Forgotten strongbox found in shed sells for £1,900

Auctioneer Ann Thorp said the owners of the box were delighted when it sold for £1,900

A rare 17th Century iron strongbox that was discovered under a carpet in a Devon shed has sold for £1,900, far surpassing the owner's expectations.

The chest, often referred to as an Armada chest, was found by auctioneer Diana Tigwell during a visit to an elderly couple who were clearing out their Okehampton home.

Initially thought to be a standard metal trunk worth about £30, the item turned out to be a historically significant strongbox believed to have been made in Nuremberg, Germany, in the 1600s.

"They [the owners] were over the moon when it it made £1,900," said Ann Thorp, auctioneer at Dartmoor Auctions in Okehampton.

Ms Thorp said the strongbox had been "tucked away in a little shed, through the chicken coop and under a carpet".

The owner had moved it out of the living room because she kept tripping over it.

"She had no idea what it really was," said Ms Thorp.

The iron chest features a complex locking mechanism with eight bolts that shoot out in different directions when the key is turned.

It also includes a false lock and a hidden keyhole, ingenious security features for its time.

"These were the safes of the 17th Century," Ms Thorp explained.

"They were used to store valuables and were built to be transportable, though extremely heavy."