London  - A wooden box believed to have been made from a barrel in which the body of Britain's naval hero Horatio Nelson was transported back to Britain after the
1805 Battle of Trafalgar was auctioned for 8,160 pounds (15,000 dollars) in London Tuesday.

The price for the silver-mounted oak commemorative box was far higher than the maximum pre-auction estimate of 1,200 pounds, a spokesman for auction house Bonhams said.

Nelson died from a bullet to his spine onboard his ship, HMS Victory, at the Battle of Trafalgar against Napoleon Bonaparte and the Spanish fleet off the coast of Spain in
1805.

The auctioned box was thought to have been made from the water barrel which transported his body back to Portsmouth, southern England, on board the ship.

The barrel was filled with brandy to preserve the body and this had to be replenished several times during the journey. (dpa)