LONDON (AP) _ A gold chain of office King Henry VIII is thought to have given to a Lord Chief Justice was sold at auction Thursday for more than 310,000 pounds ($490,000).

The intricate work, known as the Coleridge Collar, is the only known complete example of its type from Henry’s reign, according to Christie’s auctioneers.

The chain, dated to 1546 or 1547, is thought to have been given to Sir Edward Montagu, who was Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, one of 16 executors of Henry’s will and governor to his heir, Edward VI.

The collar was worn by Montagu’s successors as Lord Chief Justice until 1880, when the post was merged with the Lord Chief Justice of the Queen’s Bench. The collar then became the personal property of Lord Coleridge.

Livery collars of this type gained prominence during the reign of King Henry IV, and could be worn by dukes, earls, barons, baronets and all the sons of the king.

The collar’s price of 313,250 pounds ($493,295) just beat Christie’s upper pre-sale estimate of 300,000 pounds ($480,000).
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On the Net:
Christie’s: http://www.christies.com

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AP-CS-11-06-08 1449EST