Rare microscope uncovered at house sells for £18k

A miniature microscope hidden in a Cotswolds house has sold for more than £18,000 at auction.

The rare scientific instrument, dating from the 18th Century, was sold by auctioneers at Kinghams Auctioneers in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire.

Originally valued at between £800 and £1,200, the microscope fetched about 15 times its valuation when it went under the hammer earlier this month.

Adrian Rathbone, associate director at the auction house, said finding an object like the microscope was "certainly not an everyday occurrence".

Attributed to maker John Clark of Scotland, the microscope would likely have originally been owned by a wealthy person with an interest in science and examining specimens, as was fashionable at the time.

"It really was all the rage at the time," said Mr Rathbone.

He added: "This is the period of Erasmus Darwin and other leading physicians who were doing this.

"So this instrument would have been quite an exclusive object and a really precious piece."

The microscope was compared with other surviving examples held at the Smithsonian Institution at Washington DC, allowing auctioneers to get a better understanding of just how important the find was.

"This is the real joy of working in an auctioneers," said Mr Rathbone.

"You never know what's going to come in and and and when you do come across a treasure like this rarity, it's always a joy to to discover."

While the identity of the buyer has not been made public, Mr Rathbone confirmed it had been bought by a UK-based collector and would remain in the country.

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