It’s often said that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure but it’s usually not meant literally.
However, one man has made the discovery of a lifetime after finding Winston Churchill’s hat at the dump. (Yes, you read that right!)
Whilst you might think his story was a load of rubbish, experts on Antiques Roadshow confirmed this and stated that the piece of history could be worth a staggering sum.
Airing on Sunday night, expert Mark Smith was shocked to see a box of the former PM’s personal items, which included a black top hat, a glasses case and a photograph of Churchill during WWII.
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And if that wasn’t enough, the guest had even found letters from one of the politician’s staff – which had survived over seven decades.
Shocked by the impressive haul, Smith asked the guest where they'd found the collection – with only a small part actually appearing shown on the BBC show.
The guest replied: “From the dump,' adding that he had worked there for 15 years and he was allowed to 'pull out whatever I like'.”
Whilst most would keep their treasure trove to themselves, the man revealed that he’s collected three sheds full of antiques from the refuse site.
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He continued, explaining about the collection: “I've got loads of letters, over 200 letters from this same load and it was from a mother to her son.”
The mementoes from the former PM had been kept by a woman who’d been Churchill’s cook and her husband had been his butler.
“She used to write to her son every day about the daily goings of Winston Churchill, what he was getting up to and how he was feeling and just interesting stuff about him.”
There was even a signed photo addressed to the former staff member and a cigar, which had been kept – and are now worth a fortune.
Having assessed the collection, antiques expert Smith estimated that the collection would fetch at least £10,000 if put up for sale.
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It’s largely in part due to the incredible letters, which helped authenticate the items as being legitimate Churchill mementoes.
Not bad for something that had been found at the dump.
Having spent nearly two decades working at the site, the guest was elated by his sudden windfall, just saying: "Oh my god!"
It really does go to show that you can get cash for trash!
Featured Image Credit: BBCTopics: World War 2, Weird, Politics, TV and Film, Celebrity, Money