Stalin's Death Mask Fetches Six Times Expected Value at Auction

The bronze death mask of Joseph Stalin and casts of his hands were sold for 13,500 pounds ($17,400) at an auction of The Canterbury Auction Galleries in the UK, according to the company's website.
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The mask and casts were originally estimated to fetch between 1,500 — 2,000 pounds ($1,900-$2,500) at auction.

As the magazine Antique Collection informs, the previous owner found them among the belongings of his grandfather, who was a merchant marine sailor. It was difficult for the auction staff to evaluate this lot.

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"It was difficult to give a saleroom valuation, but an identical mask and hands were sold in 2012 for £3,600, so we decided to offer it with an estimate of £1,500-2,000," the magazine quoted Dan Ponder, an employee of the auction house.

It was reported that a bronze mask and hands in early August were acquired by a foreign collector by phone.

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