While not an athame per say, I still think - as per the question posted in the OP - the pagan symbolism likely contributed to the high price realized for what is in all likellihood a Victorian reproduction of an earlier form.
Wicca, while a rather contemporary expression of paleopagan ritual, is nonetheless the 2nd-fastest growing religion in the U.S., and Celtic-themed neopaganism has blown up in the UK as well. The presence of pagan symbology on the hilt is IMO a valid potential contributor to the high hammer price.
