Stradivarius violin sells for $1.2m

A Stradivarius violin, dubbed the 'Penny', has sold for $1.2m (£600,000) at auction house Christies.

The instrument was named after its late owner, Barbara Penny, who was the first female to play in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra string section.

The highest price ever paid for a 'Strad' is thought to be the $3.5m (£1.75m) which changed hands for a violin known as 'The Hammer' in 2006.