Slippers of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill were sold at auction for £ 39 thousand ($ 54.2 thousand). This was announced on Tuesday, March 9, on the website of the Bellmans auction house, located in the English county of West Sussex.
Churchill often wore dark blue corduroy slippers with the initials WSC in gold color during his second term as head of government from 1951 to 1955. The name of the buyer was not disclosed, it is only known that the buyer was a private British collector.
The estimated cost of the ex-prime minister’s slippers, who, according to various polls in the United Kingdom, is recognized as one of the greatest Britons in history, was £ 10-15 thousand ($ 14-21 thousand).
Also under the hammer for £ 18.3 thousand ($ 25.4 thousand), taking into account the commission of the auction house, went a brandy glass around 1960, also owned by Churchill. Its preliminary cost was £ 7-10 thousand ($ 10-14 thousand).
“Preparing for the auction was an exciting moment. Sir Winston Churchill remains deeply respected throughout the world. There was great interest in both items from potential buyers from various countries, ”said Julian Dinin, Bellmans spokesman. He clarified that earlier the slippers and a glass of Churchill were in the possession of one collector, who acquired them in 1998 at a Sotheby’s auction from the relatives of the former head of the cabinet.
Earlier, on March 1, the auction house Christie’s said that Angelina Jolie sold the painting by Churchill for a record $ 11.6 million. The work “Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque” was painted in 1943. President of the United States Franklin Roosevelt received the canvas as a gift.