six GKN FV432 armoured personnel carriers, a Daimler Ferret MK4 Big Wheel Scout Car and three Fox Light Armoured Cars.

There is also a wide range of guns, motorcycles, personnel and weapons carriers, jeeps and cross country vehicles including several US Willys jeeps, wheeled tugs, trucks and wagons and utility vehicles such as a Ford Model T Fire Engine thought to have been owned by star of the silent screen Charlie Chaplin.

Mr Boys, the chairman of property developer and lettings specialist B&E Boys Ltd, said his interest in military vehicles started as a boy with Dinky Toys and continued during and after two years in the Army with the Royal Military Police between 1958 and 1960.
He regularly attends military fairs and amassed his collection from such events and other private collectors worldwide.

Brian’s military vehicles have been available for hire and have become stars of the big screen – he sold two half-tracked vehicles that appeared in Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan.
He said: “I’ve been collecting these vehicles from around the world for more than 25 years. It’s a drug and a disease but it’s given me the opportunity to make lots of friends worldwide and I shall miss that camaraderie.”

The live onsite and webcast auction is being staged from 1pm on Wednesday, 30th June at St Mary’s Chambers Conference and Function Centre, Haslingden Road, Rawtenstall, Rossendale, Lancs.
Viewings will be staged on the morning of the auction and also from 9am to 4pm on Monday, 28th June and Tuesday, 29th June.
Stephen Jepson, auction manager from the Manchester office of Sanderson Weatherall, said: “This is one of the largest private collections of such vehicles in the whole of the UK and its sale represents a fantastic opportunity for people to invest in the military heritage of this and other nations.

“Brian is one of the UK’s leading authorities on military vehicles and has assembled his collection lovingly over many years. He has decided to sell because he is retiring from collecting such equipment and we feel privileged to be involved with the sale of such a fantastic range of military equipment.”
Further auctions of vehicle spares and Army surplus and militaria and memorabilia amassed by Brian are also being staged by the Manchester office of Sanderson Weatherall.

For further information:
Justin Strong or Natalia Bergier at SKV Communications on 0161 838 7770 or justin.strong@skvcommunications.co.uk or natalia.bergier@skvcommunications.co.uk

Sotheby’s London have announced that a pair of Magnificent Pair of Imperial Porcelain Vases, Period of Nicholas I (1825-1855), St Petersburg, will headline Sotheby’s Treasures: Aristocratic Heirlooms Sale in London on Tuesday, July 6, 2010.

The auction – the first ever sale of its type at Sotheby’s – will bring together some 21 lots, the intrinsic quality and importance of which will be matched by the extraordinary nature of their provenance. Ranging in date from the 16th to the 19th centuries, and emanating from all corners of Europe, the works in the sale span the entire range of the decorative arts, from porcelain to silver, snuff boxes to furniture, and textiles to objects of Vertu.

Mario Tavella, Sotheby’s Deputy Chairman Europe, who has spearheaded the sale, describes what first triggered the idea: “Someone asked me once: what makes something a treasure? I thought about it…. In my world, the world of objects, a treasure would be something which is not only beautiful, precious, rare and hidden, but which also tells a captivating story. These are the kind of pieces that provoke an almost visceral reaction when we look at them – and these emotive Imperial Porcelain Vases are such objects. It struck me that, in the general course of life, encounters with real treasures happen all too rarely. And so I made it my job to set about finding them. Now, with this sale, we have 21 works of art to which I feel the term treasure can justly apply. It is more than many might hope to see in one place in a lifetime. “Just one of some such treasures is this emotive and historically significant pair of vases, which will provide collectors and connoisseurs of Russian craftsmanship and Imperial masterworks with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire a piece of Russia’s illustrious history and rich culture.”

These exceptional vases, featuring reproductions of paintings in the Hermitage by the Dutch Old Master Jan Van Loo (1614-1670), are among the largest and finest works ever produced by the Imperial Porcelain Factory. Measuring nearly 1.5 meters in height, they are remarkable both for their scale and for the quality of their modeling and decoration. Nicholas I’s keen interest in porcelain and high expectations manifested themselves in the production of truly magnificent and important works. Such grand vases were destined for Imperial presentation to the foreign rulers or constituted part of the dowries of the Grand Duchesses and invariably the choice of paintings for reproduction was determined by the emperor’s personal preferences. These vases, estimated at £1.4-1.8 million and painted by two of the finest porcelain artists of their day, P. Stoletov and V. Yelashevsky, were probably presented by Nicholas I to his daughter Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna (1822-1892), later Queen of Württemberg. The fragile porcelain has survived in its original state since the 1840s and having descended through the family the vases are now appearing on the market for the first time.

A rare model or Stephenson’s iconic ‘Rocket’ locomotive has been discovered on a routine valuation day in Lichfield.

