Immingham: Boer War chocolate bars sell for more than £400

The chocolate was sent to troops fighting in the Boer War from 1899 to 1902

A box of 122-year-old chocolate bars, which were sent to troops during the Boer War, has sold for more than £400.

The tin of Rowntree's chocolate, made in York in 1899, was found at a house in Immingham, North East Lincolnshire.

Paul Cooper, of Eddisons auctioneers, said there were "plenty of tins from this era", but to find one with the chocolate inside was "incredibly rare".

Mr Cooper said he had been "surprised" at the bid, because a similar item in 2018 had only made £130.

The tin of chocolate had only been expected to fetch up to £200, but was sold for £440.

This lot though, which was sold to a UK buyer, was in much better condition, Mr Cooper said.

Auctioneer Paul Cooper said the bars were "some of the most controversial chocolate ever made"

"This tin was also very bright, much brighter than the last which sold, and was in unusually good condition," he said.

The chocolates were sent as gifts on behalf of Queen Victoria, and the box sold on Monday only had one piece of chocolate missing.

Mr Cooper said the final price for the Boer War chocolate once commission was added was £520.

The Second Boer War, also known as the Boer War, was fought between 1899 and 1902 between the British Empire and two independent Boer states who were vying for control of South Africa.

It ended with the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging in May 1902 when the Boers accepted British sovereignty with limited self-government.