More than 41 years after his death, The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll Mr. Elvis Presley is still making news. This time, through the sale of some of his personal items in a recent auction in Wiltshire, located at the South West of England. BBC News reports that Presley’s gold lion head ring and his first Las Vegas contract from 1956 were recently sold to private American collectors.
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The ring, fashioned to look like a lion-head has diamonds for eyes, and was sold for £33,500 (approximately $44,000). The jewelry piece was said to be worn by Presley in his home, Graceland in 1972. “One night at Graceland, Elvis dropped the ring on the floor and one of his Memphis Mafia members accidentally stepped on it and smashed it. The ring was never repaired,” shared the singer’s friend, Jimmy Velvet, who signed a certificated of authenticity on the damaged 14-carat ring. Elvis was said to have an affinity for the beast, because it was “the King of Beats”.
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Another important piece of memorabilia sold at the Henry Aldridge and Son auctions was a contract signed by Presley for a two-week Las Vegas engagement in 1956, the first of his shows in Nevada. It sold for £28,000 (roughly $37,000) to a private US collector. The contract was commissioned by the William Morris Agency for the New Frontier Hotel. Presley signed it with his initials “EP”. It also reads that he was paid $7,500 per week.
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