The costume worn by Clayton Moore in the TV series of The Lone Ranger from 1949-1957 has been sold at auction for $195,000. The costume, which includes a blue denim suit, red neckerchief, beige cowboy hat, black leather cowboy boots and leather gun holster, was sold on Saturday (12th July) by a Texas auction house. 

The Lone Ranger
Armie Hammer as the Lone Ranger, a slightly different outfit from the 50s version.

Read More: The Lone Ranger Review 2013.

The costume was sold at A&S Auction Company in Waco, Texas which specialises in "high quality American antiques and firearms" amongst other things. The leather gun holster belt holds two custom-made Colt pistols, as the Chicago Tribune reports. 

The outfit was auctioned on behalf of the family of a late Waco businessman and Old West enthusiast, Bob Davis. Davis had originally bought the costume for $100,000 in 1999, shortly after Moore's death. The costume, as evaluated by A&S Auction, was estimated to earn approximately $150,000. Thus estimating a sizable return for the Davis family, however, yesterday's result was a shocking $45,000 over the estimate.  

As Reuters reports, Davis was a huge fan of the Lone Ranger and had particularly fond memories of the original show. Davis' son, Earl, speaking to the news website said "He [Bob Davis] was a big fan of the Lone Ranger and watched the show when it originally ran. He really wanted it so he got into a bidding war to buy it."

The Lone Ranger has become a cult classic, having been inspired by the book of the same name by Zane Grey. The masked vigilant has become a staple of iconic Old West culture and numerous actors since the character's first appearance in 1933 have played him. Clayton Moore is by far the most famous, having starred in four of the five seasons of the television series and two subsequent films. 

Interpretations since the 1949-57 have been less successful including attempts to revive the character in 1961 in the Return of the Lone Ranger, starring Tex Hill, which only aired a pilot episode. Three other films have been released since the early 1980s with the Lone Ranger respectively played by Klinton Spilsbury (1981), Chad Michael Murray (2003), and Armie Hammer (2013). 

Read More: The Lone Ranger To Sink Without A Trace, Putting Disney Out Of Its Misery.

The Lone Ranger
The 2013 Lone Ranger adaptation also starred Johnny Depp as Tonto.