A baggy green cap worn by legendary Australian batter Don Bradman during the 1947-48 series against India has fetched a record-breaking price at auction.
The cap, recognized as one of the most iconic pieces of cricket history was sold for A$460,000 (£232,000) to an anonymous buyer on Monday, January 26.
Bradman had gifted the cap to Indian player Sriranga Wasudev Sohoni, who died in 1993 at the age of 75 after which his family preserved it for 75 years.
The baggy green is adorned with the Australian cricket coat of arms, with “1947-48” embroidered underneath and has "D.G. Bradman" and "S.W. Sohoni" inscribed on the inside.
The baggy green is the traditional cap worn by Australian players in the Test cricket.
During Bradman's time, players received a new cap for every series but today, players get one cap when they make their Test debut to keep for life.
"That's over three generations under lock and key. If you were a family member you were only allowed to look at it when you were 16-years-old for five minutes," said Lee Hames, the chief operating officer of Lloyds Auctioneers and Valuers, who held the auction.
Several of Bradman's caps have sold for large amounts at auction over the years, with prices ranging from around $400,000 to nearly $480,000.
