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A Leyland Motors employee in the 1960s and 1970s was granted permission to take home a box because it was of a useful size. The history of it long forgotten and now coated in grime, it had been lying around the office unappreciated.

It proved very useful, being used as a Christmas tree holder, an umbrella stand and even a coal box. Until, that is, the Flog It! team discovered that the ‘box’ is actually a 1920s Fabergé trophy.

The present owner, the employee’s son, once bumped it with his car when it was sat on the garage floor. It is missing a foot, and a piece. Nevertheless, it went to auction with us carrying a £1,000 – £1,500 estimate and sold to an international online bidder for £2,800.

A Russian speaking client of ours translated its inscription and confirmed that Leyland Motors received it for a mileage competition. It signs off with the Communist Manifesto’s ‘Proletarians of All Countries, Unite!’.