A pair of blood-stained leather gloves found in President Abraham Lincoln’s pocket the night of his assassination sold for a staggering $1.52 million at an auction in Chicago on Wednesday. The gloves were part of 144 rare Lincoln artifacts, with 136 sold to repay an $8 million loan taken two decades ago by the Lincoln Presidential Foundation.

Other notable sales included one of Lincoln’s handkerchiefs for $826,000, a “Wanted” poster of John Wilkes Booth for $762,500, and Lincoln’s earliest known handwriting, which sold for $521,200.

The auction, hosted by Freeman's Hindman, raised $7.9 million including premiums, with any excess funds going toward preserving the collection. The controversial stovepipe hat, once thought to be Lincoln’s, was notably excluded due to authenticity doubts.

This auction shines a spotlight on the enduring fascination with Lincoln’s legacy and the relics of that fateful night at Ford’s Theatre.