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Stephen Hawking's wheelchair, used by the last theoretical physicist in the 1980s and 1990s, exceeded the expectations of the sale at an online auction held on Thursday.
The value of the chair had been estimated up to $ 19,500, but it eventually sold for $ 387,480 (£ 296,750), CNN reported. This amount is almost 20 times higher than its pre-sale estimate.
It also sold at a price higher than the amount recovered by the manuscripts of other renowned scientists.
Hawking used the wheelchair after being paralyzed by degenerative neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease.
"Hawking had initially resisted the idea of using a wheelchair in the late 1960s; in the late 1970s he was using motorized models as in the current example and was even renowned for being a rather wild driver, "said auctioneer Christie's in a statement before the sale to the auction.
"In the late 1980s, he was at the height of his fame and his many travels for lectures and public events, as well as his space-time intellectual explorations, c & d Is probably the most traveled wheelchair in history, both literally and metaphorically. "
Proceeds from the sale of the chair will go to two charities, the Motor Neuron Disease Association and the Stephen Hawking Foundation
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The sale titled "On the Shoulders of the Giant" also included a collection of Hawking medals and awards, as well as a copy of Hawking's doctorate.
The thesis is expected to sell up to $ 195,800 (£ 150,000), but a buyer will bid $ 763,300 (£ 584,750) to secure it.
Hawking's work is most sought after Isaac Newton Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein, Darwin sold a letter of $ 64,700 and one of Newton's manuscripts was priced at $ 129,400. agreed to pay $ 42,054 (£ 32,500) for one Einstein's manuscripts
Hawking was only 21 years old when he was diagnosed with ALS. He was told that he had only a few years to live because of his illness.
Hawking however managed to live for several decades during which he deepened the scientific reflection on black holes and the universe. He conducted lectures and wrote books, including the book [19889004] A Brief History of Time which became one of the best-selling science books of all time
On March 14, Hawking died at home in Cambridge. He was 76 years old.
Hawking's daughter, Lucy, said the sale offered an opportunity for her father's admirers to gain a souvenir of the scientist's extraordinary life.
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