The first Captain America comic book has sold for a record-breaking $3.1 million at auction, making it one of the most expensive comic books ever.
The first issue of Captain America Comics was acquired on Thursday as part of Heritage Auctions’ comics and comic art exhibition, which runs through Sunday. The widely prized book, which ran 45 pages and introduced the world to Steve Rogers, his sidekick Sgt. James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes, and the super villain Red Skull, was published in March 1941.
The comic book has a near-mint grading of 9.4 from the Certified Guaranty Company, according to Heritage Auctions. There are just three known copies of the issue with a 9.4 rating, according to reports. According to the CGC, one 9.8-graded copy exists somewhere in the world, but it has yet to be auctioned.
The starting bid was $1.825 million, but it rapidly climbed to $2.2 million. Finally, an unidentified bidder paid $3,120,000 for the comic, making it the fourth-highest price ever paid for a comic at auction. According to HA, Superman and Spider-Man are the only two superheroes whose first appearance in a comic book has sold for more than $3 million. Last year, a 9.6-graded copy of Amazing Fantasy No. 15, the first issue to feature Spider-Man, sold for $3.6 million. A year ago, an 8.5-graded copy of 1938’s Action Comics No. 1, which featured Superman for the first time, went for $3.25. In 2014, a 9.0-graded version of the same issue sold for $3.2 million, while a 6.0-graded version sold for $3.18 million.