Hitler's cutlery sells for £12,500 at auction in Dorset

Cutlery that once belonged to Adolf Hitler has been sold at auction for £12,500 in Dorset.

The formal pattern silverware is part of a batch of 3,000 pieces made for the Nazi leader to celebrate his 50th birthday in April 1939.

The cutlery was discovered during a house clearance in Dorset and was thought to have been acquired by a British senior military officer.

Created for Hitler's use during formal occasions, the two knives, three spoons and three forks bear the Nazi eagle, swastika and his initials.

The collection has been described as "a big part" of history by Sherborne's Charterhouse Auctioneers and was initially expected to sell for up to £2,300.

Made by German silversmiths Bruckmann & Sohne, the cutlery was fashioned from silver coloured metal.

Richard Bromell, auctioneer at Charterhouse, said: "The cutlery was found at the deceased estate of the retired senior military officer.

"It was kept in a draw in his study, not on display, and the cutlery appears to have been used very rarely if at all.

"He was stationed in Germany in the post-war wars so he could have brought the cutlery back then but unfortunately we don't know that for certain."

While it is not illegal to sell Nazi memorabilia in the UK, MPs have previously urged a ban on these types of goods.