A 12 bore Purdey gun gifted to British prime minister Harold Macmillan by Russian president Nikita Kruschev during the cold war is to auction at Sotheby's London on April 17. The gift is expected to bring £20,000-30,000 ($30,262-45,405).
 The Russian-made gun was created to Purdey specifications in the Tula State Armoury on behalf of the post war Kruschev government |
Sotheby's Gavin Gardiner comments: "The gun was presented… during the historic 1954 visit to Moscow at the height of the cold war".
The visit is considered politically pivotal since it was the first time a major Western leader had visited the USSR following world war two.
Somewhat ironically, considering the gift the PM was given, Macmillan is credited with curbing the arms race that coloured British/Russian relations throughout the 50s and 60s.
Here at Paul Fraser Collectibles we have a number of fascinating historical items in stock, including this extraordinary array of world war two memorabilia - a must see for military history enthusiasts.
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