Tiny figurine found in attic that was made by Faberge sells for $5.2 million

[pwaldo]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...2-million.html

A rare Faberge figurine found stashed in a deceased retiree’s upstate New York attic sold at auction Saturday for over $5million.

Dated to 1912, the figurine depicts a known personal bodyguard to royalty and was given by Czar Nicholas II to his wife only years before his ouster from power and death at the hands of Bolshevik revolutionaries.

The figurine, one of only about 50 known to be in existence, sold at auction for $5.2million, according to WNYT.

Commissioned by the last Russian Czar, the tiny statue is adorned with several diamonds and other materials that make it highly valuable.

It has ‘little sapphires in the eyes, little gold trim and gold braid and all these elaborately inlayed enameled double headed imperial eagles,’ auctioneer Colin Stair told WNYT.

It was originally purchased from the Soviets after the fall of the Romanoffs by Armand Hammer, a Soviet-aligned industrialist, according to a bill of sale cited by the station.

George Davis, of Manhattan’s Hammer Galleries, then bought it from him in 1934 for $2,250 and it had been out of sight since, according to the Register Star.

Mr Davis’ descendants found the treasure buried in the attic of recently deceased relatives as they poured over belongings of the estate.

It was found in its original box, wrapped in ‘ordinary fashion’ and without ‘special security,’ Mr Stair told WNYT.

After being authenticated, it was appraised as high as $800,000, but sold for more than $5million after a brisk 15 minute auction.

[spuds1961]

Now that's what I call a find.

[MattDMC]

All I find in my attic is dust and cobwebs, must be nice to find a multi-million dollar treasure!

Congrats to the seller on the nice find!