10. James Bond tarot cards
A deck of 10 tarot cards that were used by Jane Seymour in 1973's Live and Let Die sold at Christie's in October. Solitaire's deck sold for £24,000 ($38,470), representing an enormous 1,900% increase on its lowly £1,200 ($1,937) pre-auction valuation.
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9. Joseph Goebbels' early letters
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A substantial archive containing Joseph Goebbels' early letters and school papers, as well as several copies of his lamentable play, Michael Voorman: A Man's Fate in the Pages of a Diary, was offered in Connecticut in September. Carrying a $300,000 presale estimate the documents failed to sell. The debate as to whether the sale of Nazi memorabilia should be banned rages on.
8. A turn of the century carousel tiger
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An eye-catching carousel tiger, which was hand carved and painted circa 1900-1910, sold for $36,250 at Bonhams on December 4. The New York auction also featured a carousel pig, giraffe, and several frightening automaton figures.
7. Fidel Castro toby jug
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An exceedingly rare Fidel Castro toby jug - thought to be one of only three ever produced - sold to an Australian bidder in Plymouth, UK in August. The jug brought a record breaking £8,280 ($13,174) - the highest price ever achieved for a Royal Doulton character jug at auction.
6. A 1923 San Francisco police department album
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Housing over 720 mug shots across 60 pages, the police department album, which sold in New York on December 11, brought $36,000 - a 140% increase on its $15,000 presale estimate.
5. Niall Horan's discarded toast
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A slice of Vegemite smothered toast, which had been partially eaten, then discarded, by One Direction's Niall Horan, was offered for sale on eBay in April. Having attracted $100,000 in frantic, online bids, the perishable item was pulled from the sale without further explanation.
4. The largest piece of Moon rock ever to appear at auction
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October saw the largest piece of Moon rock ever to appear at auction bring $330,000. The four pound chunk, which is believed to come from the dark side of the Moon, sold alongside a prehistoric meteorite in New York.
3. A complete mammoth skeleton
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A remarkable, complete mammoth skeleton sold at Sotheby's Paris in October. Having been discovered in Siberia, the ancient skeleton was offered from the Japanese Kashiwagi museum collection. It brought $311,106. The skull of a baby triceratops named Samantha also sold in May this year for $30,000.
2. John F Kennedy's hearse
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The hearse that carried JFK's body to Air Force One following his assassination in Dallas sold for $176,000 in January. The Cadillac hearse topped the Arizona auction, selling to Stephen Tebo, a Colorado based property developer.
1. Gandhi's blood
Many believe Gandhi items should not be bought or sold |
A small fragment of soil believed to contain traces of Mahatma Gandhi's blood sold for £10,000 ($15,940) in April. The blood stained soil, which is contained in a glass box, was taken from the site of Gandhi's assassination in 1948. The London auction was mired in controversy: dissenters believe items associated with Gandhi should not be involved in financial transactions.