£3,300 paid for bottle of Arctic beer found in Shropshire garage
It has been sitting unopened for more than 140 years – but this bottle of ale has now been sold for more than £3,000.
The expensive bottle of Allsopp's Arctic Ale sailed to the Arctic on the British Arctic Expedition of 1875.
But it was discovered by auctioneer Aaron Dean in a garage in Gobowen.
The bottle sold for £3,300 at an auction held by Trevanion and Dean in Whitchurch on Saturday – more than five time the value of its expected sale price.
Mr Dean, speaking after the sale, said: "It is amazing, the vendors were thrilled. They were in the room while the bidding was going on and they were so happy, which of course makes me happy."
It finally went to a bidder in Scotland.
Mr Dean said: "It is hard to estimate a price with something like this.
"A chest of drawers you might see one of every week, but something like this does not come along often if at all.
"There are not many auctioneers that get something like this coming through their fingers so we were of course delighted to handle it for the vendor."
The British Arctic Expedition of 1875 was an attempt by the British Admiralty to reach the North Pole and included two ships HMS Alert and HMS Discovery under the leadership of Vice-Admiral Sir George Nares.
The expedition failed to reach the Pole but succeeded in mapping the coastlines of Greenland and Ellesmere Island.
