A rare Cadbury's golden egg, originally commissioned for a national treasure hunt in 1983, has sold for a remarkable £123,500 at Batemans Auctioneers in Lincolnshire. The sale price significantly surpassed the auction house's expectation of £15,000 to £20,000, setting a new record for a golden egg.
The egg, titled 'Cuckoo Cuckoo,' is one of twelve 22-carat, 3-inch high decorative eggs created by royal goldsmiths Garrard & Co. of London. Each egg was commissioned for a national contest, 'Conundrum - The Cadbury's Creme Egg Mystery,' which involved participants deciphering cryptic clues from a book to locate buried certificates. These certificates would then entitle the finder to one of the golden eggs.
The treasure hunt was ultimately suspended due to widespread complaints from landowners whose properties and protected sites were being disturbed by treasure hunters. Before the contest was called off, six of the twelve golden eggs were successfully claimed.
This particular egg, made of 22-carat gold and intricately engraved with a scene depicting a cuckoo in a tree, was found by Clive Pinder in Cricket St Thomas, Somerset. It was previously sold by Pinder for £6,500 in 2018.
A spokesperson for Batemans Auctioneers stated that the current owner wished to sell the egg "to pass on the wonder and joy at owning such an incredible thing." The auctioneers described the Conundrum eggs as a "fascinating piece of British cultural history."