Most expensive chess piece sold at auction
- Who
- Lewis Chessman
- What
- 930,415 US dollar(s)
- Where
- United Kingdom (London)
- When
- 02 July 2019
The most expensive chess piece sold at auction is an attributed "Lewis Chessmen" piece, which sold for $930,415 (£735,000; €821,769), auctioned by Sotheby's in London, UK, on 2 July 2019.
The well known Lewis chess pieces originate from the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. The chess piece was discovered in a sand dune on Lewis in 1831 and was sold to an Edinburgh family in 1964 for £5.
It was cherished by the family for years until they realised the piece was a rare walrus ivory chess piece.