Hitler's tea tray makes a reich old price

A silver tray presented to Hitler as a 50th birthday present yesterday fetched a staggering £28,000 at auction.

The silver presentation tray, which had The Fuhrer's personal German eagle crest and his initials on it, was expected to sell for around £5,000.

But a bidding frenzy sent the price through the roof as desperate collectors from around the world battled fiercely over the phone and on the internet. There was a spontaneous applause when the hammer eventually went down – with an anonymous bidder paying an incredible £28,000. The price doesn't even include VAT or commission to auctioneers.

Hitler's tray was part of a lavish 50th birthday gift from his military architect Albert Speer, who later became the Fuhrer's Minister of Armaments. Speer had ordered six silver dinner services totalling an amazing 3,000 pieces for Hitler to use when entertaining guests of State at various locations around Germany.

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The sale was arranged by Dreweatt's in Bristol, one of the UK's leading sellers of Third Reich memorabilia.

Auctioneer Malcolm Claridge said: "This was a fantastic result.

"When the tray was first assigned to us we hoped to make £5,000, but a hammer price of £28,000 is a tremendous result."

It is the latest item owned by the evil dictator to fetch an impressive price at auction.

Last November, Dreweatt's sold two pieces of Hitler's bed linen embroidered with his personal crest for £2,000.