Rare Lee Kuan Yew Pen Sells for S$460,000 at Auction, Nearly Nine Times 2003 Price

The Meisterstuck No. 146 attracted 111 bids from around the world against a presale valuation of S$30,000 to S$50,000, the South China Morning Post reported. The final price, which included the buyer's premium, was nearly nine times the S$52,000 the pen fetched the last time it changed hands, at a Sotheby's charity auction in July 2003. Auction house Hotlotz listed it as Lot 51 in its "Interiors & Collectibles - August, Fine Art Focus" sale, a timed online auction that opened Aug. 5 and closed on the evening of Aug.

16. Bidding had started at S$20,000. The pen measures 14.5 cm and is marked 925 for sterling silver, with yellow-toned metal highlights, an 18k gold nib and "SM Lee Kuan Yew" engraved on the cap, AsiaOne reported, citing a statement from the auction house. The engraving dates it to his years as senior minister from 1990 to 2004, a post he took up after 31 years as prime minister. SCMP reported the pen had carried an estimate of just S$4,000 to S$6,000 at the 2003 sale. Hotlotz said the buyer who took it home then had kept it ever since.