Collector over the moon as space rock makes £113k at auction

Published on Tuesday 18 August 2009 21:29

THE UK's largest private collection of space memorabilia has been sold at auction for £113,000.

The Robert Elliott Collection consisted of more than 170 items, including meteorites, parts of the moon and Mars, asteroids, and space artefacts.

Mr Elliott spent his life putting together his collection, which includes the 8.7kg Hambleton meteorite, the largest found in the UK, but decided the time had come to sell it.

His collection also included a piece of the oldest known meteorite, found in 110 million-year-old rock, which sold for 4,000, and the Barwell (or "Christmas Day") meteorite, which fell to Earth in Leicestershire in 1965 and sold for 8,000.

He said he would continue to collect space pieces, adding that his hobby was "a bit like being Indiana Jones".

"I have collected meteorites from around the world since I was a child," he said. "If I hear of a sighting I leap on a plane and head to the area and try to find a piece of space rock.

"I love the idea that you can catch a falling star and actually put it in your pocket. I will continue to collect meteorites now the collection is sold."

A piece of the Warbar meteorite sold for 2,400 and a fragment of the two centuries-old Wold Cottage meteorite fetched 3,100.

Gavin Strang, director of Lyon & Turnbull, said he was "over the moon" with the result. "The fact that the meteorites come from all over the world has meant that we have had global interest in the sale, with film crews from Russia, the USA and the UK covering the story," he said.

Mr Strang said it was the first meteorite auction to be held in the UK and there were "many international phone bidders".

Other items of note included a polished slice of the Esquel meteorite from Argentina, which sold for 2,400, and the Glenrothes meteorite – the first to be found in the UK by Mr Elliott – which sold for 280.