Fall Premier Auction 2015
Wed, Nov 18, 2015 09:00PM EST - Sun, Dec 6, 2015 12:00PM EST
Timed Auction
Lot 950
MUHAMMAD ALI 2000 "ATHLETE OF THE CENTURY" 14K GOLD DIAMOND-STUDDED RING ISSUED TO PHOTOGRAPHER HOWARD BINGHAM
Unsold
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $200 | $25 |
| $500 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,000 |
| $30,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $25,000 |
| $500,000 | $50,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $100,000 |
| $1,500,000 | $150,000 |
Spectacular Muhammad Ali Athlete of the Century ring believed to be issued to legendary photojournalist Howard Bingham whose lifelong friendship with Ali is well-documented. Ali commissioned the making of several of these rings for family and friends around the year 2000. It seems only fitting that one of his dear friends Mr. Howard Bingham would receive one. A biographer of Muhammad Alione of his best friend for over 40 yearsHoward Bingham is one of the most acclaimed photographers in the United States. He has won several awards for his coverage of the Civil Rights Movement political campaigns and some of the most important people of the 20th century. Besides Ali he has shot famous footage of Nelson Mandela Martin Luther King the Black Panthers the Beatles and Bill Clinton.
A diamond-studded ALI in large bold script capitals adorns the top of the face. This is surrounded by ATHLETE OF THE CENTURY in raised lettering with a little butterfly and a little bee separating the word athlete. One flank has "THE GREATEST 3 TIME WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION 2000. The other side has MUHAMMAD ALI and BINGHAM perched between two fern branches. The inside of the band is stamped "14K". The ring shows heavy wear. We sold a more generic version of this ring for $14700 in our Fall 2012 Auction but that one had Alis 56-5 career record on the side instead of Bingham. It also had 36 individually cut diamonds embedded in ALI on the face with an onyx stone or black enamel background. This ring is studded with those same 36 diamonds plus an additional 14 laced in the background for an even 50. Talk about bling-bling.
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