e of the iconic white gloves worn by the late Michael Jackson has been sold for $53,210 (57,600 Australian dollars) at an auction in Melbourne.

The King of Pop tossed the crystal-laden glove to a fan in Sydney in 1996.

Bidding at auction house Bonhams and Goodman on Saturday started at $27,700 and was soon soaring as bids rolled in.

Bonhams and Goodman spokeswoman Charlotte Stanes says there were six bidders in all, four of them from overseas.

In the end, Warwick Stone, a buyer for the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, came out on top.

Jackson, who died in June at aged 50, was in Sydney in 1996 during his HIStory world tour when he attended the Australian premiere for the film Ghosts, which he was starring in.

Bill Hibble, a film and music collector, was sitting near Jackson's entourage along with a friend.

They were one of the few people who laughed along with the movie and as a result, the singer flung them his glove. According to the auction house, it is the same glove Jackson wore when he married Debbie Rowe earlier the same day. Rowe is the mother to two of Jackson's oldest children.

Hibble, who is now dead, caught the glove. Hibble's mother sold the item. At least three other similar gloves have been auctioned this year.

Jackson was buried on Thursday at a cemetery in Los Angeles, two months after his death from a drug overdose. Authorities have ruled his death a homicide and police are investigating several doctors. Police say they will seek criminal charges.

From CBC news.