Winston Churchill's false teeth from World War Two go on sale
False teeth worn by former Prime Minister Winston Churchill during World War Two are to be sold at auction.
The wartime leader used the upper dentures during many of his most famous speeches, including the We Shall Fight on the Beaches address delivered in June 1940.
Churchill suffered from dental problems for most of his life and lost a number of teeth in his 20s.
The dentures were so important that Churchill is said to have carried round two at the same time.
They will go under the hammer at the Cotswold Auction Company on February 6, with a guide price of £8,000.
The listing reads: “Fish was also Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons where the Hunterian Museum now houses one of Churchill's dentures.
“It is thought that three or four identical sets of dentures were produced by technician Cudlipp for Churchill, and one set is believed to have been buried with the leader.
“This set of dentures would have been made around the start of WWII when Churchill was 65.”
Throughout his life, Churchill feared that problems with his teeth would affect his public speaking, one of his most powerful attributes.
The dentures on sale were designed by his dentist Sir Wilfred Fish, and made by technician Derek Cudlipp.
Director of the auction house Liz Poole told the BBC: “Churchill's false teeth must be among the most unusual items we have ever sold.”
She added that the items offered people the chance to “get their hands on a genuine piece of history”.