The detailed model measuring 36cm high is one of just 41 models commissioned from 1881 onwards for fundraising on behalf of the Railway Servants Orphanage. Constructed from brass, the model has a wooden clad ‘boiler’ and operational wheels and pistons.

Originally it would have been in a glazed case with coin operated mechanism and placed at key railway station platforms, (such as Birmingham). By placing a coin in the slot, the model would perform a short show of its mechanism. This is example is thought to have resided at London St Pancras Station and came into the vendor’s possession when decommissioned in the 1980’s. An almost identical example can be seen at The National Railway Museum at York.

The Rocket was the most advanced steam engine of its day. It was built for the Rainhill Trials held by the Liverpool & Manchester Railway in 1829 to choose the best and most competent design. It set the standard for a hundred and fifty years of steam locomotive power. Though the Rocket was not the first steam locomotive. ‘Rocket’s’ claim to fame is that it was the first steam locomotive to bring together several innovations to produce the most advanced locomotive of its day, and the template for most steam locomotives since. In fact, the standard steam locomotive design is often called the “Stephensonian” locomotive.

Classed today as a ‘scientific’ instrument, it would appeal to railway enthusiasts and investors alike. It is estimated at £1,000-1,500 at Richard Winterton’s Fine Art Sale on 22nd July at The Lichfield Auction Centre at Fradley.

Contact Adrian Rathbone at the Auctioneers on 01543 251081 for any further details.

www.richardwinterton.co.uk

A bottle of Glenfiddich has been sold for £25,200, at Bonhams Whisky sale in Edinburgh making it one of the most expensive bottles of whisky ever sold at auction. (The world record of £29,400 was paid in 2007 for a 19th century bottle of Bowmore).

The whisky is described as having a bouquet of “newly dug peat, burnt leather, old books, leather and oak” and the taste of treacle toffee, crème brûlée and toasted almonds.”

A 70cl single malt distilled in 1937, it is one of only 61 bottles produced and was part of a batch of 10 bottles released in 2001. It was estimated at £15,000 – 20,000.

Bonhams Whisky specialist, Martin Green, said, “The moment I saw it I knew we had something special and I’m delighted that it reached such a high price. Even in these difficult economic times very high quality items will still excite a lot of interest and this was a truly exceptional opportunity to acquire an exceptional bottle.”

The sale made over £160,000 with 95% sold by value.

One of the 20th century’s most controversial and fabled motor cars, a 1981 DeLorean DMC12 Coupé, owned by Miranda Guinness, Countess of Iveagh, is to be sold by Bonhams as part of the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 2 July 2010. The car, which has been on long-term display at the Robert Guinness Steam Museum in Dublin and the Irish Museum of Transport, has attracted a pre-sale estimate of £15,000 – 20,000.

The brainchild of ex-General Motors executive John Zachary DeLorean, the DeLorean sports car project found a home in Northern Ireland following a grant from the British government. Under the helm of ex-Pontiac designer, Bill Collins, the car attracted much attention for its stylish coupé body and doors that opened in a ‘gull-wing’ fashion.

Bonhams are to sell the TARDIS used to transport Christopher Eccleston as the ninth incarnation of Doctor Who in the Entertainment Memorabilia auction on 23rd June 2010 at Bonhams, Knightsbridge.

The TARDIS was created for the programme in 2005 and is expected to fetch £8,000-12,000. A more affordable miniature TARDIS model created for exhibition purposes and measuring 5ft high is also on offer, with an estimate of £300-400.

Some of the oldest Doctor Who props ever to appear at auction will also go under the hammer. Daleks from the sci-fi programme always prove popular with bidders, and this sale includes the two of the oldest examples to come to auction. Lot 126 is believed to be the earliest surviving Dalek – it first appeared in ‘Dr. Who And The Daleks’, 1964 and ‘The Chase’, 1965 and is estimated at £2,000-3,000. Lot 128 featured in ‘The Evil of the Daleks’, 1967 and is also expected to fetch £2,000-3,000.

A Cyberman helmet from ‘Moonbase and The Tomb of the Cybermen’, 1967 is estimated to sell for £3,000-4,000.

Also for auction are 23 lots from the Mike Trim Collection – original concept design illustrations by Mike Trim for Gerry Anderson’s sci-fi series. In 1965 Trim became a storyboard artist on ‘Thunderbirds’ and also contributed designs for secondary craft, vehicles and buildings. He is most famous for illustrating the cover of Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, and a book of his illustrations entitled The Future was FAB: The Art of Mike Trim was released in 2006. The drawings on offer at Bonhams include vehicles and buildings from Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90 and UFO and their prices range from £500 to £1,500.

Stephanie Connell of Bonhams Entertainment Memorabilia Department comments, “Gerry Anderson shows and Doctor Who are both hugely important British institutions, and we are delighted to be offering such iconic items in this sale – they would be a fantastic purchase for any fan.”

www.bonhams.com/entertainment