BBC News reports that Christie’s is selling a late 18th, early 19th Century French chess set that was reclaimed from the trash heap by a butler in North Wales a hundred years ago:

According to Christie’s, James Baxter was the butler at Mostyn Hall around the 1880s-1890s. During his time at Mostyn Hall, Lord Mostyn gave his butler a cardboard box and asked him to dispose of the contents. On closer examination he discovered amongst the debris that the box contained a chess set and being particularly taken with the game, asked his employer if he might keep it.

Lord Mostyn agreed and so began the succession of this distinctive game set to its current owner James Baxter’s great grandson, Christopher Baxter Jones, who is selling the heirloom with his brother Nicholas and sister Ann.

The set is being offered at auction for between £3-5,000.

£5k Hope for Rubbish Chess Set (BBC News)