A 72 year old tin containing 18 stale toffees sold for R1,880 over the weekend.
The rare WW2 Jan Smuts Christmas 1943 toffee tin was lost alongside other antiques and collectibles sold the hammer at the Old Johannesburg Warehouse Auctioneers.
The tin was one of thousands given to SA soldiers for Christmas by Smuts and his wife Isie during the war and came into the possession of Christiaan Scholtz, dem 1995 Rugby World Cup Centre, 51, which owns the auction company.
Scholtz, known for playing at the 1995 Rugby World Cup Centre, bought the toffee tin while traveling years ago.
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Speaking to TimesLIVE last week, he said, “I bought this many years ago while traveling abroad. It was part of a package, a box of items. I’ve just moved and downsized, so I cleared out a few things.”
He used to sell antiques when he was a law student in Stellenbosch. He got into the business because his grandfather was trading in the Eastern Cape and he started collecting and selling old items. The idea for an antique shop came from his ex-wife’s father, who owned one.
Scholtz said empty WWII Christmas tins usually cost hundreds of rands, but tins with the items still inside are very rare and number in the thousands.
Auctioneer Imre Lamprecht said more than 1,000 people from around the world signed up to take part in the online -Auction at the weekend.
The tin went to a private buyer who collects coins and militaria. The sale price was as expected.
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