June 27, 2018 1.17 pm This story is over 69 months old

Imps glory days token goes up for auction

Expected to fetch a pretty penny in online auction
The charity are expecting the token to fetch a pretty penny at auction.

A genuine silver token from the 1975/76 season of Lincoln City FC that emerged at a charity shop has gone up for auction.

Staff at the St Barnabas Hospice charity shop found the mystery glory days token in the bottom of a donation box and have since put it up for auction on eBay.

The auction started at £29.99, but the price quickly shot up to £44 with four eager bidders, while another 12 are watching the item.

An identical token numbered 37 sold in an auction for £38 in October 2017.

Colin Young, principal auctioneer at Golding Young & Mawer, thinks that this token could sell for more than the one they sold in 2017.

He said: “My gut feeling is that these tokens were produced to be sold as collectors’ items to commemorate the 1975/76 season.

“The No 37 token that we sold last year went for £38, but collectors want to find a token with the lowest number possible – like the no 1 token – which is the golden goose.”

Matt Howes, online shops manager at St Barnabas, said: “We think that it could be a commemorative medal which was awarded to Lincoln City players from the 1975/76 season.

“There are another four days until the auction finishes, and these things always escalate towards the end, so we are expecting a flurry of activity when it closes on Sunday.”

Staff at the charity shop have polished the token to reveal a golden finish on the back.

The front of the token features the famous imp surrounded by “Lincoln City F.C. 4th Division Champions 1975-76,” and “No 7” has been engraved on the back.

The silver hallmarking on the back of the token appears to reveal its Birmingham origins.

Imps glory days token found in charity shop