Cadbury's calamity! The 22-carat gold egg hidden by chocolate firm which led to thousands of people digging up the countryside when treasure hunt went wrong

  • Confectioners hid 12 scrolls in 1985, each entitling the finder to a gold egg
  • Competition called off when people started digging up private land
  • One of the prizes is expected to fetch up to £20,000 at auction

By William Cook

Published: | Updated:

This stunning solid-gold egg was won in a Cadbury's competition which had to be called off when people started digging up the countryside.

The 22-carat, 3 inch-tall egg was one of 12 commissioned by the chocolate company for the 1983 contest.

Cryptic clues were meant to guide contestants to one of a dozen secret locations across the British Isles. There they could dig up a certificate entitling them to the valuable prize.

Cadbury's
The 22 carat gold egg is inscribed with various carvings depicting the location it was hidden on the Isle of Man

Prize: Each golden egg was engraved with a unique design relevant to the region in which it was secreted

Conundrum: Written by Don Shaw and illustrated by Nick Price, contained 12 enchanting mysteries for people to solve and determine the location of 12 eggs made from 22 carat gold and buried throughout the UK
Conundrum: Written by Don Shaw and illustrated by Nick Price, contained 12 enchanting mysteries for people to solve and determine the location of 12 eggs made from 22 carat gold and buried throughout the UK

Conundrum: Written by Don Shaw and illustrated by Nick Price, contained 12 mysteries for people to solve and determine the location of 12 eggs made from 22 carat gold and buried throughout the UK

But the pursuit proved so popular that thousands of people ended up digging up private land and protected sites in their hunt for the gold.

With several eggs left to be claimed, the chocolate giant had to call off the contest due to the  number of complaints from landowners.

29 years on, auctioneers are selling one of the unique objects.

This particular prize was legitimately claimed by one lucky winner who found his scroll in a cemetery on the Isle of Man.

It was acquired a few years later by a private collector who is now selling it.

Ellis Finch, of auctioneers Bonhams, described the 'huge competition run by Cadbury’s which planted caskets across the British Isles.

Hidden treasure: When the book was published in 1983, Garrard certified each egg had a retail value of £10,000
Hidden treasure: When the book was published in 1983, Garrard certified each egg had a retail value of £10,000

Hidden treasure: When the book was published in 1983, Garrard certified each egg had a retail value of £10,000

Digging for gold: Lucky finders of the golden eggs were instructed to carefully open its wooden casket
Digging for gold: Lucky finders of the golden eggs were instructed to carefully open its wooden casket

Digging for gold: Lucky finders of the golden eggs were instructed to carefully open its wooden casket

'Each casket contained a certificate of ownership, entitling the finder to one of the golden eggs.

'People had to buy a book which listed a number of cryptic clues in regards to the locations of 12 buried egg caskets.

'The clues were pieced together in order to encourage the public...to learn more about their local geography, history and myth of the land.

'But the competition didn’t go according to plan and Cadbury’s was left with egg on its face.

'Cadbury’s was forced to call the whole thing off and remove the last few undiscovered eggs due to an over-enthusiastic response from the public causing havoc across the countryside.

'There were complaints of people digging on private property and on sensitive areas.

Hide and seek: Readers were told that every hiding place was under ground, either soil or grass
Hide and seek: Readers were told that every hiding place was under ground, either soil or grass

Hide and seek: Readers were told that every hiding place was under ground, either soil or grass

National Treasure: Cadbury's, which launched Creme Egg Mystery, began in 1824 at John Cadbury's tea shop
National Treasure: Cadbury's, which launched Creme Egg Mystery, began in 1824 at John Cadbury's tea shop

National Treasure: Cadbury's, which launched Creme Egg Mystery, began in 1824 at John Cadbury's tea shop

'This egg is a colourful souvenir of that advertising campaign.

'The Crown engravers Garrard and Co were commissioned to produce 12 quality eggs with a unique design relating to the area of the country they were buried in.

'It is a solid gold egg that is hollow inside and the surface has been chased and enamelled extremely skilfully.'

The Isle of Man egg was the 12th mystery in the book and the cryptic tour ended at Maugold (more gold) churchyard.

Copies of the Cadbury’s Conundrum book, by Don Shaw, are still available to buy today and one is being sold with the egg.

The gold egg is expected to sell for up to £20,000 at the auction on November 28 in London.

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