A 2-inch half cigar smoked by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill has been auctioned.
Churchill smoked a part of this cigar on his last day at his residence in central London, before a staff member of his office picks the other half from an ashtray on April 6, 1955, according to Metro newspaper.
The cigar has been auctioned one day after British actor Gary Oldman won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance as Churchill, the distinguished British leader who won World War II.
In addition to the cigar, there are black and white pictures of Churchill with the Queen captured in 1955, and a small statue for him.
The cigar was auctioned in Kent, southeast London, for £300. Auctioneer Matthieu Treadwin said it is an odd piece of souvenir, but anything related to Churchill would be interesting especially after the success of his film.
Another cigar smoked by Churchill has been sold for $12,000 at an auction in Boston. The buyer's name remained unknown.
Churchill had smoked this 10 cm Cuban cigar at the French airport of Paris-Le Bourget on May 11, 1947. It was kept by a former British pilot named Alan Turner who was responsible for transporting him on his plane to and from Paris.
Along with the cigar, there was a picture taken by the pilot, featuring the British leader and a note saying: "Picture I took at the York Gate MW101 at Le Bourget airport in Paris on May 11, 1947, to the town of Northolt, north-west of London."
"Churchill was surrounded by former French soldiers who were chatting with them," the British pilot said. "He put his cigar in an ashtray when he boarded the plane. I picked up the remains of the cigar and placed it in a cover that protects them from damage,” he added.
In 2015, a stump of cigar smoked by Churchill as well was sold at auction in London for £2,000.
