ONE of the world's first Christmas cards has been sold at auction in Devizes for the world record sum of £22,250.

The card, which went under the hammer at the salerooms of auctioneers Henry Aldridge and Son, was produced in 1843 by J C Horsley and was commissioned by Bath businessman Sir Henry Cole.

Just 12 cards remain out of 1,000 produced and the auctioned card was particularly significant because it was signed by Sir Henry.

The card was auctioned at Aldridges sales room at the Bath Road Business Centre on Saturday.

Auctioneer Alan Aldridge said: "We had received six sealed bids for the Christmas card before the auction started and when the bidding did get under way there were seven people in the room bidding and another four bidding by telephone."

The bidding started at £4,000 and kept on rising. A representative who was in the room and bidding for an American collector pulled out when the amount got to £8,000.

At £12,000 there were two telephone bidders left and they battled it out until it was sold for £22,250.

The successful bidder, who chose to remain anonymous, is believed to be a private collector from London.

Mr Aldridge said: "It is a world record for a Christmas card. We estimated it would sell for between £4,000 and £6,000. We thought we could get £12,000 for it in our wildest dreams.

"While the bidding was going on there was a hush in the room and you could have heard a pin drop."

Mr Aldridge was selling it on behalf of a West Wiltshire man who had kept the card as a family heirloom. He said: "The seller is over the moon at the amount raised and the interest in it.

"It was a very important card. It was signed by Henry Cole himself, who was from Bath, and is the world's first Christmas card."

Sir Henry modernised the British postal system, managed the construction of the Albert Hall and oversaw the inauguration of the Victoria and Albert Museum.