Jimmy 'Jinky' Johnstone Faberge egg to fetch £15,000

The egg is one of only 19 created in 2005 by Sarah Faberge, who is the great-granddaughter of Russian Imperial jeweller Carl Faberge.

The egg opens to reveal a silver and gold figure of the footballer in his famous dribbling pose, with a diamond-studded ball at his feet. The egg is made from silver, enamel, yellow and black gold.

The 17.5cm object, whose owner wishes to remain anonymous, is number 18 in the limited edition.

It will be sold at McTear’s sale of Sporting Medals & Trophies tomorrow and is valued at £10,000-15,000.

READ MORE: Century-old Rangers medal expected to sell for £3K at auction

Brian Clements, Managing Director at McTear’s, said: “Not only are the Jimmy Johnstone Faberge eggs remarkable examples of high-quality jewellery in their own right, but they are also important pieces of football memorabilia.

“The eggs are highly sought after by collectors and it is believed a number are owned by leading figures in football.”

The “exquisite” egg features a number of important symbols honouring not only Johnstone’s career, but also his life and background. 

A sterling silver and 24-carat gold lion presented as a finial is a symbol of Celtic’s triumph in winning the European Cup in Lisbon in 1967.

It also includes the badges of each of Johnstone’s winner’s medals, gilded and hand-enamelled, with the European Cup medal at the front. 

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And a coal pit-head – four winding-shaft supports – is a reminder of the player’s origins.

Known to fans as “Jinky” because of his skilful playing style, he was one
of the Lisbon Lions, the team that in 1967 became the first British side to
win the then European Cup.

He played 515 times for Celtic, scoring 129 goals.

In 2002, he was voted the greatest Celtic player of all time by fans of the
club.

He also played 23 times for Scotland.