A vast treasure trove of old brass and aluminium number plates that once graced the cabsides of SA and Mozambican railway locomotives could earn its seller upwards of R1m when it goes on auction on Saturday.

The auction, which will be held online, has already seen about 800 buyers making early bids on the number plates, whose prices start at around R2,500 for an aluminium plate  and R4,000 for a brass plate.

Despite what to many may seem like eye-watering prices for a battered piece of aluminium, interest has been brisk as collectors from all over SA and the world place pre-bids, said auctioneer and art specialist Imre Lamprecht at Old Johannesburg Warehouse Auctioneers...