Penny coin spun before start of 1966 World Cup Final up for grabs in online auction

                                                                                     

Inflation? World Cup one penny coin will fetch more than £2,000! (photo: Graham Budd Auctions)

THE one-penny coin spun before the start of the 1966 World Cup Final at Wembley is up for grabs in an online auction currently underway.

It was evidently acquired from Swiss referee Gottfried Dienst by British football memorabilia collector Bryan Horsnell.

There is nothing special about the coin - except that it was minted in that year, 1966.

It is not known when Mr Horsnell acquired the coin, nor how he persuaded the referee to part with it, but, as Lot 102, it is already in pre-sale demand with bidding exceeeding £2,200.

The sale is being conducted by Graham Budd Auctions which specialises in sports memorabilia.

Also set to go under the hammer are artefacts that belonged to Sheffield referee George McCabe who also officiated at the 1966 tournament and who might have had a chance of officiating in the final, played at Wembley, had not England been involved.

Mr McCabe would have been 100 in March this year had he not died in 2001.

The items include his  enamelled metal official's badge; two cloth FIFA referee badges; a Slazenger 1966 World Cup holdall; a pair of 1966 World Cup Final banquet menus, one signed by all the tournament referees and linesmen; a printing plate with photograph of Pele after the injury that ended his World Cup, later signed by Pele; a framed photo featuring Eusebio; various ephemera including official communications from FIFA.

They are part of Lot  101 for which the guide prices is between £800-1,000.

There are a total of 382 lots in the sale which is entirely focused on World Cup bygones - from other years as well as 1966.

Interested parties will need to submit their bids on or before November 16 when the auction will be staged.

More information  at https://www.grahambuddauctions.co.uk