By Ed Chatterton

One of Charles Darwin ’s microscope slides from his groundbreaking geological research is set for auction after being discovered in a cardboard box - almost 200 years on.

The tiny piece of history, which was bought as part of a job lot from a local auction, is believed to be the only slide from Darwin's research to ever publicly go under the hammer.

The specimen containing Scoriaceous Lava collected during Darwin’s legendary voyage aboard H.M.S. Beagle (1831–1836) will be sold at Flints Auction in Newbury, Berks., with a starting price of £500.

Experts say the item had been given such a modest estimate due to nothing similar ever coming to auction and expect it could fetch much more on Dec. 3.

The vendor stumbled across the treasure among 250 other slides featuring

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