An etching which appears to show Adolf Hitler playing chess with Lenin and the board on which they played could collectively fetch up to £80,000 at a Shropshire auction.

The etching by Emma Lowenstramm in Vienna in 1909 is expected to fetch as much as £40,000 when it goes under the hammer at Ludlow Racecourse on Thursday.

Also up for grabs is the chess set which experts believe was used while the men sat for the etching. It is also estimated to fetch up to £40,000.

Richard Westwood Brookes, for Mullocks, said: “Academic debate rages about the veracity of the image, with some suggesting that Lenin could not be the figure in the image as he was bald at the time.

“Others have pointed out that Lenin was known to conceal himself at this time on many occasions.”

The etching is accompanied by a 300 page dossier of evidence painstakingly compiled by Felix Ednhofer, the present vendor’s father, throughout his life.

He devoted himself to proving beyond any doubt that the image was authentic and was by Emma Lowenstramm.