A 22-carat golden egg used by Cadbury’s for an advertising campaign in the 1980’s, has been sold at an auction in Lincolshire for a record amount.
The Cadbury’s Conundrum Egg was a prize in a nationwide treasure hunt set up by the Birmingham based chocolate maker with the public following clues outlined in a book in an attempt to discover the eggs which had been buried.
The eggs were created by Garrard & Co., who were appointed the first Crown Jeweller in 1843 by Queen Victoria. Twelve were made by the jeweller and this one is enamelled in blue and green and features a cuckoo bird nesting in a tree with seven figures below it. A relatively small 8cm tall, the egg weighs a little over 253g.
This particular egg, named Cuckoo Cuckoo, was initially found in 1983 in Somerset before being sold in 2017 for £6,500.
The purchaser in 2017 then decided to put the collectable up for auction with Bateman’s where it was sold under the hammer for a staggering £123,500, six times its estimate and a record for both the auction house and for a Cadbury’s gold egg, far surpassing the £31,000 reached for one in 2021. It is not yet known what caused the huge surge of interest in the egg from bidders to make it fly past its estimate by such a margin.
Also included in the lot was the original green leather presentation box, the casket it was buried in, the handwritten parchment letter and the book written by Don Shaw and illustrated by Nick Price, used by the winner to find the treasure.
Auctioneer Gary Bateman said in a statement: “It demonstrates the enduring appeal of nostalgia and the extraordinary demand for collectables with a truly unique story behind them.”
He added: “Cadbury’s created one of the most memorable advertising campaigns of the 1980s, capturing the imagination of millions with a nationwide treasure hunt that combined storytelling, mystery and the excitement of discovery. This egg represents so much more than a beautifully crafted piece by the esteemed jewellers Garrard & Co. It is a tangible link to a moment in time when an advertising campaign became part of everyday life, inspiring people across the country to pick up the Conundrum book and try to solve the clues.”
Cadbury’s launched the campaign in a bid to increase awareness for their Creme Egg range with twelve caskets buried around the country which included a wooden box and a parchment letter from the company. If a member of the public was successful in finding a casket, which they could only do through following clues contained in a book called Conundrum, they would have to phone the chocolatier and quote a unique password to verify their find. The winners were later presented with the gold eggs at a special ceremony, with the whole thing a landmark moment in advertising.
Like this? The Winter Egg by Fabergé nets a record price at auction
Get your hands on the latest issue of Something About Rocks magazine
