Staircase of the Eiffel Tower sold at auction for millions

Paris - A piece of the original staircase of the Eiffel Tower was sold today at auction in Paris for more than 550,000 euros, which is equivalent to 13.7 million CZK. The iron structure, 270 centimeters tall and weighing 750 kilograms, was auctioned off by an American private buyer for ten times the originally estimated price. The stated amount includes auction fees; without them, it is 460,000 euros.
    The staircase, which had been part of the tower since 1889 when it was completed, connected the second and third floors. It was dismantled in 1983 and sold off in pieces.
    In the last year, three pieces have appeared at various auctions. One piece, 4.5 meters high, was acquired for 180,000 euros last November by a Dutch entrepreneur. This October, another piece of the staircase, 3.5 meters long, found a Brazilian owner.