As Theresa May leads her Party Conference here in the UK as the first female Prime Minister since Margaret Thatcher, nostalgia was high for memorabilia from the Iron Lady on the other side of the Atlantic.
Christie’s New York, the famed art seller, has been auctioning items that were owned by President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy.
One of the first lots to come under the hammer was a personalised gift from the former British PM.
A pair of silver cups which carry the initials R and N were presented to the presidential couple from Mrs Thatcher and her husband Denis, engraved with the message “With love from Margaret and Denis Thatcher”.
Having carried an estimate of 2,000 USD, the engraved gift surpassed all expectations and was finally sold for 52,000.
Indeed, it wasn’t the only personalised item that started a bidding frenzy.
A set of bar napkins, monogrammed with the words “Reagan’s Bar” sold for 7,500 USD above a high estimate of 400 USD, and a needlepoint cushion from 1984, inscribed with the slogan “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” sold for 71,250 USD over a high estimate of 1,500 USD.
In total, 5 million USD were spent by collectors buying a piece of presidential history, exceeding the predicted sales of no more than 2 million USD.
But what was clear, is that it was the items that were personally marked and with stories behind them that captured the imagination of buyers the most.
Whether it was engraved cufflinks for Mr Reagan, or personalised bracelets for the First Lady, anything that could be distinguished as unique to the respected couple was avidly contested by hungry bidders.
At Engravers Guild, all of our engraved gifts are designed to be something that is truly unique, and special to the recipient. As we approach Christmas this year, we are expanding our collection, so that there is something that appeals to every taste.
So as you buy for your loved ones this season, buy wisely… because what you choose may end up in an auction house in years to come!