Darth Vader's screen-matched dueling lightsaber is headed to a Heritage Auctions sale on Thursday, Nov. 12, with a $1 million starting bid. That figure opens the bidding. It is not a sale price.
Heritage identifies the prop as the hero dueling hilt used by David Prowse and stunt performer Bob Anderson in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The auction house says the lightsaber matches a production still from Empire and a close-up in Jedi.
Heritage schedules the lightsaber for its Nov. 12 Star Wars auction
The live floor session begins at 1 p.m. Central at Heritage's Dallas headquarters. Proxy bidding closes 10 minutes before the session, and Heritage lists a 25% buyer's premium for the lot.
The 12.5-inch hilt was built from a British M.P.P. Microflash camera attachment and reinforced for dueling scenes. Its visible wear includes a cut section of the upper shroud, a crack near the rear and one partially broken grip.
Source: Heritage Auctions lot 89037.