'Unique' autograph collection fetches £78k

A collection of autographs from some of the 20th Century's most well-known figures has sold for more than £78,000 at auction.

A note signed by Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong had the highest selling price, fetching £22,000 when it went under the hammer.

Among the other famous jottings that sold were those belonging to Jamaican reggae icon Bob Marley, South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela and all four members of The Beatles.

Peter Mason, of Dawsons auction house in Maidenhead, Berkshire, described the items as a "unique collection".

A signed first-edition copy of a poetry book written by The Doors' frontman Jim Morrison was the joint-second highest selling item, going for £6,000.

Selling for the same price was a piece signed by former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, who is widely credited for opening his country up to the world.

A card signed "with love from" by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr fetched £5,500.

Mr Mason said: "In the modern age of selfies, it is a reminder of the time when autograph hunting could become a life-long passion."

The hoard of signatures had been amassed by a German collector, who began buying and trading autographs in the 1980s.

Mr Mason said all of the funds raised would be distributed to charities in the collector's native country.