Collectors warm to coalition tankard

Peter Jones China, in Wakefield, has made the souvenir tankard

commissioned to mark the coalition Government.

It depicts the Prime Minister and Mr Clegg set against the background of the Houses of Parliament to mark their historic power-sharing agreement.

The mug reads: "The Coalition Government, a new era of hope".

Interest in the quirky fine bone china, which has not yet gone on sale, has already overwhelmed the firm's mail order division as enthusiasts excited by the "new" politics rush to buy one of only 2,010 pieces.

The tankard is already expected to outsell the Gordon Brown mug, which proved difficult to shift.

Managing director Andrew Cousins said: "Interest has so far exceeded our expectations after we placed a single advert. It is a quirky piece of interest to collectors with a political interest."