Auction Expectation - £15,000

Sold Price - £260,000

Early this week Mahatma Gandhi’s Spectacles(one of Gandhi’s earliest pair) Sold For £260,000 at Bristol auction.

It was earlier expected India’s ‘Father of the Nation’ spectacles would sell for about £15,000.

The glasses were dropped in a plain white envelope with a small note “these glasses once belonged to Gandhi, give me a call” through a letterbox at East Bristol Auctions in Hanham, south-west England four weeks ago and were not collected until the following Monday morning.

Andrew Stowe (auctioneer) informed that the owner of the glasses was an elderly man from Mangotsfield and passed down from generation to generation in the owner’s family. BBC reported, Pair of glasses were originally acquired by relative who had met Gandhi in South Africa in 1920s. Mangotsfield reportedly said he would split the money earned from the sale with his daughter.

The auction lot details read, "A pair of early 20th century c 1920 gold plated circular rimmed spectacles by repute owned and worn by Mahatma Gandhi." These glasses have grabbed much attention from antique collectors across the globe, including India.

The report quoted auctioneer Andrew Stowe as saying that it was a new record for East Bristol Auctions.

“It’s a phenomenal result. These glasses represent not only an auction record for us but a huge find of great historical importance. The vendor had presumed them to be interesting, but of no value and did tell me to dispose of them ''if they''re not worth anything'',”.

The pair of glasses were bought through a phone bid from an American collector after six minutes of bidding on Friday.

The auctioneer said, It was known that Mahatma Gandhi would often give away his old or unwanted pairs to those in need or who had helped him. A rare and important pair of spectacles”.

Stowe further said the owner had no idea of the value of the glasses and when he was told they might be worth £15,000, he “nearly had a heart attack”.

Stowe described the sale as “The star lot of the century”.

Who Was Mahatma Gandhi?

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi also known as Bapu, was the leader of India's non-violent independence movement against British rule through peace, leading India to independence in 1947. He is referred as "The Father of the Nation". Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy and practice of non-violence inspired civil rights leaders around the world including Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther king,Jr.

Gandhi's Signature Glasses

This particular round style is often referred to as 'Gandhi Glasses'even today and it is said global CEO Steve Jobs wears a similar design as a tribute to the great Indian hero !

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