A ring purchased for £15 at a Leicester charity shop sold for £5,500 at Hansons Auctioneers, a 19th‑century mourning piece for Princess Amelia of King George III.
The gold and enamel ring was identified by experts as one of 52 mourning pieces commissioned by the king after his youngest daughter died in 1810, each originally costing 58 shillings.
Hansons Auctioneers had estimated the ring at £3,000‑£4,000, but bids climbed past £5,000, with the final hammer price reaching £5,500.
Charles Hanson, owner of the auction house, called the find the most important charity‑shop discovery in a decade, while auction director Daniel Armstrong praised the market energy that drove the record sale.
The buyer, who spotted the ring among ordinary knick‑knacks, now holds a piece of royal history that once belonged to a grieving king, turning a £15 purchase into a 360‑fold profit.
The sale follows a string of successful lots, including a Greek chalcedony ring and a Regency desk, showcasing Hansons Auctioneers’ growing reputation for uncovering historic artefacts.