The handwritten signatures of famous people, known as autographs, are treasured memories that endure time and have an incalculable value. Perhaps the most priceless item of collectibles you can own of your personal idol is a celebrity autograph. They are frequently given away for free. In this article, we provide the list of top 10 most expensive autographs.
1.George Washington’s Signed Acts of Congress: $9.8 Million
George Washington received a priceless leather-bound copy of Acts of Congress in 1789. It includes the First Congress, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution as they were individually annotated by the nation’s first president, with his signature legible on the pages.
Ann Bookout, a board member of the Vernon Ladies Association, a nonprofit managing Washington’s Virginia Estate, bought the collectible right away. Ann Bookout won the signed book for a stunning $9.8 million, concluding the bidding in just five minutes and breaking the previous record for the cost of an American president’s historical document.
2.Abraham Lincoln Signed Emancipation Proclamation: $3.7 Million
President Abraham Lincoln signed 48 copies of the Emancipation Proclamation, which abolished slavery in the US, in 1864, the year before he passed away. Only 26 signed copies—the majority of which are on display in colleges and museums—are known to have survived out of all the signed copies. The most money ever spent on a single autograph was $3.7 million in 2010 when one of the autographed copies was sold.
It was once owned by Bobby Kennedy and sold to an unidentified bidder. Another autographed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation was sold in 2012 for $2 million to billionaire David Rubenstein, while another copy went for $750,000 in 1991.
3. John Lennon’s Murderer Signed LP: $525,000
The final Double Fantasy LP that the legendary Beatles ever autographed has a macabre tale to share. Ironically, John Lennon personally autographed Mark Chapman’s CD cover. On December 8th, 1980, when John Lennon was leaving his New York apartment, Mark Chapman approached him and requested that he sign his copy of the singer’s most recent album, Double Fantasy.
When Lennon arrived home five hours later, Chapman shot him four times in the back. After performing his heinous deed, David Mark Chapman did not run away. He patiently waited for the police while reading the classic novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger. Lennon’s autographed LP was valued at $525k in 2003, but its value has since increased significantly. Despite the mystery surrounding it, it made it to the top 10 most expensive autographs.
4.Babe Ruth Signed Baseball: $388,375
Babe Ruth’s record-breaking baseball career, which lasted from 1914 to 1935, earned him the nickname “Sultan of Swat”. Babe Ruth, also known as “The Bambino,” has some of the most expensive sports memorabilia. Johnny Sylvester, then 11 years old, hurt himself when he fell from a horse in the summer of 1926.
In exchange for promising to hit a home run, he received a Babe Ruth-signed baseball, which went on to become the most well-known autographed baseball in history and sold for $250,600 in February 2014. The most expensive Babe Ruth signed baseball ever sold was for $388,375, thus it did not break that record
5.Jimi Hendrix Signed Contract: $200,000
Jimi Hendrix, like Jim Morrison, was destined to pass away at an early age. The great guitarist and vocalist passed away in 1970 at the young age of 27, and his passing has sparked controversy and questions ever since. He signed a deal before he passed away in 1965, agreeing to sell his rights for a pitiful 1% royalty. Ironically, the value of this signed contract today is quite high.
Long after Hendrix’s death, his music has remained at the top of the charts. Due to this, the contract garnered a respectable $200k at auction in 2009.
6.Joe DiMaggio And Marilyn Monroe Signed Baseball: $191,200
At a Heritage auction in 2006, a baseball autographed by famed New York Yankees star Joe DiMaggio and his then-wife, Marilyn Monroe, brought in $191,200. It was a Yankees training camp in Florida in 1961. The legendary autographed baseball is the only thing the celebrity couple jointly signed. It was featured in top 10 most expensive autographs.
7.Albert Einstein Signed Photo: $75,000
Despite his involvement in the serious business of scientific study, Albert Einstein had a humorous side. On his 72nd birthday, Arthur Sasse, a press photographer, took a picture of him sticking out his tongue in a playful manner. The photo of Einstein made him very happy, and he asked for more copies to be sent to his house. Many people attempted to counterfeit his signature, but in the end, the authentic photo of the world’s greatest genius was auctioned in 2009 for $75,000, breaking all previous records
8.Jimmy Page Signed Guitar: $73,000
One of the greatest guitarists in history and the founding member of the avant-garde English rock group Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page has twice been honored in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Famed for songs like “Stairway to Heaven” A 1963 Gibson EDS-1275 guitar that Page autographed caused a stir because it has been verified as a genuine autograph.
This guitar’s worth is increased by the fact that it is playable and functional. Gibson later released a limited run of Jimmy Page’s signature guitars in the 1990s. What is the cost of a guitar autographed by the late guitarist and Led Zeppelin frontman? How do you like the sound of $73,000?
9.Jesse James Signed Photo: $52,000
In the 19th century, Jesse James was a notorious outlaw in the US. He gained a reputation for robbing the wealthy and giving to the needy, much like Robin Hood. The image of a wanted criminal infiltrated every nook and cranny of the cities to the south of the United States.
Jesse James had a large ransom on his head, as seen by his icy eyes, high brow, and pulled-back hair.” Wanted: Dead or Alive” was the message on the sign. Given that Jesse Woodson James was the outlaw’s full name, the sole known autographed photograph of him looking away from the camera is signed J.W. James and sold in 2011 for $52,000
10.John F. Kennedy Signed Newspaper: $39,000
John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22, 1963, making it one of history’s most tragic days. Kennedy autographed a copy of the Dallas Morning News for a young woman before his passing.
Today, this final autograph sells for a respectable sum. The late president’s autograph, which was auctioned by Heritage Auctions, cost approximately $39,000 to Joseph Maddalena, an enthusiastic art collection. And is also featured in top 10 most expensive autographs.
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