You can soon bid on a vial of Winston Churchill's blood
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
In 1940, Winston Churchill said that he had "nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat." We can't speak to the toil, tears, and sweat, but on March 12, Duke's Auctioneers will put a price on Churchill's blood.
The blood vial to be auctioned was collected at London's Middlesex Hospital in 1962, when Churchill was treated for a hip injury, The New York Times reports. Patricia Fitzgibbon, a student nurse, kept the blood vial as a souvenir from Churchill's visit. When Fitzgibbon died, she gave it to a friend, who is selling it this year, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Churchill's death.
Timothy Medhurst, an auctioneer and appraiser at Duke's, told the Times that the blood vial's value "is a very difficult thing to estimate." He added that the blood sample is "the most poignant and unique memorabilia" the auction house has ever seen. Medhurst expects the blood will be sold for at least $1,550 at the auction.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
