London, Apr 16 : A chipped teapot which makes only one cup of tea has fetched a record 80,000 pounds at an auction.

The 250-year-old tiny antique was discovered in a pile of bric-a-brac, and carries a message against the act that led to the Boston Tea Party.

The rare orange pot was made by Wedgwood and carries the controversial messages "No Stamp Act" and "Success to Trade in America". It implies protest against the Stamp Tax - the row that led to the American Revolution and US independence.

The five inch high orange teapot, made in the reign of George III before he went mad, excited interest on both sides of the Atlantic when it went up for sale.

It was discovered by an expert in a box of bric-a-brac that had been brought to his saleroom by a local man.

Charles Hanson, whose auctioneers sold the teapot at a hotel in Derby, said it was made in about 1765.

"It came in to us in a box of bric-a-brac and was among lots of Crown Derby and glassware," The Daily Express quoted him, as saying.

"In the box was this tiny teapot and when I pointed it out the man said it had belonged to his mother and said it wasn't worth anything and he'd take it away with him.

"But then I told him what it was and that it was worth more than everything else in his box put together," he said.

Hanson added: "The bidding was electric. It probably went so high because rarity value and status on some objects march very well together. It was a must-have teapot for two collectors and money was no object. It's remarkable, given that it has a chipped spout, chipped lid, a broken body and stands only five inches tall. In fact, it makes only one cup of tea - although I doubt the buyer will be making tea in it." (ANI)