Hot on the heels of our most expensive Ming vase post a few weeks back, the story of this Faberge Easter egg will have you running to the attic in search of buried treasure.

Bought by a scrap metal dealer for the paltry sum of £8,000, the egg was due to be melted down for its gold.

Luckily the buyer happened across an article in a newspaper which revealed the egg’s true value. One of only 50 made for the Russian royal family it has recently been sold for a whopping £20m and is due to go on display for the first time in over 100 years.

One reason not to cancel your Times subscription if ever we heard one!