News and updates from around the arts and auction community:
- During their infamous crime spree, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow robbed a few jewelry stores, but the most intriguing piece of jewelry associated with the duo didn’t come from a retail establishment. A bejeweled three-headed snake ring that’s being auctioned on June 24 was crafted by Barrow while in prison as a gift for his sweetheart, Parker, who was waiting on the outside. [Read more from RR Auction]
- Star Wars fans will need more than The Force to get their hands on Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber, Darth Vader’s helmet, or an R2-D2 droid coming up at auction later this month. A few million in the bank might help seal the deal. [Read more from Yahoo! News]
- When songwriter Tony Geiss died in 2011 at age 86, he left behind no immediate relatives, so his valuable songwriting royalties, including Sesame Street tunes, were auctioned — a new method for selling such rights. Ten charities will split $580K, the amount paid for ownership of future royalty revenue from the songs. [Read more from Billboard]
- A gold ingot from the 1850s shipwreck of the S.S. Central America has sold at auction for $188K. It weighs in at a hefty 107.76 ounces, but that’s nothing compared to the largest ingot found in the ship’s cargo, which tipped the scales at 933.94 ounces. [Read more from Heritage]
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