# Could Sealand be sold on Ebay?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-sealand-be-sold-on-ebay/327011>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 20, 2005, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-sealand-be-sold-on-ebay/327011 "2005-10-20T02:09:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CrazyFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@CrazyFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyFoo)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-sealand-be-sold-on-ebay/327011/1 "2005-10-20T02:09:11Z")

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I just read up on the principality of Sealand, what a fascinating and unusual story.  
It got me wondering…

Could Prince Roy (if he wanted to) Sell Sealand on ebay or to a private individual, and they would in effect buy their own soverign nation?

Is it possible?

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-sealand-be-sold-on-ebay/327011/2 "2005-10-20T07:03:42Z")

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First of all, there’s be the legal question of ownership. Although the place was abandoned by the British navy, you could be sure that a potential sale would result in a legal challenge by the government.

If it were decided that the place really was the property of the Sealanders, they’d be free to sell it - but whether it’s a sovereign nation is very much in the eye of the beholder. See [Cecil’s column](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_300.html)

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**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-sealand-be-sold-on-ebay/327011/3 "2005-10-20T11:44:57Z")

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British courts have ruled that Sealand is outside of British jurisdiction, so I don’t see where they would have any standing to sue.

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-sealand-be-sold-on-ebay/327011/4 "2005-10-20T13:01:13Z")

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> [@Diceman](#):
>
> British courts have ruled that Sealand is outside of British jurisdiction, so I don’t see where they would have any standing to sue.

That was in the 1960s - since then, territorial waters have been extended to twelve miles, which encompasses Sealand. [BBC News | UK | Offshore and offline?](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/778267.stm)