Don Bradman‘s 1947-48 Baggy Green Cap to be Auctioned
A baggy green cap gifted by Australian cricket legend Don Bradman during India’s inaugural Test tour of Australia as an independent nation in 1947-48 is set to go under the hammer. Lloyds Auctioneers and Valuers are handling the sale,describing the cap as a “piece of history with genuine national importance.”
The cap was presented to an Indian team member following Australia’s 4-0 series victory (with one match drawn). It has remained in the same family’s possession for the past 75 years.The auction description notes the cap “links you to Don Bradman’s invincible era and a memorable exchange with the Indian squad.”
according to auctioneer Charles Hames, Bradman remains “one of Australia’s defining national figures.” He emphasized the rarity of the item, stating a personally gifted, well-preserved baggy green from Bradman is “one rarely seen outside private hands.” The cap features the Australian cricket coat of arms and the embroidered series dates,”1947-48.”
Only 11 baggy greens from Bradman’s playing career are known to exist, a consequence of Test cricketers wearing a fresh cap for each series during that era – a practice different from the modern Australian team.
Previous Bradman baggy greens have fetched meaningful prices at auction. His debut cap from 1928 sold for $450,000 AUD in 2020. The cap worn during his final tour of England in 1948 sold for $425,000 AUD in 2003, and was later resold for approximately $400,000 AUD in 2008. More recently, in 2024, a “sun faded and worn” baggy green worn by Bradman sold for $479,700 AUD, setting a then-record high for a cap worn by the cricketing icon.
The current record price for a baggy green remains with Shane Warne’s cap, which sold for $1,007,500 AUD in 2020, with proceeds benefiting the Australian Red Cross bushfire appeal.
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