A rare 22-carat Cadbury golden egg created for a nationwide treasure hunt in 1983 has sold for an astonishing £123,500 (about RM682,324) at auction, more than six times its original top estimate. The conversion uses a GBP/MYR rate of 5.52489 on 12 August 2026.
The egg was one of 12 certificates and golden eggs hidden across Britain as part of Cadbury’s ill-fated “Conundrum – The Cadbury’s Creme Egg Mystery” promotion.
Participants had to solve a series of cryptic clues in the book to locate the hidden eggs, which were placed inside perspex caskets at secret locations.
However, the treasure hunt was abruptly cancelled after Cadbury received numerous complaints from landowners who were angry that treasure hunters had been digging up private property and protected areas.
Only six of the 12 golden eggs were found before the competition and its advertising campaign were brought to an end.
One of the surviving eggs, discovered by Clive Pinder in Cricket St Thomas, Somerset, recently went under the hammer at Batemans Auctioneers in Lincolnshire.
The 3-inch-tall egg, known as “Cuckoo Cuckoo”, was expected to sell for between £15,000 and £20,000 (around RM82,900 to RM110,500). Instead, an undisclosed bidder paid £123,500 (about RM682,324) on August 1, setting a new record for one of the rare Cadbury treasures.
The sale smashed the previous auction record of £31,000 (about RM171,271), which was set in 2021.
Batemans Auctioneers described the six-figure sale as “absolutely incredible”, while spokesman Greg Bateman called the Conundrum eggs a fascinating piece of British cultural history.
The egg was created by royal goldsmiths Garrard & Co of London and features engraved and enamelled translucent green and blue detailing inspired by the Cuckoos of Crewkerne folk tale.
A cuckoo perched in a tree is depicted on the egg, while several figures standing below can be seen looking and pointing upwards.
Pinder originally sold the egg for £6,500 (about RM35,912) in 2018, with its subsequent owner now making a substantial profit from the latest sale.
The auction house said the latest seller had decided to part with the piece in the hope that someone else could experience “the wonder and joy” of owning such a remarkable item.
