3 months ago 04th Sep 14:00
A original plaster cast used to put Britain's Queen Elizabeth's image onto stamps has been found. The rare item was discovered in the former studio of renowned sculptor Arnold Machin - who designed the casts - and it is believed to be one of only four in existence, with the Royal Mail in possession of the other three.
The cast is now set to be auctioned off, with the sale expected to cause widespread excitement in the stamp collecting world. The item could fetch as much as £10,000.
Ben Gamble, of auctioneers Cuttlestones of Penkridge, Staffordshire, said: "Nothing like this has come up for sale before, it is so rare.
"Machin is so popular in the stamp collecting world. It will be a massive coup for any philatelist to get their hands on."
Nothing like this has come up for sale before, it is so rare.
The 1966 design has been imprinted on some 320 billion stamps since it was first made, meaning it is the most reproduced piece of art in the world.
The queen reportedly likes the effigy so much she has not asked for it to be updated over the years, unlike the image of her which is used on coins.
Machin - who died in 1999 aged 88 - produced the cast using photographs of the queen, and spent months altering it until she was happy with it.
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