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The $20,000 Hat is a straw Panama hat which contains hundreds of signatures from celebrities, political figures, professional athletes, and more. Famous individuals such as Jack Dempsey, Clark Gable, Rudolph Valentino, Ronald Reagan, William Howard Taft, Charlie Chaplin, Calvin Coolidge, General John J. Pershing, Louis Armstrong, Joan Crawford, and Errol Flynn have all signed the hat along with hundreds of other luminaries from the 20th century. See photos for additional detailed images of the signatures. The Hat has also been known as The World's Most Valuable Straw Hat, The $20,000 Autographed Hat, and The Highest Priced Hat (In The World). According to the original owner, Earl C. "Sandy" Smead, the hat was purchased during the 1926 Philadelphia Sesquicentennial where Smead was a radio announcer.
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The Hat:
Style: Panama Stetson
Cosmetic Condition: Fragile – housed in a custom plastic protector with independent piece to protect both the top and the bottom. Some separation of the brim from the body of the hat with some loss to the brim and tears that have damaged some unknown signatures. Some signatures are faded and lost. The custom plastic protector is not physically attached to The Hat.
Scrapbooks:
Cosmetic Condition: Wear consistent with age and use
Two scrapbooks containing multiple pages of newspaper clippings, photographs (both original and facsimile), articles, etc. that document the provenance and history of The Hat. Articles detailed back to the 1920's. Fun fact: it is believed that many of the earliest scrapbooks were lost by famed actor Debbie Reynolds when the hat was on display in Las Vegas.
Carrying Case:
Material: Metal
Cosmetic Condition: Wear consistent with age and use
The hat box is a custom made metal container with past names of The Hat listed on it. In addition, the container holds stamps or markings distinguishing the traveling's of The $20,000 Hat.
This item does not include a Certificate of Authenticity. Additionally, we are unaware if at any time these signatures have been enhanced due to fading or wear. The hat is well documented in terms of its travels and promotional appearances but any previous attempts to restore or enhance the signatures are unknown to PropertyRoom.com. This is a one of a kind treasure and is being sold 100% as-is.