One of legendary cricketer Sir Donald Bradman’s rare Baggy Green caps was sold at auction today for $460,000.
Lloyds Auctions said it was the highest price ever achieved for a Donald Bradman Baggy Green (the name of the caps given to cricketers who play for their country).
Lloyds said the successful bidder, who chose to remain anonymous, was an Australian collector.
The cap will remain in Australia and will be placed on public display in a “prominent Australian museum.”
“The cap was personally gifted by Bradman to a fellow Test cricketer and had been preserved by the same family for more than 75 years, passing through three generations,” Lloyds said in a statement.
“Prior to this auction, it had never been publicly displayed or offered for sale and remained in remarkable condition.”
Lloyds said Baggy Green caps from Bradman’s era were exceptionally rare, with most held in institutional collections or “tightly held” private ownership.
Lloyds Auctions Chief Operations Officer Lee Hames said the result reflected the rarity of the item and Bradman’s enduring status.
“Its remarkable condition, combined with Bradman’s status as a national icon, makes it extraordinarily rare to see an item like this enter the public domain,” he said.
“That it will remain in Australia and be publicly displayed is a fitting outcome.”
Sir Donald Bradman retired from Test cricket in 1948 with a career batting average of 99.94, by far the highest of any cricketer and widely regarded as one of the greatest achievements in world sport.
More details are on the Lloyds website.
