Centuries-old clock sells at auction - 10/02/2010

A rare clock dating back to the 18th century has sold at auction for a handsome fee, it has been revealed.

The George II Act of Parliament clock, which was made around 1797, sold for £8,800 at Shapes auction house in Edinburgh, according to the BBC.

The piece will have received particular interest given the fact that it came into being when the government implemented a tax on all timepieces.

As a result of this tax, many people gave up using watches or clocks. Many taverns – and it is likely the auctioned clock belonged to one – placed a clock on their walls in the hope that people would stay for a drink when they entered to find out the time.

Paul Howard, senior auctioneer at Shapes, told the news provider: "The tax was repealed after only a matter of months, which explains why genuine Act of Parliament clocks as so rare. They don't turn up very often, and certainly not in Scotland.

"This is the first one I've seen in 12 years"

The lot went for more than its pre-sale estimate, having been initially valued at between £5,000 and £6,000.