Plastic Crown Worn By The Notorious B.I.G. Sells For 783K

BIG-1.13505146 NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 12: The crown worn by Notorious B.I.G. when photographed by Barron Claiborne as the King of New York is displayed during a preview at Sotheby's for their Inaugural HIP HOP Auction on September 12, 2020 in New York City. A celebration of the history and cultural impact of Hip Hop, the sale reflects on the impact the movement has had on art and culture from the late 1970s through the "Golden Age" of the mid-1980s to mid-1990s, and up to the present. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images) (Cindy Ord/Cindy Ord / Getty Images)

A plastic crown The Notorious B.I.G. wore in his last photo session sold Tuesday for a whopping a little over $780,000 ($594,750 U.S.).

Photographer Barron Claiborne paid $6 for the crown at M. Gordon Novelty in New York City and convinced the rap legend to wear it during a shoot at his Brooklyn studio – even though label boss Sean “Puffy” Combs was reportedly worried it would make him look like the Burger King.

The image appeared on the cover of the April 1997 issue of Rap Pages.

The Notorious B.I.G., who was also known as Biggie Smalls (his real name was Christopher Wallace) was fatally shot in Los Angeles three days after posing for the photo.

The crown, signed by the rapper, was purchased at the Sotheby’s auction along with a pair of prints from the photo session and a contact sheet.

The buyer was not identified.