Circular rimmed, gold-plated glasses worn by Mahatma Gandhi auctioned for USD 340314 at UK auction

A pair of circular rimmed, gold-plated glasses worn by Mahatma Gandhi were auctioned for USD 340,314 (GBP 260,000) at an auction on Friday (August 21). The glasses were left in a Bristol auction house`s letterbox and were found few weeks ago by staff at the East Bristol Auctions inside a plain envelope.

It is to be noted that East Bristol Auctions is the largest auction house in South West England. It was estimated by the auction house that the glasses would fetch around GBP 15000 at the auction but they have now gone for GBP 260,000.

"We found them just four weeks ago in our letterbox, left there by a gentleman whose uncle had been given them by Gandhi himself," the auction house wrote on Friday.
"An incredible result for an incredible item. Thanks to all those who bid," it added.

Auctioneer Andrew Stowe earlier this month told Sky News: "Someone popped them into our letterbox on a Friday night and they stayed there until Monday - literally hanging out. One of my staff handed them to me and said there was a note saying they were Gandhi`s glasses. I thought `That`s an interesting one` and carried on with my day."

IANS reported that after investigating he was surprised to know that the glasses belonged to Gandhiji. "I phoned the guy back and I think he nearly had a heart attack," said Stowe.

The round-rimmed Windsor-style glasses became synonymous with Gandhi when he was studying law in England in the late 1800s and 1900s. it is to be noted that the glasses became a regular feature during the India's freedom movement and Gandhi's civil disobedience protests.