Lifestyle

Top 10 Most Expensive Vintage Items in the World

Published

6 months ago

2023/10/29

Vintage items are objects that are at least 20 to 25 years old, prized for their quality craftsmanship and unique, timeless style.

Clothing, furniture, jewelry, home décor, and cars are all popular vintage categories.

They can be found at a variety of places, including flea markets, antique shops, and online marketplaces; even though they might seem old, these items could command a whopping sum of money as price tags.

Below are the top 10 most expensive vintage items as at 2023:

1. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe – $143 million

The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé is one of the most iconic and valuable cars in the world.

It is a two-seater sports racing car that was developed by Mercedes-Benz for the 1955 World Sportscar Championship.

Only two prototypes were ever built, and one of them was sold at auction for a record $143 million.

2. The Badminton Chest – $36.7 million

The Badminton Chest, also known as the Badminton Cabinet, is a monumental piece of 18th-century furniture that twice set the record for the most expensive piece of furniture ever sold.

It was commissioned in 1726 by Henry Somerset, 3rd Duke of Beaufort, at the age of 19.

The cabinet is made of ebony and is decorated with pietre dure, which is a type of inlay that uses colored stones to create intricate designs.

The cabinet is 386 cm (152 in) tall and 232.5 cm (91.5 in) wide, and it weighs over 1,000 kg (2,200 lbs).

The Badminton Chest was made by a team of Italian craftsmen in Florence, Italy. It took six years to complete, and it is considered to be one of the finest examples of pietre dure work in the world.

3. 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle – $18.9 million

The 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle is a United States 20-dollar gold coin that is considered to be one of the most valuable and rare coins in the world.

The coin was designed by the renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and it was first minted in 1907. However, only 445,500 specimens of the coin were ever minted in 1933, and all but two of them were ordered to be melted down by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as part of his efforts to end the Great Depression.

As a result, the 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle is extremely rare, and only a few examples of the coin are known to exist. In 2021, one of the coins sold at auction for a record $18.9 million, making it the most expensive coin ever sold.

4. 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar – $10 million

The 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar is one of the first silver dollars ever struck by the United States Mint. It is also one of the rarest and most valuable coins in the world.

The coin is named for the flowing hair design of the portrait of Liberty on the obverse side of the coin. The reverse side of the coin features a design of an eagle perched on a rock, with the words “United States of America” and “One Dollar” inscribed above and below it.

The 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar was designed by Robert Scot, and it was first minted in 1794. However, only a small number of the coins were ever minted, and most of them were melted down shortly after they were struck.

As a result, the 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar is extremely rare, and only a few examples of the coin are known to exist.

In 2013, one of the coins sold at auction for a record $10 million, making it the most expensive coin ever sold at the time. The coin was purchased by the Cardinal Collection Educational Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to preserving and educating the public about American numismatic history.

5. 1787 Brasher Doubloon – $9.36 million

The 1787 Brasher Doubloon is a rare American doubloon of eight escudos worth sixteen dollars, privately minted in and after 1787 by Ephraim Brasher, a goldsmith and silversmith in New York City.

It is the first gold coin to be struck in the United States, and it is one of the most valuable and sought-after coins by collectors.

Only seven examples of the Brasher Doubloon are known to exist, and each one is slightly different from the others. The coins are made of gold and weigh about 27.2 grams (0.96 ounces). They are 30 millimeters in diameter (about 1.18 inches).

In 2021, one of the Brasher Doubloons sold at auction for a record $9.36 million, making it the most expensive coin ever sold at the time.