“The historical importance of a photograph of Billy the Kid alongside known members of his gang and prominent Lincoln County citizens is incalculable. This is perhaps the single most compelling piece of Western Americana that we have ever seen,” Kagin’s owner Donald Kagin said in a statement on the company’s website.
Collector Randy Guijarro told KSEE that buying the picture was a last-minute decision.
“I had just a couple of bucks left, and I found three photographs I liked, and of the three, the oldest tintype, I actually kind of chucked it back in the box,” he told the station.
The other known Billy the Kid picture was sold for $2.3 million in 2011.
