The family, which lives in a village near Lewes, had a rare collection of French and French colonial stamps which were sold for more than £220,000 by Gorringes Auctioneers.

Unaware of their value, the family had kept the stamps tucked away in a drawer for more than 20 years until curiosity got the better of them and they took them to be valued.

The collection turned out to include some of the rarest examples of 19th century French stamps in existence, including a mint block of twelve Napoleonic 1fr stamps issued in 1853, which sold for a staggering £64,000.

Other rarities included a mint 1fr stamp which fetched £47,000 and a set of four mint 1c stamps which made £36,000.

Philip Taylor, senior partner at Gorringes,said: 'At Gorringes, we are proud of our reputation for selling unusual collections at the best possible price for our clients and we were thrilled that these stamps made more than £220,000.'