1. Roman connection
Estimate £150-£200 Sold £117,000
In the 18th century, George Spencer, the 4th Duke of Marlborough and ancestor of Winston Churchill, built up a collection of engraved gems that was the envy of Europe. The cache was kept at the family seat in Oxfordshire, Blenheim Palace, and comprised over 800 pieces sourced by the Duke himself or amassed by ather aristocrats such as the Gonzaga Dukes of Mantua several centuries before. The unique collection was sold in 1875 by the 8th Duke to
