Sir Raleigh plates sell for £135k

The collection of plates were once sold for £11,500 - a record at the time

Two rare silver plates which were once said to be used by Sir Walter Raleigh have sold for £135,000 at auction.

The plates date back to the 16th century and they have travelled from Bolivia - Spain - London - America before ending up in Somerset.

They were owned by Sir Christopher Harris, who along with Sir Walter, formed the main admiralty as they served in the Spanish Armada.

A total of 31 plates were made, all bearing Harris' coat of arms.

The dishes were looted by Harris during the Spanish Armada.

During the civil war in 1645, Harris feared for his life so he buried the plates for safe keeping.

The plates were left undiscovered until 1827 when three farm labourers digging up potatoes found them. A struggle over the heirlooms ensued, however it is known that they were sold at Christie's in 1911 for what was a world record price of £11,500.

Sir Walter Raleigh is said to have eaten off of the plates

Twenty six plates of the set now reside at the British Museum.

Alexis Butcher, director of silver at Lawrences said: "When I first saw them I didn't know what to expect. The more I handle them, the more intricate they seem to be.

"I think they're very tactile things. Although they're simple, they're beautiful."

The plates are expected to fetch between £50 - 75, 000 - "a snip" according to Mr Butcher.

"Somewhere in the world there are three of these dishes, lying perhaps in somebody's sideboard.

"They might not [know what they're worth]- they might be using them as hub caps for their car!"