A lock of Thomas Jefferson's hair is set to cross the block at Heritage Auctions.

It's believed to be the first time that Jefferson's hair has been offered at auction. 

Bidding stands at $6,875 ahead of a May 14 close date.

Jefferson's doctor lopped the hair from the former president's head as he lay dying on July 4, 1826.  

It passed down through the doctor's family for many years. Some of the strands were donated to the Philadelphia College of Physicians.

Jefferson was one of the most significant of the US founding fathers and is credited as the author of the Declaration of Independence.

Fittingly, his death coincided with the 50th anniversary of the document's inception.

Heritage Auctions' Dan Ackerman told the Telegraph newspaper: "We can't find a record of a lock of Thomas Jefferson's hair ever being sold at auction in recent times.  

"It might be difficult for our society to understand, but at the time, sharing locks of hair was a very common practice in the 18th and 19th centuries. This was long before the advent of photography so a lock of hair kept the person close to their loved ones' hearts."

We have a wide range of hair for sale, from presidents to pop stars. Click here to find out more.

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