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Read in the paper yesterday that someone paid at auction $19,120 for a wooden gun purported to be hand-carved by John Dillinger. The wooden gun was apparently used by Dillinger to bluff his way out of a jail in Indiana in 1934. I guess if you collect Dillinger paraphernalia its a good deal.

I too, want to be "stupid-rich".

At auctions, these type items are many times being bid on by curators or representatives from museums to help complete their collections. They often use monies that are left from estates or donations to help secure items for specific displays.

I too, want to be "stupid-rich".

Well, I am half there, nyuck, nyuck!!

dewayneward wrote:

I too, want to be "stupid-rich".

Well, I am half there, nyuck, nyuck!!

*starts whittling some history*

To rich for my blood. I wood not bid on it. [cymbal crash]

I grew up in a little town in southern Indiana that attracted a lot of tourists. When I was a kid, among its attractions was the John Dillinger Museum, which was housed in an historic house on the main drag. I went through it a few times -- and I recall a display of a fake pistol, along with some photographs about that escape, but I do not recall if the carved pistol was the original or a replica. It didn't look terribly real to me.

The museum had a lot of Dillinger related memorabilia, some of it original, some of it replica (like Dillinger laying in a casket, as I recall). Dillinger never actually made it as far south as my hometown, but was reputed to have gotten to the nearby tiny burg of Bean Blossom (for you blue grass fans, this is THE Bean Blossom, as in the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Festival), where someone came out of their house, Dillinger took a shot at him for fun, and the householder scurried back inside. Or so the story goes.

I think the Dillinger Museum went out of business many years ago. I suppose all the stuff was sold, so maybe the OP is about where the pistol ended up.

At the same auction a 1 dollar bill that was apparently in Dillingers pocket when he was killed by G Men later in 1934 was bought for 14 thousand +. Guess that dollar never lost its value.

stash wrote:At the same auction a 1 dollar bill that was apparently in Dillingers pocket when he was killed by G Men later in 1934 was bought for 14 thousand +. Guess that dollar never lost its value.

Was it a Gold Note, perhaps? (not sure of the terminology)

Purplehood wrote:

stash wrote:At the same auction a 1 dollar bill that was apparently in Dillingers pocket when he was killed by G Men later in 1934 was bought for 14 thousand +. Guess that dollar never lost its value.

Was it a Gold Note, perhaps? (not sure of the terminology)

It was a $1 Silver Certificate, Series 1928B, serial number D20718635B

Here's a picture and details .


John Dillinger: A Blood-stained One Dollar Bill Taken from His Remains with Original Envelope Given to the Family by the FBI. A $1 Silver Certificate, Series 1928B, serial number D20718635B with three small areas of bloodstaining. This note has written vertically in ink on the verso, along the left border, "7-22-34 - Johnie", likely by a family member. This was the date of his death and he was known to his family as Johnnie. Accompanying this item is the original 6" x 3.25" kraft envelope, notated as follows in green ink on the front: "John. Dillinger/ 7-23-34/ $7.81", in which the money he had on his person was returned to his father. The balance of the nearly eight dollars was apparently dispersed to various family members through the years. Did John Dillinger only have $7.81 on him when he was killed by the FBI? Based on Dillinger's very lucrative bank-robbing career, it is hard to believe that this is all the money he carried with him during a night out on the town. The letter of provenance from Framces Dillinger Thompson, his half-sister, mentions that "...My father received many letters from people that were at the scene of the killing, and stated there was a large amount of money taken off the remains by the FBI." The dollar bill is in fine condition with several original folds. The envelope is well worn. Estimate $10000 - up.

The worrying part of this is the word 'purported' that implies there was no documented proof of authenticity.