Do you have several hundred dollars to spare and a taste for geriatric cake? Then set a reminder for November 5, when The Daily Mail reports that U.K. auction house Reeman Dansie will be selling a piece of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip‘s wedding cake. Dating back to 1947, this 77-year-old hunk of fruit cake was recently discovered under the bed of a royal housekeeper, where it had been sitting in a suitcase since at least her death in the 1980s. An auctioneer described the ancient cake (still in its original box!) as “a time capsule piece” they “wouldn‘t fancy eating.” Still, it sounds better preserved than one might expect, thanks to having been forgotten in a cool, dark place. It‘s notably one of just 2,000 slices the Duke of Edinburgh cut from the nine-foot original, the limited run making this item something of a rarity. That may help explain why it has been assigned a starting bid of £500, or about $650 in U.S. currency. If that sounds like too much to pay for moldy display dessert, never forget that a slice of Charles and Diana’s comparatively young and fresh cake went for over $2,500 not so long ago.
