Denim garment dating from 1880s found in western mineshaft, which sold for $76,000, recalls era of Chinese Exclusion Act
A wax-covered, patched-up pair of Levi’s is giving new meaning to the word “vintage” – and serving as another artifact of America’s dark past.
The jeans, discovered in a mineshaft a few years ago by Michael Allen Harris, a historian of denim, date to the 1880s. They sold this month at a New Mexico auction for $76,000, the Wall Street Journal reported – among the highest prices jeans have ever fetched. The buyers, who each sell vintage clothing, were able to identify the jeans’ age thanks to a number of clues: a missing logo stamp, suspender buttons and a single pocket on the seat, among other indicators.
