Static
Going, The Extra Vial
A vial of dried blood taken from Ronald Reagan drew bids over $30,000
Transformed by Mel Guapo
Photos of Gingrich, Romney: Gage Skidmore, Tubes: Shutterstock
Published: May 30, 2012
A Guernsey, UK-based auction house put a vial of dried blood taken from Ronald Reagan in a Bethesda, Md. lab after the 1981 assassination attempt up for sale last week and saw bidding top $30,000 as commentators from The Atlantic to The Huffington Post to The Wall Street Journal took notice. Alas, the item was withdrawn on May 24, its owner having reportedly decided to donate it to the Reagan Foundation (and Presidential Library), the curators of which were apparently furious at the pending sale.
Yet there were two other test vials drawn on the day Reagan was shot (along with countless others drawn routinely during his two terms of office), prompting this City Paper poll asking, “What would you do with a vial of Reagan’s blood?”
46 percent: Place it in Cabinet of Wonders next to vial of Lincoln’s Morning Breath
32 percent: Carry it in Mojo Bag
21 percent: Flip it in initial public offering
Newt Gingrich: Clone a perfect one-eighth-scale likeness of the man
Mitt Romney: Reconstitute and drink to obtain super Reagan powers
To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.
Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.
