Wales

Saturday’s last-gasp, nail-biting England victory was hailed as one of the greatest games of the Six Nations championship. Talking of rugby ‘greats’, a jersey coming up at auction on February 18 is a reminder of an earlier international player who falls into the ‘legend’ sports category.

English wines are steadily gaining a reputation for decent quality, with sparkling styles in particular starting to challenge Champagne as an alternative patriotic option. Back in 1889, it was Welsh whisky throwing the gauntlet down to Scotland in the hope of supping long-running success.

The new Lord Harlech, music video-maker Jasset Ormsby Gore, is offering 400 items at auction from his family estate.

It is not always the most obviously valuable coins that make the most at auction. Or even the ones with the highest original value. A humble Irish 20p dating from the relatively recent year of 1985 is a good case in point.

Dealer and art historian Dr Bendor Grosvenor is fronting a new series called ‘Britain’s Lost Masterpieces’ on BBC Four.

The market for Dylan Thomas memorabilia remains strong, says the auctioneer who is hoping for Welsh, English and American bidding on one of the poet's doodle that he is offering.

The National Trust has acquired an important Jacobean portrait miniature for £2.1m from a private seller in a sale brokered by Omnia Art.

An early printed copy of the laws of rugby appeared at Rogers Jones in Cardiff as part of a themed sale titled Sweat, Mud & Blood. Auctioneer Ben Rogers Jones said: ”In 25 years of our business, it is the most valuable book we have sold and probably the smallest.”

Welsh auctioneers Peter Francis set a new house record when this 8in (19cm) celadon glazed vase sold via the-saleroom.com to a bidder from mainland China for £114,500.

Lot number one in Rogers Jones’ latest sale provided both a world record result and a house record for the Welsh auctioneers.

Timing is everything in sport and at auction. With New Zealand firm favourites to retain the Webb Ellis Cup on October 31, this is surely the moment to sell the jersey of a legendary All Black.

A photo album showing the former King Edward VIII giving Nazi salutes is on offer for the first time in 30 years, auctioneers Morgan Evans have revealed.

In May actor Michael Sheen starred in a BBC Wales TV adaptation of ‘Under Milk Wood’ and has taken part in several Dylan Thomas tributes in this centenary year of the poet’s birth.

In April 2013, the Nantgarw China Works Trust took on the lease of the site of the Nantgarw pottery where porcelain was produced under the aegis of William Billingsley between 1813-14 and again from 1817-19.

The year 1737 was something of an annus horribilis for George II.

Coming to the Pembrokeshire Antiques Fair organised by Towy Fairs at Picton Castle, near Haverfordwest next weekend (June 7-8) are some 50 pieces of richly-glazed Ewenny pottery.

Top price of the day at Peter Francis’ recent sale in Carmarthen was provided by this 4½in (11cm) Swansea creamware tea caddy made in the early years of the Cambrian Pottery.