LONDON—In November 1918, as revolution spread through Russia, an imperial cache of cufflinks and cigarette cases was squirreled away in the Swedish consulate in St. Petersburg. Recently found in the foreign ministry archives in Stockholm, the forgotten trove hits the block at Sotheby’s London on November 30. Enticingly titled "Romanov Heirlooms: The Lost Inheritance of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna," the sale is estimated to earn around £1 million ($1.6 million); a Fabergé circa 1895 gold and enamel case, is alone estimated to bring £30,000 to £50,000 ($48-80,000). Many objects, some still containing bits of tobacco, bear the initials of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich and his wife, Maria Pavlovna.

"Secret Stash" originally appeared in the November 2009 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's November 2009 Table of Contents.