A vial of Ronald Regan’s blood taken after a failed assassination attempt in Washington DC over three decades ago is currently being auctioned online.
The dried blood residue is contained in a five inch glass vial which shows the date of the assassination attempt. Printed in purple ink on a label is: “REAGAN RONALD 940029 THOR / 610892572 AARON PRESIDENTIAL / SUITE 3/30/81 M 2/02/11 JAP.” 940029 was Reagan’s patient ID.
The auction for the memorabilia closes at 7pm on Thursday, the highest bid so far for the item is $9,907 (£6,270).
According to letter of provenance, the blood sample from the 40th President of the United States has been in possession of the owner's family since March 1981.
The owner’s mother, who worked in a blood testing division at a laboratory, asked the director of her laboratory if she could keep the paperwork and the test tube in the days following the initial blood test. After her death she passed it onto her son, who is now selling the item.
In broad daylight, John Hinckley Jr took six shots at Reagan as he left the Hilton Hotel in Washington DC on March 30, 1981.
Reagan was seriously injured when the bullet hit him under the left arm in his lung, just an inch from his heart.
7 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.IrishAndProud | May 23, 2012, 12:23 AM EDT
That's really inappropriate, selling a vial like this. I don't care what you think of a person's politics or which party or ideology they belong to; this is inappropriate. I'd say the same if it was Teddy Kennedy's.
Magdaleno | May 22, 2012, 11:23 PM EDT
I think that Reagan was a very good president and really believed that America with all it's various generations of people made America what it was ... a great nation. However, the blood part is way over the line and shame on this man for lowering not only his character but allowing money to cloud his misguided vision of one fine president.
seanomelb | May 22, 2012, 05:26 PM EDT
Didn't think he had any,maybe that's the sum total of his blood.
Bythebay | May 22, 2012, 05:14 PM EDT
A vial of his blood -- people will do anything for money.
Murph46 | May 22, 2012, 04:41 PM EDT
Rather morbid!
sirpeter | May 22, 2012, 12:06 PM EDT
Wouldn't that be classed as hazardous waste?
abhainn | May 22, 2012, 09:57 AM EDT
Reagan would approve of this sale. He doesn't need the blood and it exemplifies his economic philosophy.