World’s Oldest Working TV may Worth Over £5,000.

(The world's oldest TV is about to be auctioned off in Britain, and it's expected to fetch over £5,000)

World’s/Britain's oldest working television set, which was manufactured by Marconi in 1936, was bought for almost £100 three weeks after television transmissions began. But Mr GB Davis of Dulwich, south–east London would have only been able to watch it for a few hours.

The nearby Crystal Palace and its transmitter burned down three days after Mr Davis bought the Marconi type–702 set on November 26. The area could not receive pictures again until 1946. The 75-year-old set comes with a 12-inch screen and is contained in a walnut and mahogany case with the picture being reflected onto a mirror that opens from the top.

Television pioneer John Logie Baird and the Marconi company were responsible for the set which was created using Britain's secret radar research. Only 30% of the components in this set have been replaced – all with identical parts – and it works perfectly.

It has a pre-sale estimate of 5,000 pounds, but experts at Bonhams, which is selling it, expect it to sell for much more. For 5,000 pounds today you could buy a top-of-the-range set with high definition, 3D, surround sound and more channels than you could ever watch.

The set cost Mr Davis 99 pounds. 15 shillings. 0d – over half the annual average wage of the day and equivalent to almost 4,000 pounds today. Its number is H1007, and it is thought the numbers began at 1,000 meaning this is 007, the James Bond of TVs.

Bonhams specialist Laurence Fisher said: "This is being sold by the late owner's family and is the oldest working TV set in Britain. The picture is reflected onto its lid and at the time it was bought there was only one hour of television a day. And only one channel. Unfortunately for the original owner he would have been able to only watch three hours of programmes on it."

"This was because three days after he bought it the Crystal Palace burned down and that was where the transmitter was. And his area did not receive pictures again until after the war. But at least people who visited him would know he had one, even if he couldn't use it. It was the first time people could see the faces of those whose voices they knew so well from the radio."

"It is a very rare thing and there are collectors who would love to have it."

Bonhams Mechanical Music and Scientific Instruments sale is being held at Knightsbridge, London, on April 19.