Indiana Jones Fedora Fetches £487K at Auction

The iconic brown fedora worn by Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” has recently achieved a staggering price at auction. The hat, specifically crafted for the 1984 film, was sold for $630,000 (£487,000) in Los Angeles this Thursday.

High-Profile Auction Items

This sale was part of a larger auction featuring a range of notable movie memorabilia. Alongside the Indiana Jones hat, collectors bid on items from beloved franchises including Star Wars, Harry Potter, and James Bond.

Among the notable items was an imperial scout trooper helmet from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983), which went for $315,000 (£243,000). Additionally, a light-up wand used by Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban fetched $53,550 (£41,400). A suit worn by Daniel Craig in the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall also sold for $35,000 (£27,000).

The Hat’s Historical Significance

The fedora, a product of the Herbert Johnson Hat Company in London, is a distinctive upgrade from the hat seen in the first Indiana Jones film, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Propstore, the auction house responsible for the sale, noted that this hat features a “more tapered” crown compared to its predecessor. The interior lining is adorned with gold monogrammed initials “IJ”.

The hat was used not only in the film but also during additional photography at George Lucas’s visual effects facilities. It was also worn by Ford’s stunt-double, Dean Ferrandini, who passed away last year. The fedora was sold alongside previously unpublished photos of Ferrandini in the iconic costume. The hat was part of Ferrandini’s personal collection.

A Record-Breaking Sale

This auction result is notably higher than the $300,000 (£232,000) fetched by another Temple of Doom fedora sold in 2021, according to Hollywood Reporter. Brandon Alinger, Chief Operating Officer of Propstore, expressed pride in connecting a diverse range of fans with such historically significant pieces.