On March 1, 1938 Detective Comics Inc. cut a check to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster for the amount of $412, which featured a $130 line item for the ownership and rights to Superman.

Yes, that Superman.

That historic check recently went up on the online auction block where it was purchased by an unnamed buyer for $160,000, according to Stephen Fishler, CEO of Comic Connect and Metropolis Collectibles. That’s after the check was discarded in the trash, but a forward thinking DC employee saw the significance of it by salvaging it, tossing it in a dresser drawer, where it would stay for the next 38 years. You can see the check for yourself below:

(image)

According to ComicConnect.com:

“In the comic collecting world, we often fixate on a character’s or an artist’s first issue, or on a book’s condition. This item is completely different, a truly unique pop-culture artifact. The value must be considered in the same breath as the most valuable contracts, checks and signatures known to exist in the collecting world.”

To build anticipation for the auction, the following video was created:

It should be noted that a lengthly court battle has been going on for over 70 years concerning the rights to Superman, and they still continue to this day.