17 Auction Items That Sold for Millions

Some of history’s most iconic artifacts have been purchased at auction. Napoleon’s sword, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Codex Leicester,” and the infamous dress Marilyn Monroe wore while singing “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” were all sold to persistent bidders for millions. This infographic from BullionVault also includes items that were less concrete, like the Roman Empire, which was auctioned off to politician Didius Julianus in 193 CE (the unlucky new emperor was assassinated after just two months in power). Check out the rest of the exorbitant sales below and hope you never get into a bidding war with the buyers on this list.
[h/t BullionVault]