More valuable than gold: New Zealand feather becomes most expensive in the world

Only a registered 'taonga tūturu' (authentic treasure) collector can buy the feather, and the feather cannot leave New Zealand without permission

The well-preserved huia bird feather was expected to fetch up to NZD$3,000 but ended up selling for more than NZD$46,000. Picture: Webb's

A rare and highly prized feather from the extinct New Zealand huia bird has sold for NZD$46,521 (€26,000), making it by far the world’s most expensive feather ever sold at auction.

The hammer price far exceeded initial estimates of between $2,000-$3,000, and blew the previous record-holder’s price out of the water. The previous record sale was another huia feather that sold in 2010 for $8,400.