A chance find in a loft led to the discovery of two metal master discs used to press Elvis Presley's first recording for the legendary Sun Records and now worth thousands of pounds.

In 1968, an R&B enthusiast from Scotland was poking around a Memphis record store, buying up 78s to bring home.

But unsure of how he should keep them safe for the journey he asked an assistant at the store - attached to Sun Studios, where Elvis recorded - who had a suggestion.

Two unmarked pairs of silver-plated "stampers" were lying around - devices used to actually press vinyl records.

He gave the Scottish fan the master stampers to use as packaging.

"So he wraps these 78s - one either side - with these silver-plated stampers. And then went home to England. He didn't even give them a second thought," said auctioneer Ted Owen.

'Dope box'

They turned out to be the original stampers for That's All Right (Mama) and Mystery Train, ostensibly the original recordings of each Elvis track, the grooves of which created ridged stampers which in turn cut wax 45s.

Fans commemorated 25 years since Presley's death in 2002

The pair are now going up for sale at the Cooper Owen auction house in London and are expected to fetch between �20,000 and �30,000.

The sale on 20 February also features Presley memorabilia including sheet music, autographs and a full-size wax work figure.

The sale also includes a "dope box" used by John Lennon to keep his marijuana and cigarette papers at his house in Weybridge.

A handwritten note from his first wife Cynthia Lennon says the box was used to keep his drugs "away from prying eyes of housekeepers and mother-in-laws".

It is expected to sell for up to �15,000 when it goes under the hammer.