A super rare piece of royal history is up for grabs in Dunedin this weekend - a handwritten signature from Queen Elizabeth II, dating all the way back to her 1963 visit to Blenheim.
The late Queen and her husband Prince Philip popped into the Criterion Hotel - now Biddy Kate’s Irish Bar - for a bite to eat, and both of them signed the hotel ledger while they were there.
That very same signature is going under the hammer at Proctor Auctions this Sunday.
Proctor Auctions NZ
Ronnie Proctor, from the auction house, told Stuff: “It is definitely one of the rarest lots we’ve auctioned.”
It’s quite special having something like this come up for auction, especially having both Prince Philip’s and Queen Elizabeth’s signatures and also having the ledger as well that goes back quite a wee way.
Because of royal protocol, the Queen didn’t go around handing out autographs willy-nilly - and by 1959, she’d started using an autopen for official stuff. So, anything she actually signed with her own hand is considered ultra rare.
Since her passing in 2022, interest in her signature has naturally skyrocketed, making this auction piece even more valuable.
Proctor reckons the signature could expect to fetch from $2000 to $5000, though there’s no reserve.
The items are being auctioned on behalf of the original owners of the Criterion Hotel, and anyone around the world can bid from this Sunday at 11am.
