GENEVA, Dec 10: More than 230 letters from Russian Czars and their families, packed with the secrets of the imperial court, have sold in Geneva for 10 times their asking price, auctioneers said on Tuesday.

The unpublished letters from Nicolas I, Alexander II and their relatives fetched 743,000 Swiss francs ($835,000) far above the estimate of 60,000-80,000 francs.

According to auction house Hotel Des Ventes (HDV), most were purchased by the same buyer at Monday night`s sale.

The letters, written in Russian, French and English, were sold by an American who had received them from the widow of a US captain deployed in Europe during World War II.-AFP