The plastic crown originally bought by photographer for $6 and once donned by the late rapper during a magazine photoshoot has gone under the hammer for over $590,000.
- Sep 17, 2020
AceShowbiz - A $6 (£4.50) plastic crown worn by Notorious B.I.G. three days before he was murdered in 1997 has sold at auction for a staggering $594,750 (£457,945).
The late rapper, real name Christopher Wallace, donned the promotional plastic item for a photoshoot for Rap Pages magazine, which turned out to be his last-ever shoot, and photographer Barron Claiborne later decided to sell the crown.
Despite it having an estimated sale price of between $200,000 and $300,000 (£152,000 and £229,000), the winning $594,750 bid - which includes auction house Sotheby's "buyer's premium" fees and taxes - far exceeded the prediction.
"This crown is a novelty item; I bought it at a place on Broadway called Gordon's," Claiborne said. "Without Biggie, the crown would not be worth (six figures). I only paid six bucks for it."
Other items in the auction included 22 letters penned by the late Tupac Shakur to a high school sweetheart, which sold for $75,600 (£58,133).
