Brooch Bought For £20 Set To Sell For Thousands In Market Harborough

A rare 19th-century brooch bought from a market stall for £20 is expected to fetch at least £15,000 when it is auctioned in Market Harborough.

Flora Steel who lives in Rome bought it in the 1980’s when she lived in the UK and was unaware of its significance until a chance viewing of an Antiques Roadshow clip on her mobile phone.

Flora with the brooch

The silver brooch was made by famous Victorian architect and designer William Burges 160 years ago.

Flora contacted Gildings Auctioneers after noticing the design was similar to one which belonged to a Market Harborough woman and appeared on the TV show in 2011, later selling for £31,000:

Flora wearing the brooch

The brooch will go under the hammer at Gildings in March and Director Will Gilding says it has sparked global interest and could fetch a lot more than the estimate:

The brooch