Jeans Sold for $100,000
A pair of tattered denim jeans with rusty rivets made an anonymous Thai buyer dig deep into their pockets at an auction of what is described as the world's oldest pair of jeans last autumn. The hammer fell at no less than $100,000 – or just over 685,000 Danish kroner – as the auctioneer brought down the hammer for the last time.
This pair of jeans is dated back to 1873. They were found nearly 20 years ago in a mine in Nevada. It is believed to be a pair of Levi's – and if so, it would be the world's oldest. However, the Levi's corporation has yet to comment on their authenticity. The fact that the find happened in a mine shaft in Nevada is not coincidental. Many abandoned mines here have yielded many historical artifacts in good condition, not least due to the drier climate.
The auction took place at Durango Vintage Festivus, a four-day festival in New Mexico that attracts thousands of vintage aficionados. And clothing from the previous century is in high demand. In 2022, a pair of men's work pants, also believed to be from Levi's, was salvaged from a shipwreck in North Carolina from 1857 and sold at auction for $114,000.
Not surprisingly, the jeans, measuring 34 inches at the waist and 31 inches in leg length, are in somewhat shabby condition. Part of the lower left leg is missing, and a repair adorns the front of the right leg. The pants have a back cinch and a single back pocket, a style that was common for jeans before 1900.
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