A melted clock frozen in time during the Hiroshima bombing has sold for more than $31,000 (£24,000) at auction.
The wristwatch shows the exact moment the atomic bomb was detonated above Japanese The city, at 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, during the final days of World War II, according to Boston-based auction house RR Auction.
The copper-coloured watch is believed to have been recovered from the rubble of the explosion area by a British soldier on a mission to provide emergency supplies and assess the damage.
The piece fetched a total of $31,113 (£24,550) at Thursday's auction, with a number of other items of historical interest also included.
Despite the crystal clouds, the clock remains at 8:15 a.m., when the B-29 Enola Gay dropped the “Little Boy” atomic bomb.
It is an eerie reminder of the devastating devastation caused by the first atomic bomb detonated over the city.
“We very much hope that this museum-quality piece will serve as a poignant educational symbol, not only reminding us of the costs of war, but also emphasizing the profound devastation,” said Bobby Livingston, executive vice president of RR Auction. Abilities that humanity should strive to avoid.
“The wristwatch, for example, marks the moment in time when history changed forever.”
The winning bidder of the artifact chose to remain anonymous.
It is believed that the watch was found among the rubble of the explosion area by a British soldier. Pic: AP/RR Auction
A signed copy of the book “The Little Red Book” by former Chinese leader Mao Zedong was also sold at auction, for $250,000 (£197,000).
The check signed by former US president George Washington – one of only two known checks signed as a president to come to market – is worth more than $135,000 (£107,000).
Meanwhile, Buzz Aldrin's lunar module checklist for Apollo 11 was purchased for more than $76,500 (£60,000), the auction house said.
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