Gandhi’s glasses sold at auction in Bristol

When auctioneer Andy Stowe found a pair of glasses hanging out of his letterbox in Bristol last month, little did he know that he was holding an item that stands as an immediate identifier for one of the world’s most recognised personalities.

“I saw an envelope hanging out of our letterbox — really, literally, just hanging out,” said Stowe. “There was a little note in there saying: ‘These belonged to Gandhi’.”

The gold-plated, circular rimmed glasses had been passed to the seller from his uncle, who told him they were given to him by Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi while he was employed in South Africa.

At auction, the spectacles sold for GBP £260,000 – more than 17 times the initial estimate. “We looked into the dates and it all matches up, even the date Gandhi started wearing glasses,” added Stowe. “They are probably one of the first pairs of glasses he wore as they are quite a weak prescription. He was known for giving his possessions away.”

The seller got quite a shock when he realised the value of the glasses, which could easily have fallen out of the letterbox. “The fact that the gentleman told me that if they weren’t worth anything, I could throw them in the bin — I’m quite sure he had no idea how much they were worth.”