First British X-rays have antiques valuation of up to £20k

The first X-rays ever produced in Britain have been given an antiques valuation of £20,000.

They were believed to have been produced in 1896 - weeks after the process was created - and were found in a shoebox that was purchased at auction, the Metro reports.

X-ray images of Henry Currie Marillier - a friend of Oscar Wilde, who worked for the company that produced the X-rays - were discovered in the shoe box, as were some of his papers.

Roy Davids, who bought the item, said Marillier was an "extraordinary man" and noted his hand was X-rayed for four minutes.

He added: "At the auction, the X-rays were not mentioned but when I looked through the box I saw them and the date seemed very early."

This comes after another unusual item went up for auction last year when a 16th century book about nose jobs went under the hammer for £11,000.