The lightsaber prop used by Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies has sold for $3.65 million (€3.12 million) at auction in the US.
The piece, used in battles in both The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), went under the hammer along with more than 400 other lots of props and costumes used in film and TV in Los Angeles on Thursday.
The lightsaber is the only one with verifiable screen use ever to be offered at public auction - and now holds the title of the highest-priced Star Wars item ever to go under the hammer.
Other notable sales on day one of Propstore's Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction included the eight-foot bullwhip, belt, and whip holster used by Harrison Ford as the title character in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), which fetched $485,100 (€414,964).
The Spider-Man suit worn by Tobey Maguire in the 2002 superhero film went for $289,800 (€247,900), while Patrick Stewart's Ressikan flute as played by Captain Picard from the Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series (1987-1994) and a costume continuity script sold for $403,200 (€344,905).
The neuralyzer - the device used in Men in Black (1997) to wipe the mind of anybody who sees its flash - sold for $315,000 (€269,457), while the stunt Longclaw sword used by Kit Harington's Jon Snow in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones went to the highest bidder for $94,500 (€80,837).
A prop from the Harry Potter film series, the Platform 9¾ sign, was bought for $138,600 (€118,561), and Daniel Radcliffe's wand from the scenes in The Prisoner of Azkaban when he is seen opening The Marauder's Map, sold for $81,900 (€70,059).
The shark tooth clapperboard used to film Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975), which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, fetched $94,500 (€80,837).
A total of 433 lots achieved a sales total of $14,302,417 (€12,234,574) - including buyer's premium - on the first day of the auction, which continues until Saturday with more than 600 further items.
Propstore Chief Operating Officer Brandon Alinger said: "The result marks a landmark moment not just for Propstore, but for the entire world of film collecting.
"To see a Star Wars lightsaber - the symbol of one of cinema's greatest sagas - become the highest-valued piece of the franchise ever sold at auction is incredibly special.
"It speaks to the enduring cultural power of Star Wars and the passion of fans and collectors who see these artefacts as touchstones of modern mythology."
Source: Press Association
