'Fake' £30 wine bottle found in Doncaster sells for £21,000 at auction

A 'fake' wine bottle picked up for £30 in Doncaster has sold for £21,000 auction - after it was proved to be genuine.
The 'fake' wine bottle found in Doncaster. (Photo: BBR Auctions).The 'fake' wine bottle found in Doncaster. (Photo: BBR Auctions).
The 'fake' wine bottle found in Doncaster. (Photo: BBR Auctions).

The 17th century glass bottle was bought by antique collector Steve Williams at Doncaster Antique Fair who believed it to be a replica and bought it to stop others being conned.

Steve was convinced the bulbous brown vessel was an intimation - but after sharing a picture on Facebook, a leading expert on vintage wine bottles saw it - and confirmed it was the real deal.

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When it went up for auction, it received interest from collectors all around the world, eventually being sold for a hammer price of £18,000.

With fees added on, the total amount paid by the winning bidder was £21,500, giving Mr Williams a profit of £21,470.

A spokesman for sellers BBR auctions said: “Over the last 30 years or so the bottle collecting world has suffered some bad attempts at producing fake reproductions that con people into paying hundreds of pounds for them.”

According to the auction house, only the very rich would have been able to afford wine in the late 1600s, especially contained in a bottle with a personal seal on.