‘The holy grail of vintage denim’: Pair of Levi’s jeans from 19th century sells for $87,400 at auction

According to the auction listing, the jeans are one of the oldest known pairs of Levis from the gold rush era

(DurangoVintageFestivus/Instagram)

A pair of vintage Levi’s jeans from the 19th century has been sold for $76,000 (£68.6k) at an auction in New Mexico.

The Durango Vintage Festivus took place on 1 October and featured the listing of the rare denim jeans from Levi’s, which were found in an abandoned gold mine years ago.

According to the auction listing, the jeans are one of the oldest known Levis from the gold rush era and regarded as “the holy grail of vintage denim collecting.”

The pants are in “good/wearable” condition, per the listing.

The item was purchased by a 23-year-old vintage clothing dealer from San Diego for $76,000 (£68.6k). The bidding for it started at a little over $20,000 (£18k).

“I’m still kind of bewildered, just surprised in myself for even purchasing them,” the buyer named Haupert told the Wall Street Journal.

The total price for the pants was $87,400 (£79.9k) with a buyer’s premium factored in.

According to reports, the jeans are covered with smatterings of the wax used in candles by miners to light the narrow tunnels, while there is a buckle back waist adjuster above a back pocket.

A label on the inside apparently reads: “The only kind made by white labor.”

As per The Times, Haupert has already received inquiries for the jeans and believe they could be worth as much as $150,000.