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Citizen Kane’s Rosebud Sled Sells for $14.75 Million at Heritage Auctions

Authenticity verified through scientific testing, the sled secured its place as the second-most valuable film relic ever sold.

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Orson Welles wrote, directed and starred in “Citizen Kane” (1941).
"Rosebud" is a prop sled from the movie "Citizen Kane."
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Overview

  • The sled is one of only three surviving props from Orson Welles’s 1941 masterpiece Citizen Kane.
  • Director Joe Dante rescued the pine hardwood sled in 1984 during a clearance of RKO storage on the Paramount lot and later hid it as an Easter egg in several of his films and TV episodes.
  • Heritage Auctions confirmed its provenance and authenticity before featuring it in a Dallas entertainment memorabilia sale.
  • The anonymous buyer acquired a piece of cinematic history that Dante had safeguarded for over four decades.
  • The transaction follows last year’s record ruby slippers sale and underscores growing cultural and monetary demand for rare film artifacts.