According to Kotaku, a 24-carat gold-plated Nintendo Wii that was originally made for Queen Elizabeth II in 2009 is now up for auction.
Donny Fillerup, the owner of Dutch collector Consolevariations, is auctioning off the famous device, which now-bankrupt developer THQ had planned to deliver to the Queen. According to the listing, the device never made it inside Buckingham Palace due to an “understandably strict” royal gifting policy.
The golden Wii, which was created as a promotional component for the mini-game series Big Family Games, was held by the studio until its bankruptcy filing in 2013 when it was purchased by a private buyer. Fillerup then purchased the device from the unidentified owner in 2017.
Fillerup tried to sell the 24-carat gaming system on eBay in October of last year, but the site removed his listing due to a policy change that deemed the item’s price to be too high. Goldin is now in charge of the auction.
“Presented here is the ultimate Wii collectible, commissioned especially for Her Majesty the Queen herself for a (somewhat goofy, and ultimately unsuccessful) marketing ploy, ‘The Golden Wii,'” according to the listing. The console, one controller, a copy of Big Family Games, a sensor bar, and all necessary cables are included in the bundle. Notably, there are signs of “scattered” gold chipping on the device.
Bidding has reached $2,200 USD as of this writing, but it is expected to rise significantly before the auction closes on May 21. Make an offer on Goldin’s website.