You must figure on doubling the prize amount, at least.

FORBES: Nobel Gestures

Mr Orchard, who works at his parents' garden centre, said he and the lady in the shop who verified the card were "shaking" when the prize amount was confirmed and he was told he would have to contact lottery operator Camelot to claim.

BBC: Cornish gardener wins ?1m on lottery scratchcard

Other items in the Heritage sale include Crick's endorsed Nobel Prize check in the amount of 85, 739, 88 Swedish krona, dated Dec. 10, 1962, and a white lab coat complete with stains and wear.

WSJ: Francis Crick's Nobel medal sells for over $2M

The Australian Open offered the smallest winners' prize check of the four majors in 2008, however, at today's exchange rates, the 2009 prize is currently the richest in the game (although the amount of the 2009 U.S. Open winner's check is yet to be announced).

CNN: French Open champion to get less than Nadal

But this is more than just a race for a Nobel Prize: Fusion's powerful pull is that it has the potential to turn a modest amount of seawater into a large supply of clean energy.

FORBES: A Nuclear Hybrid

The prize will go to the first person to come up with a way of quickly extracting an adequate amount of oxygen from simulated lunar regolith (volcanic ash is being used as a stand-in).

ECONOMIST: Spaceflight

And it is clear that the amount of honour on offer at the Solheim Cup has gone up in proportion to the rise in prize money at LPGA tournaments.

BBC: HELEN ALFREDSSON FACTFILE