Excitement as rare Newcastle police truncheon goes for auction

A rare truncheon from one of Newcastle's first police forces is hitting the auction market.

The truncheon from the early 19th century is on auction with Dreweatts auctioneers and comes from a very early Newcastle police force.

The item is said to be 'very rare' and there is a bubble of excitement coming from auctioneers, with the item valued at between £350 and £450.

The black truncheon boasts an intricate design with a reference to Newcastle painted in its centre.

NewcastleWorld talked to Dreweatts' Geoffrey Stafford Charles to find out more.

Mr Stafford Charles said: "It's part of a private collection, the chap who collected them is interested in anything to do with the Post Office but also early police stuff.

"He's put a collection together over many years.

"He'll have found it through the trade or through another auction.

"How long it's been out of Newcastle... who knows?

"The fact it's a Newcastle one makes it one of the more interesting ones.

"It's actually marked police, which is quite unusual for the period, to think of themselves as police.

"I think Newcastle itself was one of the first provincial police forces and was actually formed a couple of years before the County Police Act of 1839.

"That all ties together because it's got the cypher of William IV on it from 1830 to 1837.

"A parish constable would have carried it around. This one would have been of an actual constable of an actual police force newly formed in 1836."

The auction for the truncheon is live online now and runs until 10:30 am on Wednesday, February 16.

If you fancy the collector's item, you can bid for the truncheon here.